# Uncasterated Pigs - Hoping for no taint



## woodsie (Apr 17, 2013)

Well I just brought home 3 male piglets that are 7 weeks old. The person I purchased them from chose not to casterate and remove teeth as she is trying to keep things natural and honestly I don't think she was relishing the job....can't say I blame her. All the piglets are going to go to slaughter  at 6-7 months of age and there are no other pigs around so there are no females within sniffing distance. 

They are crossbreed (Berkshire/Duroc) and I have heard sometimes Duroc can have the taint factor. From my reading it seems that as long as there are no girls around, not too old and rotating pasture (which they will be, I have about 1.5 acres of weeds that I will be rotating them through in 4 or 5 areas with electric cross fencing I have a good chance of not having awful smelling meat.

I have hear the uncasterated pigs also grow faster and are leaner than barrows which would be a bonus.

Any other things I should be trying suggesting to limit the boar factor? I am really hoping to have tasty meat. 

Oh, I did purchase some highland bull meat from a bull that was 2 years old and some people thought I was crazy but it is really good - really lean but no stink....I am hoping for some extra fat from the pigs to mix in with EXTRA lean beef.

What do you think? Did I make a terrible mistake getting uncasterated males? anyone have experience eating/raising young boar meat?


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Apr 17, 2013)




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## that's*satyrical (Apr 17, 2013)

I would like to know too.  I have read somewhere (possibly here) that as long as you slaughter them before 7 months it shouldn't be a problem.  I would rather slaughter a month or 2 early and not have to deal with it if possible even if it means we may lose a few pounds of meat doing it earlier.


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## jhm47 (Apr 17, 2013)

First of all, bulls don't have taint like boars do.  Bulls just get really tough and stringy, with little to no marbling.  As for boars---you might be able to get by with it, but I am really sensitive to boar taint, so don't invite me to dinner.  It makes me nauseus, and I have a reeeeally strong stomach.  FYI:  It's not too late to castrate them yet.  If they were mine, it'd be done in a heartbeat.  Good luck!


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## Four Winds Ranch (Apr 17, 2013)

PROBABLY, you should be fine and not have to worry about a taint. I don't have much experience with Durocs and am just getting into them myself. We have raised hogs for quite a few years and we have eaten a 1 and a half year old boar and had absolutly no taste, but he wasn't around any females. I have found that if you can't smell them when they are alive you can't taste any taint. As a rule, we try to casturate, which in the long run is way less work and headache.
Lol, good luck!!!


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## woodsie (Apr 17, 2013)

Four Winds Ranch said:
			
		

> PROBABLY, you should be fine and not have to worry about a taint. I don't have much experience with Durocs and am just getting into them myself. We have raised hogs for quite a few years and we have eaten a 1 and a half year old boar and had absolutly no taste, but he wasn't around any females. I have found that if you can't smell them when they are alive you can't taste any taint. As a rule, we try to casturate, which in the long run is way less work and headache.
> Lol, good luck!!!


What issues to do you run into with a uncut male later? I understand a full grown boar is a totally different ballgame but are there other things is a 6 month or less males going to cause me problems that I am not aware of? I guess I should have been asking these questions before I brought them home.


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## woodsie (Apr 17, 2013)

jhm47 said:
			
		

> First of all, bulls don't have taint like boars do.  Bulls just get really tough and stringy, with little to no marbling.  As for boars---you might be able to get by with it, but I am really sensitive to boar taint, so don't invite me to dinner.  It makes me nauseus, and I have a reeeeally strong stomach.  FYI:  It's not too late to castrate them yet.  If they were mine, it'd be done in a heartbeat.  Good luck!


I do understand that but people said that bull was going to be terrible meat and we are really enjoying it and thought this may be another question of traditional ways/views vs. alternative methods.


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## Four Winds Ranch (Apr 17, 2013)

woodsie said:
			
		

> Four Winds Ranch said:
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I would imagine, if you just got the 3 boars you shouldn't have too many problems. They tend to to be a bit of a headache for us because we have a lot of other pigs, and for one, if they are to be butchered, they have to be kept away from any sows. Also, if they can smell a sow they fight horrible!!!


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## woodsie (Apr 17, 2013)

whew! Thanks, I for the reply. I feel much better now, I was worried that they were going to fight and  be nasty. So far they are quite cute and really stick together. All very new to us!


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## fair weather chicken (Apr 20, 2013)

just my 2 cents, we butchered a 2 yr old boar and we thought we would just grind him up for sausage but he was fine. he had bred our sows but it had been awhile and we were happy with the meat.


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## woodsie (Apr 20, 2013)

fair weather chicken said:
			
		

> just my 2 cents, we butchered a 2 yr old boar and we thought we would just grind him up for sausage but he was fine. he had bred our sows but it had been awhile and we were happy with the meat.


Thanks for the feedback....I have decided to leave them intact and hope for the best. I'll definitely let you all know how it tastes when it hits the plate!


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## Cornish Heritage (Apr 20, 2013)

Breed & genetics have everything to do with boar taint. I personally do not like tainted pork BUT some folks think it is the best thing since sliced bread! AND there is no guarantee that all three will or will not have taint. Butchering young can prevent it but just like in humans, some can mature faster than others. 

We butchered two brothers once at the same age - one had taint, one did not. 

Keeping virgin boars together is not a problem - they should not fight.

Hope you get some good pork 

Liz


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## woodsie (Apr 25, 2013)

Well I bought some pork from someone local and she thought I should call the local butcher and ask him....so that's what I did. He said very confidently that with no females around we should have no problem...whew! 

We ate some of that local pork for dinner and those pork chops were AMAZING!!! I will NEVER eat commerical pork EVER again!


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## secuono (Apr 26, 2013)

What about a 1yr pot belly boar that lives with another boar and female?


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## woodsie (Apr 26, 2013)

From my research, it depends on breeding hormones and a bacteria so the factors in determining taint are age (breeding age), females around, breed, confinement vs. pasture rotation (confinement has more bacteria and more likely to get taint). I guess some farms can butcher breeding boars with no issues but others do. 

Some suggest removing the boar from the females for 30 plus days to help the hormones settle down...my butcher seemed to think it was also the females around that made the biggest risk of taint.


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## Cornish Heritage (Apr 26, 2013)

> We ate some of that local pork for dinner and those pork chops were AMAZING!!! I will NEVER eat commerical pork EVER again!


LOL! There is just NO comparison is there?! Folks think we are crazy if we do not eat pork at a restaurant but it is just flavorless.

Liz


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