THIS PROOF-OF-CONCEPT PROJECT WILL DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE PRIORITIES OF THE ANIMAL WELL-BEING SECTION (A1251) BY CREATING PRELIMINARY DATA TO EXPLORE THE USE OF LASER IN PIGLETS AS A LESS PAINFUL ALTERNATIVE TO SURGICAL CASTRATION WITH A SCALPEL. EACH YEAR OVER 65 MILLION PIGLETS IN THE UNITED STATES EXPERIENCE PAINFUL PROCESSING PROCEDURES SUCH AS SURGICAL CASTRATION. CASTRATION IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT UNWANTED PREGNANCIES IN PIG OPERATIONS AND TO IMPROVE PORK QUALITY. HOWEVER, CONSUMER CONCERN ABOUT THE ANIMAL WELFARE IMPLICATIONS OF PAIN AT THE TIME OF PROCESSING HAS CREATED AN URGENT NEED TO FIND ALTERNATIVES FOR PAINFUL LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF LESS PAINFUL ALTERNATIVES TO SURGICAL CASTRATION THAT ADDRESS CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE WHILE ALSO BEING SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICAL FOR ON-FARM USE ARE REQUIRED FOR THE SWINE INDUSTRY TO ADDRESS EMERGING ANIMAL WELFARE CHALLENGES.WE BELIEVE THAT SURGICAL LASERS CAN BE DEVELOPED TO BE A LESS-PAINFULALTERNATIVE TO THE CURRENT INDUSTRY PRACTICE OF SURGICAL CASTRATION OF PIGLETS WITH A SCALPEL. TO EVALUATE THIS APPROCH, STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED TO;(1) DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF CASTRATING MALE PIGLETS USING LASER SURGERY;(2) OPTIMIZE THE LASER SETTINGS TO MINIMIZE SURGICAL TIME AND TISSUE DAMAGE DURING THE CASTRATION PROCEDURE AND(3) ASSESS CANDIDATE BEHAVIORAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROLOGICAL BIOMARKERS OF PAIN IN PIGLETS AFTER CASTRATION WITH A LASER VS. A SCALPEL.SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THESE STUDIES WILL SUPPORT THE SUBMISSION OF A STANDARD NIFA PROPOSAL TO COMPARE LASER WITH CURRENT INDUSTRY METHODS OF CASTRATION IN PIGLETS UNDER EXPERIMENTAL AND COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION CONDITIONS.