Day 018 - 26 Jul 94 - Page 38


     
     1        A.  Thereabouts.  There would be a sliding gate.
 
     2   Q.   Stop there.  Give us your answer to this question:  When
              the five pigs, or whatever it was, were waiting in that
     3        thing, pen, you have just described, did you observe any
              signs of distress or anxiety or fear in those pigs?
     4        A.  No, no overt signs.
 
     5   Q.   No overt signs.  What are the overt signs of anxiety in a
              pig?
     6        A.  They would be what could be interpreted as escape
              behaviour; the pigs would be moving rapidly around each
     7        other; they might be looking for an escape avenue out of,
              for instance, the confined pen.  They would be oblivious
     8        of the other pigs.  They would be pushing the other pigs
              out of the way in order to fulfil their escape behaviour.
     9
         Q.   This was not happening?
    10        A.  No, it was not.
 
    11   Q.   Were the pigs paying attention to each other?
              A.  They were paying more attention to what was on the
    12        floor, being a novel floor environment for them, than
              anything else.
    13
         Q.   Are they creatures with a sense of curiosity, pigs, so far
    14        as one can tell?
              A.  Yes, I believe they are.
    15
         Q.   Do pigs squeal when they are frightened or only when they
    16        are excited?
              A.  Both.
    17
         Q.   Was there any large amount of squealing at this juncture?
    18        A.  No, it was unusual in comparison to other abattoirs in
              that respect.
    19
         Q.   Unusual?
    20        A.  Unusual, yes.
 
    21   Q.   What do you perceive to be the reasons for that
              difference?
    22        A.  Right from the word "go", when the pigs were taken out
              of the lairage, they were not stressed.  If you start
    23        stressing a pig, even early on, that stress remains with
              the pig all the way up to the time of stunning.  So it is
    24        considerate handling throughout the whole procedure which
              made that successful in that particular respect.
    25
         Q.   I see.  Take us into the stunning pen, please, 
    26        Dr. Gregory.  How many men are inside the stunning pen? 
              A.  Two. 
    27
         Q.   What functions do they perform?
    28        A.  One is there to stun the pigs with the tongs; the
              other is to shackle the hind leg with a chain and suspend
    29        the shackle, the chain -- sorry -- to a hoist which
              conveys the pig out of the stunning pen to the bleeding
    30        area.
 

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