Day 097 - 06 Mar 95 - Page 46
1 Q. Would it be accepted by McKeys in that condition or not?
2 A. It is not so much of a problem with cows as such,
3 although obviously everything goes through the same system,
4 because cow meat is generally darker anyway than steer or
5 heifer beef.
6
7 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Could I just ask, there is a term for that,
8 is there, when the steers' meat turns dark because of
9 stress?
10 A. Yes.
11
12 Q. What do you call it?
13 A. Dark cutting really is what we call it usually or DFD
14 is the other term dark bone(?) dry.
15
16 MR. RAMPTON: You have, I think, it is four kinds of animals,
17 male and female, bulls (which you do not send to McKey),
18 cows, heifers and steers; have I got it right?
19 A. That is right, yes.
20
21 Q. Is there a difference or not in the way in which, as a
22 general rule, those categories of animals -- leave bulls
23 out of it, forget bulls -- cows, steers and heifers, a
24 difference in the way in which they have to be handled or
25 which it is usual to handle them when they arrive?
26 A. No, they will go through exactly the same system, cows,
27 steers and heifers.
28
29 Q. In your experience, is there any more docility in one group
30 than another?
31 A. I think it would be fair to say that cows are generally
32 more docile animals, easier to handle.
33
34 Q. These would be dairy cows, would they, generally?
35 A. Yes.
36
37 Q. What, on average, is the sort of age of dairy cows whose
38 meat you would send to McKey?
39 A. Four years.
40
41 Q. You mentioned, I think, a veterinary officer ---
42 A. Yes.
43
44 Q. -- a moment ago, that is not your own employee?
45 A. No. It is somebody employed by MAFF in the local
46 authorities.
47
48 Q. He or she (as the case may be), how much time do they spend
49 at the premises?
50 A. All the time that we are slaughtering and we have a
51 veterinarian on site.
52
53 Q. What is your slaughter a week? How many hours a day for
54 how many days?
55 A. Well, seven and a half hours a day, normal time, five
56 days a week.
57
58 Q. So what happens at weekends and in the evenings, at night?
59 A. Sorry, I am not .....
60
