Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 73
1 husbandry.
2
3 Q. Is it right that the ring prevents the pigs from routing
4 because when they try to dig the ring causes pain by
5 snagging into the cartilage in the nose?
6 A. I would have said that is highly, highly unlikely
7 because I have got daughters with earrings and pierced
8 ears. I see them continually pulling and they do not
9 complain that it hurts. I think one could almost take an
10 analogy from that because the pig's snout is a very, very
11 -- what can I say -- bristly type of object, where I would
12 not think it could be such a problem.
13
14 Q. I would take issue with that. It does cause pain, does it
15 not?
16 A. I am not a pig, so I cannot comment.
17
18 Q. How would it be effective if it did not cause pain?
19 A. Because actually I can have a reasonable idea when a
20 pig does have pain, because there are certain things that
21 you can do to a pig and it will react in a way where it
22 will show that it objects to it, squeaking, squealing etc.
23 I have never ever heard a pig, when it has got a ring in
24 its nose, running around the field, squeal or look as
25 though it is in pain. Also another thing about pain, pain
26 will actually bring the condition of the pig down, so the
27 pig would go thin; and I can assure you that I never see
28 that happen.
29
30 Q. But a pig would learn pretty rapidly, would it not, that
31 when it tries to dig with its snout and it has a ring in it
32 it is going to cause it pain?
33 A. I cannot agree with that at all.
34
35 Q. Pigs are intelligent creatures, are they not?
36 A. Yes, I would agree on that.
37
38 Q. What is the point in putting the ring in it if it is not to
39 stop it from routing around by causing it pain?
40 A. Because, believe it or not, managers do have concern
41 for the young.
42
43 Q. Right, but how ----
44
45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What is being put to you is, the only purpose
46 in putting the ring in is to stop the sow routing, or
47 routing beyond a certain extent, and it is being put to
48 you: What is the point of that? It would not be
49 effective; the ring would not be effective to that end
50 unless routing with a ring in its nose caused the sow some
51 discomfort. It may well be that, being an intelligent
52 animal once it has had an element of pain on one or two or
53 three occasions, it stops, but leave that aside. Must it
54 not be that it causes some pain which makes putting a ring
55 there effective? What do you say about that?
56 A. We have obviously discussed this at great length within
57 our company and we have come to the conclusion that there
58 is not a pain problem once the ring is in. You can say
59 there might be an initial pain. One cannot deny that
60 totally at all, and I would not wish to. But, at the same
