Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 65


     
     1        figures given here, 220 to 240 pigs per hour.
 
     2   Q.   In your experience, is it something which happens fairly
              often, that where an inspection is being made the rate of
     3        slaughter goes down?
              A.  That sometimes that does occur, yes.
     4
         Q.   Right?
     5        A.  That does occur.
 
     6   Q.   People are more careful about what they are doing?
              A.  You are absolutely right when they being scrutinized.
     7
         Q.   OK, thank you.
     8
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There is nothing, no particular science, in
     9        that, you are just speaking of what is human nature?
              A.  Yes.
    10
         Q.   Or is there something to do with this particular
    11        slaughterhouse which you have in mind?
              A.  No.  Can I answer this in general terms?
    12
         Q.   Yes.
    13        A.  Sometimes, let us say, when an official inspector goes
              around an abattoir from outside, the abattoir would
    14        operate at a slower line speed for two reasons:  That
              inspector, if he is involved with hygiene, they would slow
    15        the line down so they can spend more attention on hygiene
              to impress the inspector.  The same might apply in this
    16        particular context of welfare and an external inspector.
              So it is a relevant question in my opinion.
    17
         MS. STEEL:   After a pig is stuck, how long does it take before
    18        it dies?
              A.  The time loss of evoked responses in the brain which
    19        could be one criterion is 18 seconds on average, if it is
              stuck properly.
    20
         Q.   That is 18 seconds after it was stuck?
    21        A.  Correct, after the first flow of blood.
 
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What is the test?  Brain response is the
              test of death?
    23        A.  In this situation what was done, it was done under
              experimental laboratory conditions, the animals were given
    24        an external stimulus, which was a light stimulus, and from
              their electrocorticogram, the electrical response of the
    25        brain was recorded and it was an 18 seconds interval
              before it was lost, so that is a symptom of brain failure. 
    26 
         MS. STEEL:   After electrical stunning, is it thought that 
    27        unconsciousness is unlikely to last more than about 20
              seconds?
    28        A.  Where experiments have been done looking at the time
              to return of a physical response to pushing a needle into
    29        the snout of the pig, into the end of the nose of the pig,
              the time to return of reflex head withdrawal is of the
    30        order of 50 seconds.
 

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