Day 096 - 03 Mar 95 - Page 20


     
     1        A.  Absolutely.
     2
     3   Q.   -- let the pig out, the sow out, is that what you are
     4        saying?
     5        A.  Yes, you do one farrowing stall at a time.
     6
     7   MS. STEEL:   If you could play on, thank you.
     8
     9                   (The video recording continued)
    10
    11   MS. STEEL:  Can you just pause there? The piglets that you saw
    12        there, do any of your suppliers use a similar system to
    13        that?
    14        A.  Yes, there could be possibilities of that.  But when
    15        I say "similar", they could be used specifically for what
    16        we call hospital operations.  That is that system, you can
    17        have more control over your pig.  I know in that film it
    18        shows it being used as a totally commercial unit, but use
    19        can that system to improve the life of the pig if it
    20        becomes ill or the sow runs out of milk or she does not
    21        milk or whatever.  That is the option and that is used for
    22        that purpose.
    23
    24   Q.   So your suppliers, do they use it for any other purpose?
    25        A.  Not to my knowledge.  I do not think any of them would
    26        be commercially into that type of production.
    27
    28   Q.   But if there were runts or something, that kind of
    29        situation, then some of them would go into that kind of
    30        setup?
    31        A.  Yes, for the benefit of the pig.
    32
    33   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause a moment.  When the little ones
    34        were being taken at the beginning of that excerpt were they
    35        weaners ---
    36        A.  Yes.
    37
    38   Q.   -- being weaned?
    39        A.  Yes.
    40
    41                  (The video recording continued)
    42
    43   MS. STEEL:  The pigs that were shown there, is that typical of a
    44        dry sow store unit?
    45        A.  Yes, sows do that in a dry stall unit.  As you are no
    46        doubt aware, stalls are banned by 1999 in this country.
    47        But quite an interesting point, all outdoor sows will
    48        continually have a stone in their mouths, chew, chew, chew
    49        chew.  So, that is something quite peculiar, we feel, to
    50        the pig.  Whilst that does not look, I will agree, that 
    51        does not look natural or normal -- it probably is not -- 
    52        but at the same time they do like to have something in 
    53        their mouths to chew.
    54
    55   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Were you including the tapping with the
    56        trotter as something which happens in dry sow stalls as
    57        well?  There was chewing the rail and there was a pig
    58        repeatedly -----
    59        A.  Personally, sir, I am fully in agreement with dry sow
    60        stalls being banned.

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