Day 097 - 06 Mar 95 - Page 57
1 cattle or adult pigs", forget pigs, "is necessary to
2 persuade them to move forward where there is space for them
3 to do so". Does your company use electric goads?
4 A. Yes, we do.
5
6 Q. In what circumstances?
7 A. Only when the animal will not move.
8
9 Q. Where is the goad placed on the animal?
10 A. On its hindquarters.
11
12 Q. Do you know what current the goad imparts to the hide of
13 the animal's hindquarters?
14 A. I could not honestly tell you the current, no.
15
16 Q. Have you ever felt a goad?
17 A. I have many years ago, yes.
18
19 Q. What does it feel like?
20 A. That makes you jump, but I would not say it is
21 particularly painful.
22
23 Q. Do you have any reservation about the use of goads, where
24 necessary?
25 A. Well, it is company policy, in fact, company rules that
26 they are only to be used when absolutely necessary.
27 Excessive use is obviously a breach of company rules and
28 liable to disciplinary action.
29
30 Q. Have you felt an electric fence?
31 A. Yes.
32
33 Q. Is there a difference between the goad and a fence?
34 A. I would say it is the about the same, from memory, yes.
35
36 Q. Going back in that document, please, that is handling so
37 far as MAFF are concerned or preslaughter handling,
38 I should say. If we go back to the front of that document,
39 we get to stunning and sticking. I am going to ask you
40 some questions about that before I ask you to look at this
41 document. Have you read the report of Dr. Neville Gregory
42 for this case of his visit to your company?
43 A. Yes, I have.
44
45 Q. Have you read the evidence which he gave relating to cattle
46 in this case?
47 A. I have read some of it, yes.
48
49 Q. You have read some of it. What number of grains do you use
50 in the pistols, captive bolt pistols, which are used to
51 stun the cattle?
52 A. We use three grain cartridges.
53
54 Q. Three grain?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. You will have seen that Dr. Gregory reported that that
58 charge was sufficiently strong or high, that accuracy of
59 stun was not of crucial importance. Do you remember
60 reading that?
