Day 018 - 26 Jul 94 - Page 31


     
     1   Q.   90 kilos?
              A.  That is correct.
     2
         Q.   You gave a figure of .52 of a square meter?
     3        A.  That is correct.
 
     4   Q.   Which is somewhat in excess of the MAFF guidelines?
              A.  Yes.
     5
         Q.   I want to ask you something else to do with pigs.  Do pigs
     6        show aggression towards each other sometimes?
              A.  Yes.
     7
         Q.   What are the ways in which aggressive behaviour between
     8        pigs may be curtailed?
              A.  What age group of pig are you considering, please?
     9
         Q.   Let us start with little ones.
    10        A.  Right.  Little ones pre-weaning, one procedure is to
              clip the high teeth on the piglets to avoid laceration of
    11        the faces of adjacent piglets at the other.  That is one
              procedure that is used.
    12
         Q.   Do they also bite each other's tails?
    13        A.  They can do.  It does not always happen, but it can
              happen.
    14
         Q.   Do some of the piglets, therefore, have their tails
    15        docked?
              A.  Yes, they do.
    16
         Q.   Did that go on at GD Bowes?
    17        A.  I believe that it might have occurred.  Correct me if
              I am wrong from my text.
    18
         Q.   You said 25 per cent?
    19        A.  Was that in the privately owned?
 
    20   Q.   I do not know; you would have to tell me that.
              A.  Let us have a look.  Which paragraph, please?
    21
         Q.   I am afraid I do not know the page -- page 8.  It is the
    22        second paragraph on page 6, 232 in the file.  Are you
              there talking about Bowes' pigs or pigs brought in?
    23        A.  Good question.  I do not know.
 
    24   Q.   Again we will ask Mr. Bowes about that.
              A.  Please do.
    25
         Q.   You mention teeth clipping there too.  What I want to ask 
    26        you is this:  Is there evidence that teeth clipping or 
              tail docking, either or both, are undesirable from an 
    27        animal welfare point of view?
              A.  Yes, there is.
    28
         Q.   What are the reasons for that?
    29        A.  Research from Germany and Sweden has shown that teeth
              clipping can be associated with a higher prevalence of
    30        infectious diseases in the gum and in the joints of pigs.
              That is one example.

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