Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 39


     
     1        95 per cent come from, sir -- probably a bad assessment.
     2
     3   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  So they are not living on the slatted
     4        floor  ---
     5        A.  Oh, no, no.
     6
     7   Q.   -- they have this discrete area?
     8        A.  All the rest of this area, all the rest of it is
     9        insulated floor with straw where the sow is.  That is just
    10        the back end where the slight problem is.
    11
    12   MR. RAMPTON:  What is the concern about slats?
    13        A.  Obviously, foot problems.
    14
    15   Q.   You mean they can get their foot caught?
    16        A.  Yes, they can get their feet caught, etcetera.
    17
    18   Q.   So if you get rid of the slatted lavatories, if I can call
    19        them that, will you get your approval, do you think?
    20        A.  Yes, we would, sir.
    21
    22   Q.   Do you use any tethers for your sows in those indoor
    23        stalls?
    24        A.  No, sir, nor stalls.
    25
    26   Q.   Nor stalls?
    27        A.  No.
    28
    29   Q.   When the indoor sow comes to have its piglets, by what
    30        means does she have them?  She cannot dig a hole in the
    31        ground in the same way as the one outside can?
    32        A.  The indoor sows, sir, we have what we call farrowing
    33        units or maternity units, for want of another word, where
    34        the sows go in to have their pigs and then they are held in
    35        that room until they have their pigs in the farrowing
    36        crates for the protection of the piglet, and that is --
    37        also in there there is a warm area where the pigs can go to
    38        the pigs if they wish to and choose to away from the sow.
    39
    40   Q.   As we will see in a moment, the RSPCA's freedom food code
    41        says that farrowing crates should be phased out as soon as
    42        practicable alternatives become available.  Are there any
    43        available at the moment?
    44        A.  I would agree with that statement totally.  There are
    45        experiments taking place, but it is not just now.  Man has
    46        been looking for alternatives for years.  One of the
    47        alternatives, obviously, outdoor system, the outdoor arcs,
    48        but, internally, there are experiments going on.  We have
    49        tried different types of farrowing crates.  There is an
    50        experiment that is being looked at now with the RSPCA and, 
    51        I think it is, Aberdeen University on a system where a sow 
    52        can walk in and farrow quite differently, but it has not 
    53        met with the initial success that they thought it would do.
    54
    55   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  But does your system amount to being a
    56        farrowing crate?
    57        A.  Does our system what, sir?
    58
    59   Q.   Does your system for the indoor sows count as a farrowing
    60        crate?

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