Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 63


     
     1        ventilated system, air-condition system.  Those have been
     2        eliminated or being eliminated by the farms because this
     3        system of kennels is so simple.  It is all insulated.  It
     4        is very natural.  They keep warm in deep straw.  The growth
     5        is just as good as anywhere else and you do not have the
     6        costs of the energy to heat the places up, so it is a much
     7        more economic system at that point.
     8
     9   Q.   So some of your suppliers are using the flat-deck system
    10        now?
    11        A.  Not to my knowledge.
    12
    13   Q.   When did they stop using it?
    14        A.  I do not know individually as such.
    15
    16   Q.   When did the last one stop using it?
    17        A.  When did the last one stop using it?
    18
    19   Q.   Yes.
    20        A.  They have been in stock as the years go on.  People
    21        because there has not been the money in the pig industry to
    22        be able to refinance such systems because they are highly
    23        expensive and a much cheaper one is the system we have
    24        developed.
    25
    26   Q.   But when did the last of your suppliers phase out the
    27        flat-deck system?
    28        A.  An honest answer that is I do not know.
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Put it another way, do your best to recall
    31        when you were last aware of any of your suppliers still
    32        using the flat-deck system?
    33        A.  Three or four years ago probably I heard of people
    34        using them, but it is not a common practice as it was.
    35
    36   MS. STEEL:  But say 10 years ago would there have been a lot of
    37        suppliers using them?
    38        A.  Oh, yes.
    39
    40   Q.   Yes?
    41        A.  Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   They have darkened houses containing rows of single-tiered
    44        metal pens, yes?  That is what the flat-deck system is, is
    45        that right?
    46        A.  Rows of dark?
    47
    48   Q.   Darkened housing, just a building containing rows of single
    49        tiered metal pens usually with slatted metal floors.
    50        A.  There is a huge variation of flat decks, anything from 
    51        roughly what you described to flat decks outside. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Were the majority indoors or outdoors 10 years ago?
    54        A.  What, flat decks?
    55
    56   Q.   Yes.
    57        A.  I would say indoors.
    58
    59   Q.   A typical one, would it be right, that it would have single
    60        tiered metal pens usually with slatted metal floors?

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