Day 098 - 07 Mar 95 - Page 38


     
     1        race?
     2        A.  No, no.  There is an actual sort of physical or, not a
     3        physical, but a cut-off point at which no cattle can pass
     4        until they have been inspected by the OVS.
     5
     6   Q.   That is before the race, is it?
     7        A.  Oh, yes.
     8
     9   Q.   How long do they check each animal for?
    10        A.  I do not -- I am not too familiar with the actual check
    11        that they carry out, so I do not really know how long it
    12        takes to, you know, check a cow.
    13
    14   Q.   As far as you are aware, do they just look for things that
    15        are pretty obvious or do they actually get down on their
    16        hands and their knees with stethoscopes and things like
    17        that?
    18        A.  No, they check visually and in their professional
    19        opinion make a judgment on whether that animal is fit or
    20        not.
    21
    22   Q.   Is there an OVS on site around the clock or is that just
    23        while the slaughtering is actually going on?
    24        A.  There is certainly one there all the time slaughtering
    25        is going on.  Certain parts of the day or certain days
    26        parts of our plant are working when others are not and
    27        there will not be an OVS on site at that point.
    28
    29   Q.   Apart from the times when slaughtering is going on, what
    30        are the times when there has to be an OVS there?
    31        A.  It would be the times -- this is, I am guessing this
    32        but I think it is right -- the times that we are loading
    33        carcass beef, i.e. boning beef.
    34
    35   Q.   Right.  So that is something they would check on as well?
    36        A.  Yes.
    37
    38   Q.   Do you know generally out of how many hours every week
    39        would there be -----
    40        A.  An OVS on site?
    41
    42   Q.   Yes.
    43        A.  No, I do not.
    44
    45   Q.   You do not.  Do you know what the current and/or voltage of
    46        the goad is?
    47        A.  No, I do not.
    48
    49   Q.   What does the company consider to be excessive usage?
    50        A.  The goad is only to be used when an animal will not 
    51        move.  If anybody was using a goad for any other reason 
    52        than that it would be considered excessive. 
    53
    54   Q.   I wanted to come back to this tracing animals.  When you
    55        gave evidence-in-chief you said you can trace every animal
    56        to the farm of origin?
    57        A.  Yes.
    58
    59   Q.   That was the farm that it is born on?
    60        A.  No, I think we discussed this earlier with Mr. Morris.

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