Day 066 - 14 Dec 94 - Page 30


     
     1        move around and try to fight whatever conditions they are
     2        subjected to.
     3
     4   Q.   I was going to ask you a more general question.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can I just ask a question about that?  If a
     7        prod is applied to a steer, what is a typical reaction?
     8        Does it just move on or does it start and patter away?
     9        A.  It would just shake, it would go like this.  He will
    10        move and he will try to get away from it.
    11
    12   MR. RAMPTON:  You have told us that you visited cattle
    13        slaughterhouses?
    14        A.  Yes, that is correct.
    15
    16   Q.   In different parts of the world?
    17        A.  That is correct.
    18
    19   Q.   Again I do not myself ask for a huge amount of detail but
    20        what, in your observation, are the features of the
    21        slaughtering process which may cause the animals distress
    22        if they are not well carried out?
    23        A.  I would say the handling, the fact that they are not
    24        familiar with the environment, I would say those are the
    25        stressful, the key areas.
    26
    27   Q.   Is noise sometimes a problem?
    28        A.  Yes, that is correct.  Noise will scare.  Anything that
    29        is unusual to them will definitely scare them.
    30
    31   Q.   If they are kept overnight -- they arrive maybe the day
    32        before they are due to be slaughtered -- is it important
    33        that they have proper shelter?
    34        A.  Yes, it is important, and if we go back to all of the
    35        factors that I mentioned before, they apply during the
    36        slaughter process ---
    37
    38   Q.   Just as much as they do at other times?
    39        A.  -- that is correct, so that they have to be -- have to
    40        have their food, diet, the right environment and as less
    41        stress as possible.
    42
    43   Q.   In your experience -- we are going to look at this in a bit
    44        more detail when we get that plan back -- in a well run
    45        slaughterhouse, apart from the injury deliberately
    46        inflicted by the captive bolt pistol and the subsequent
    47        process, what risk of injury does a cow or steer face from
    48        a properly run slaughterhouse?
    49        A.  Small.  If it is properly done, the risk of injuries is
    50        very small and the data will prove that.  If you go through 
    51        all the injuries or the animals that are injured, obviously 
    52        any part of that, was the leg or any, the meat will be 
    53        condemned, will not be used.  So, you can go back and find
    54        our records and it will be very small.
    55
    56   Q.   Injury, obviously, causes damage to -- can cause damage --
    57        the muscle, to the meat.  I understand that.
    58        A.  That is correct.
    59
    60   Q.   Is there any respect in which stress can cause a change in

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