Day 096 - 03 Mar 95 - Page 21
1
2 Q. I understand that, but I do not know what more evidence is
3 to come, you see. Is the repetitive tapping of a bar with
4 one trotter behaviour which might not be untypical in a dry
5 sow stall or not?
6 A. No, I have not been into a dry stall house ever in my
7 life and seen all the sows tapping away with their front
8 foot doing it all the time, by any means. Quite obviously,
9 some do occasionally.
10
11 MS. STEEL: Would those dry sow stalls shown be typical of the
12 dry sow stalls that are used by some of your suppliers?
13 A. Have been in the past, but we have just currently done
14 a survey since I was here last, and there is only about 12
15 per cent of our producers who have still got some stalls
16 left. They have not got 100 per cent stalls at all. It is
17 very, very quickly being changed. One of our major
18 customers by the end of year will be saying that all their
19 pig meat is stall and tether free.
20
21 Q. So they could be typical of the ones that are used now as
22 well, but you are saying that only a small percentage are
23 used?
24 A. Yes.
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If we went back to 1988, which would be about
27 seven years ago now, what sort of percentage then?
28 A. That is a difficult question, sir, and I am only
29 guessing. I would have thought 30 or 40 per cent in the
30 country or 50 per cent. I am really guessing. That is
31 very difficult. I mean, we have always been in pig
32 keeping; we have not, you know, gone out to buy those
33 specifically, I can assure you.
34
35 MR. MORRIS: Can I just say that on the transcript it says that
36 they were banned in 1989. That is what it says on the
37 transcript. It will be banned in 1999?
38 A. Yes, will be banned in 1999.
39
40 Q. All the suppliers know that, do they not?
41 A. Oh, yes.
42
43 MS. STEEL: It is illegal to install new dry sow stalls, is it
44 not?
45 A. In the UK, I would not think anyone would be stupid
46 enough to even consider it.
47
48 MR. MORRIS: When you said you have a customer who is now making
49 a specification of no pig meat to come from any supplier
50 that has those stalls, yes, you have said; that is not
51 McDonald's, though?
52 A. I would say that any reasonable customer; there has
53 been tremendous pressure put on -----
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just pause a moment, Mr. Bowes. The question
56 relates specifically to an answer that you gave about half
57 a dozen answers ago that one of your customers was about to
58 say "nothing from dry sow stalls". Do you remember saying
59 something to that effect?
60 A. Nothing from dry sow -- yes, I did say that earlier,
