Day 093 - 28 Feb 95 - Page 57


     
     1
     2   Q.   Shipping fever?
     3        A.  Not that I am aware of.
     4
     5   Q.   Have you never heard of shipping fever?
     6        A.  No.
     7
     8   Q.   You have not?
     9        A.  Sorry, during transportation.  We were talking of the
    10        feed lot and you changed that.
    11
    12   Q.   What do you know about shipping fever?
    13
    14   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What is the answer?  Are you aware of shipper
    15        fever, whatever that may be?
    16        A.  I have heard about it, but I do not want to speculate
    17        on that.  I do not know what you mean by that.
    18
    19   MS. STEEL:  Shipping fever is a commonly used term for a
    20        particular type of disease in the USA, is it not?
    21        A.  No, I do not believe it is a disease.
    22
    23   Q.   Or illness?
    24        A.  No, I do not believe that.
    25
    26   Q.   Is it not that right stress in the feed lots -- well, as a
    27        result of being in the feed lot makes the cattle
    28        susceptible to painful and debilitating diseases?
    29        A.  You are absolutely wrong.  The animals are in better --
    30        you can go back to what we discussed before.  If the
    31        animals are in the open range it is a lot more difficult to
    32        take care of them.  The environment is more difficult on
    33        them.  They suffer from hunger.  They suffer even more from
    34        thirst.  When they are in the lot there are cowboys that
    35        deal with the horses around, looking for any signs of
    36        disease.  Their feeding is controlled.  Their medication is
    37        controlled if they need to.  If an animal needs treatment
    38        then it is separated into an individual pen.  So, your
    39        assumption is totally wrong.
    40
    41   Q.   It was about whether the stress made them susceptible to
    42        those diseases?
    43        A.  No.  The stress is not, no, you are absolutely wrong.
    44
    45   Q.   The abrupt change from a diet of grass to grain causes many
    46        painful digestive problems.  Would you agree with that?
    47        A.  Abrupt change, yes, that could happen.  It would be
    48        similar to a person having indigestion.  That is what
    49        really happens; they are uncomfortable.  It produces gas
    50        and they bloat, if it is not done properly.  However, the 
    51        majority of the feed lots are well aware of that.  It is a 
    52        well-documented research.  In fact they are prepared for 
    53        that.  When an animal comes into a feed lot he does not
    54        start with grain, just with grain alone.  It is provided
    55        with a diet that is mostly grass and it progressively
    56        increases with grain.  The better feed lots who have
    57        control over their supply of cattle, prepare the animals
    58        before they even come to the feed lots.  They bunk train
    59        the animals. They start feeding a little bit of grain at a
    60        time, so by the time animals get into the feed lot they do

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