Day 077 - 25 Jan 95 - Page 32
1 A. They are stunners, you are going back to the technique
2 I have just described of swinging a sledgehammer in a
3 knocking box. There is not the penetration; it is purely a
4 stun punch on to the forehead.
5
6 Q. But not done manually?
7 A. Done with a pistol.
8
9 Q. Compelled by a charge?
10 A. Fired by a .22 cartridge.
11
12 Q. We see that five of your suppliers use that?
13 A. Yes.
14
15 Q. Is that an effective stunning method?
16 A. Yes.
17
18 Q. We see there were four per cent of your suppliers had only
19 one pistol in reserve and the rest had two or more than
20 that. In the middle column there is brain charge. 80 per
21 cent used a three grain charge and 20 per cent a four grain
22 charge?
23 A. Yes.
24
25 Q. Would you explain the difference between the grain charge?
26 A. It is the matter of velocity of the explosion. It is a
27 very mute point. It is very hard scientifically to measure
28 it, but the theory would be that a four grain charge would
29 have a higher velocity but, as that shows, on a three grain
30 charge most abattoirs find that there is sufficient
31 velocity to penetrate the skull.
32
33 Q. Perhaps I should ask you just before I leave grain charge,
34 do you see any disadvantage or any risk from the animal
35 welfare point of view in using a three rather than a four
36 grain charge in the pistol?
37 A. No.
38
39 Q. Then we come to pithing. I am going to ask you -- we see
40 that it is fairly evenly balanced between those who pith
41 and those who do not; 48 per cent do and 52 do not; right?
42 A. Yes.
43
44 Q. Do you have a view about the virtues or demerits of pithing
45 as a stage in the process?
46 A. Only from a safety point of view from the slaughtermen
47 and his safety.
48
49 Q. Can you explain that?
50 A. Yes, when you stun an animal, and I actually think in
51 the majority of cases the animals are dead, but I mean that
52 can be debated -----
53
54 Q. Dead after stunning?
55 A. Yes. But when you stun an animal and then it goes down
56 into the next part of process which is the bleeding, it is
57 very dangerous sometimes for a slaughterman when he starts
58 to bleed if the animal's nerves, just like the proverbial
59 chicken running around the farmyard with his head off, his
60 nerves will move and it will kick. I mean, it is dangerous
