Day 096 - 03 Mar 95 - Page 27


     
     1        is adjustable to the size of the sow.
     2
     3   Q.   I think I have got there, but what it means is that the
     4        piglet cannot find its way through and into a place where
     5        the sow may lie on it?
     6        A.  No, no, it can find its way but by the mere fact of her
     7        lying down flat on straw in a certain place, right, the
     8        piglet, there is not any dips where the pig can roll down
     9        underneath the sow -----
    10
    11   Q.   If that is the situation, Mr. Morris is saying why not have
    12        it six feet wide; you still would be on straw on concrete
    13        with no dip for the piglet to end up in the bottom of under
    14        its mother, why not have the wider confines of the
    15        farrowing crate?
    16        A.  Because the sow, when she goes down, right, she goes
    17        down gently in a farrowing crate.  She leans slightly to
    18        one side and she will go down gently.
    19
    20   Q.   Because of the confines of the crate?
    21        A.  Correct, or because of the guidance of the crate, one
    22        could say.
    23
    24   Q.   You have to remember that, although one may know something
    25        about these things and may have lent on the side of a
    26        pigsty from time to time, one is not necessarily an
    27        expert  ---
    28        A.  No.
    29
    30   Q.   -- in these matters.
    31        A.  But I am leaning on here for support also.
    32
    33   Q.   So the sow goes down gently and it is a flat floor anyway
    34        and the little ones can make sure they can get out from
    35        under?
    36        A.  That is correct.  She goes down more slowly.
    37
    38   MR. MORRIS:  So, if there was a farrowing crate that was big
    39        enough for a pig to turn round, would that be fine?
    40        A.  It has been tried, that, larger farrowing crates, and
    41        you will get greater loss with your young pigs.  You have
    42        to adjust your farrowing crate to the size of your sows to
    43        protect your young.
    44
    45   Q.   So, from your long experience of talking to people, reading
    46        literature, whatever, in the pig industry, farrowing
    47        crates, basically, are set up to be generally just wider
    48        than the width of the pig?  It is not unusual, what you are
    49        doing, in the world in using farrowing crates, for wherever
    50        farrowing crates are used, that is the general situation as 
    51        to what you are doing at Bowes.  You are not unusual, you 
    52        are not restricting the width more than in other places? 
    53        A.  I am sorry -- I am an average breadth.
    54
    55   Q.   Average?
    56        A.  Yes, I think there are variations because people have
    57        different sized sows.
    58
    59   Q.   From your experience, talking to people and reading stuff,
    60        is that generally what the situation is in America?

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