Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 62


     
     1   Q.   But they are still free range, are they?
     2        A.  Yes, sir. That is one area that there has been looked
     3        into very, very careful.  As long as an animal spends more
     4        than 51 per cent of its time outside it can be
     5        classified -- 51 or 52 per cent, do not hold me to the
     6        exact percentage, sir, but that is over 50 per cent -- they
     7        can be classified at retail level as "free range".  Then
     8        they come into straw barns or straw finished units to
     9        finish with the normal free access to air, water, food,
    10        etc. etc., freedom movement.
    11
    12   MS. STEEL:   Is there any difference between the finishing unit
    13        for outside pigs and the finishing unit for inside pigs?
    14        A.  No.
    15
    16   Q.   There is not?  They are both the same system?
    17        A.  Both the same system or either being straw or Suffolk
    18        type finish which is all straw based with insulated doors.
    19
    20   Q.   Is that the same as heritage pigs as well?
    21        A.  Yes, all our pigs are finished on the same system or
    22        the same type of system, should I say.
    23
    24   Q.   You said that you have found the outdoor kennel system to
    25        be extremely successful for rearing the young, so all your
    26        weaners are out there now?
    27        A.  Yes.
    28
    29   Q.   How long has that been the case?
    30        A.  For approximately 15 years.
    31
    32   Q.   15 years all the pigs have been in the ----
    33        A.  I would say approximately.
    34
    35   Q.   --- kennel system?
    36        A.  13, 15 years, somewhere in that region.
    37
    38   Q.   So no weaners have been indoors for the last 15 years?
    39        A.  No, apart from the ones that I described at my
    40        brother's farm where we have kennels inside the cattle yard
    41        where you can could classify them as being indoors if you
    42        wish, but that is a huge cattle yard where -----
    43
    44   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  A roofed cattle yard?
    45        A.  Yes, roofed cattle with kennels outside.
    46
    47   Q.   With an open side?
    48        A.  Yes, where there is air blowing through.  It is the
    49        next thing to being outside.
    50 
    51   MS. STEEL:  So that would be concrete? 
    52        A.  Yes, insulated floors. 
    53
    54   Q.   What about your suppliers, are they all using the kennel
    55        type system?
    56        A.  No, not all of them, but more and more people are
    57        turning over to this would say that it is probably one of
    58        the quickest developments in the pig industry.  If I may
    59        explain, sir, what has happened in the past there were pigs
    60        that were kept on what we call flat decks, all heated,

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