Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 57
1
Q. And of natural behaviour?
2 A. Suckling behaviour is being curtailed in time, yes.
3 Q. The amount of piglets that a sow has on a typical farm
these days, this type of farm, the Bowes type of farm, is
4 that far more than a pig would have either in nature or in
an old fashioned farmyard or whatever?
5 A. It depends on the prolificacy of the sow. If you put
the same sow out in a wild environment, it is possible she
6 could produce the same number of piglets. If the essence
of your question is has genetic selection increases
7 prolificacy, the answer is, yes.
8 Q. That is what I was trying to get at, yes. You said about
60 per cent of the company's breeding units are outdoors.
9 I think you said you did not visit the indoor unit?
A. That is correct.
10
Q. But do you know what type of system they have?
11 A. Later on in the report -----
12 Q. No, in terms of the breeding unit?
A. Within the report then, it states -----
13
Q. You state about not using tethers, slats or stalls?
14 A. Correct.
15 Q. But what about the piglets, after they are weaned at three
weeks, the ones that are not kept outdoors, do you know
16 how they are kept?
A. No.
17
Q. You do not?
18 A. No, I do not know.
19 Q. You did not ask about that?
A. No, I did not. I reported on what I saw. I tried to
20 keep to -- not rely too much on the spoken word. I tried
to rely more on what I saw and examined.
21
Q. Right. Did you ask to see the indoor unit?
22 A. No.
23 Q. You did not?
A. No, I did not.
24
Q. Were you asked by the Plaintiffs to have a look at the
25 indoor unit?
A. No. I was asked to report on what I was shown.
26
Q. Right. You were asked about the pamphlet, the glossy
27 pamphlet. It said in there that weaners which are placed
on to deep straw beds in outside accommodation produces
28 healthy pigs. You said that you thought that was an
acceptable statement. Do you know any reason why the
29 other 40 per cent could not be kept outdoors as well?
A. I do not know that they were not kept outdoors.
30
Q. You do not know they were?
