Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 34
1
MR. MORRIS: I will move on to cows and beef. We will try to
2 get through this as quickly as possible.
3 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have to say I think -- it is not meant to
be a horrible pun -- you have gone through to the end of
4 the line, so far as the slaughter is concerned, have you
not?
5
MS. STEEL: I think so. There might have been some things
6 I missed out.
7 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You got as far as the scalding tank.
8 MR. MORRIS: The cattle that you saw, sorry -----
9 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Are you going on to the pigs or cattle?
10 MR. MORRIS: I am doing cows. I suppose we might as well go to
page 10 of your statement.
11 A. Yes.
12 Q. Can we take, for the sake of argument, all of point VI as
read, will that help?
13 A. Yes.
14 Q. It means we are taking the whole section as being read, so
I do not have to read it all out. You say yes. Before we
15 go on to preslaughter, handling and slaughter, it is our
case -- just hold one second, let me get my thoughts
16 organised here -- being a dairy cow is not much fun, is
it?
17 A. I am not a dairy cow -- I cannot answer that question.
18 Q. But, from your experience, the cows used by McKeys are ex
dairy cattle, is that correct, the ones you are aware of?
19 A. Certainly a high proportion are, yes.
20 Q. Is it a fact that, for example, if you are born as a calf,
you are removed from your mother after one or two weeks in
21 the dairy industry so that the mother can give milk for
humans?
22 A. Usually less.
23 Q. That separation from the mother is disturbing to the calf,
is it?
24 A. You get a lot of vocalisation from the calf which
would certainly lead one to suppose that.
25
Q. The calves are marketed, are they, at an early age?
26 A. They can be or can be reared on a farm or they can be
sent direct to another farm.
27
Q. The marketing of the calves: They are frail at that young
28 age, so transportation and marketing may be distressful as
well or will be distressful?
29 A. Certainly there is a lot of vocalisation one can hear
in every day life as calves are transported about the
30 countryside; that could lead one to suppose they are
disturbed.
