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

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