Day 097 - 06 Mar 95 - Page 81
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2 Q. It does. From there they go into a pen, it might be an
3 overnight lairage or it might be a holding pen for the
4 day's work; is that right?
5 A. That is right.
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7 Q. They arrive -- suppose a big lorry comes, how many animals
8 would it have on it?
9 A. I do not know, I would imagine around 30.
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11 Q. So it is split 15, 15, something like that?
12 A. Yes.
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14 Q. Between the two floors? Would they unload the bottom floor
15 first and then bring the top ones out or is it the other
16 way round.
17 A. Again, I honestly could not tell you. I would imagine
18 they would unload the lower section first.
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20 Q. The unloading, is that the responsibility of the truck
21 driver or of your people or both?
22 A. It is a combination of both really.
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24 Q. Then they go into the pens. If they are staying overnight,
25 do they have bedding -- I forget whether you told us.
26 A. When they are staying overnight, yes, they do.
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28 Q. The floor of the pen is made of, what, concrete, I suppose?
29 A. Concrete with straw on top.
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31 Q. But some are in a field?
32 A. Weather permitting, we have a facility to keep some in
33 a field.
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35 Q. So you might not keep them in the field in the sort of
36 weather we have been having recently?
37 A. No.
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39 Q. But in summer you might?
40 A. Yes.
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42 Q. The field, what, has grass in it, has it?
43 A. Yes.
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45 Q. Let us use the overnight cattle. They are either inside or
46 out, and they have food, water and bedding. They are not,
47 you tell us, cramped so that they can move around. Then
48 the next day comes and it is time for them to go up the
49 race into the stunning pen. In that journey, and you say
50 there are a couple of little pens through which they go,
51 smaller pens?
52 A. Yes.
53
54 Q. How many animals would go into one of these smaller pens at
55 a time?
56 A. Anything between five and eight.
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58 Q. Assuming you have managed to keep them in their peer
59 groups, so far as possible, as you said you try to do, is
60 that a stage, the smaller pen, at which there is any
