Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 70


     
     1        A.  Sir ----
     2
     3   Q.   The sow can readily conceive while being suckled?
     4        A.  Yes.  Apparently so, sir.  We have never ever done it
     5        on our farms, I can assure you.
     6
     7   MS. STEEL:  Is it not right that the sow comes into heat,
     8        I think, it is three days after the piglets are weaned?
     9        A.  Yes.
    10
    11   Q.   Rather than three days after they are born?
    12        A.  There is also a heat period three days after they are
    13        born.
    14
    15   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  How long do they last, the heat periods?
    16        A.  I really do not know because we never tried, sir, so
    17        I cannot speak from experience.
    18
    19   MS. STEEL:  At any rate, on your farms, they would be mated
    20        three days after the weaning?
    21        A.  They would be put with the bore three days afterwards.
    22        It is very likely that on the 4th or 5th day, yes, they
    23        will.
    24
    25   Q.   How old are the company sows when they go for slaughter?
    26        A.  Normally our sows have on average about 7 litters, but
    27        it does vary.  You cannot use that as a cast-iron figure.
    28        "On average", I said.
    29
    30   Q.   What age would that be then?  About three years, or
    31        something like that, four years?
    32        A.  Three to four years, yes.
    33
    34   Q.   Is it right that the normal life-span of a pig is about ten
    35        to 12 years?
    36        A.  I would imagine so.
    37
    38   Q.   Why is it that the sows are slaughtered at about three to
    39        four years?
    40        A.  Because you have to take into the consideration of
    41        economics and it does not become economical to maintain and
    42        keep that sow after that period on average.
    43
    44   Q.   Why is that?
    45        A.  Because she does not produce the pigs as she normally
    46        does, basically.
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I rather got the picture from your statement
    49        that your father, who started the company, farmed pigs in a
    50        fairly small way to begin with? 
    51        A.  Yes, sir. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Is that right or not?
    54        A.  Yes.  But he was still -- because like all livestock
    55        industry and agriculture has changed so much, in his day he
    56        was considered to be a reasonably sized pig farmer; but by
    57        today's standards, yes, he was small when he started.
    58
    59   Q.   I do not know where I got it from.  I may have
    60        misremembered.  It may be in the brochure.

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