Day 092 - 27 Feb 95 - Page 05

     
     1   MS. STEEL:  In the UK there are dry sow stalls in use which are
     2        narrow, metal barred stalls in which the sow can only stand
     3        up or lie down on a floor of concrete and slats.  Is that
     4        something that is used in the United States?
     5        A.  OK.  No, in the United States there is some protection
     6        for the environment/index.html">litter so that the sow will not fall into some of
     7        the piglets -- that is all there is -- but it does not
     8        prevent them from moving.
     9
    10   Q.   Right.  Is that what we call the farrowing crate or is that
    11        something different?
    12        A.  I do not know what it is called.
    13
    14   Q.   Can you describe what you have been talking about just
    15        then, protection for the environment/index.html">litter, as you call it?  Can you
    16        describe what that is and how long the sow remains in
    17        there?
    18        A.  It has some bars so that the piglets can go inside the
    19        bars, and when the sow lays down or just moves around, they
    20        have at least some protection so they can be caught
         underneath.
    22
    23   Q.   Roughly what width are we talking about, the bars where the
    24        sow is?
    25        A.  About this.  (Indicating).
    26
    27   Q.   So it would be just bigger than the width of the pig, would
    28        it?
    29        A.  A little bit bigger so there is a room for several of
    30        the piglets.
    31
    32   Q.   Right.  How long are the -- what do you call them in the
    33        USA?
    34        A.  One-and-a-half to two metres in length.
    35
    36   Q.   How long is the average pig in the USA?
    37        A.  How long?
    38
    39   Q.   How long is a pig in the USA?
    40        A.  It depends on the breed, on the finished weight and the
         fitting conditions, obviously, but it could be anywhere
    42        from a minimum length to a metre-and-a-half, if it is for
    43        breeding.  There are different weights and categories for
    44        the pigs to send them to market so it depends on -----
    45
    46   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Why not just ask, if you imagine the sow
    47        standing in this area which is, obviously, confined to some
    48        extent, how much length there is in it additional to the
    49        length of the sow and how much width additional to the
    50        width of the sow standing? 
    51        A.  OK.  The length will be, let us say, I would say a 
    52        metre to a metre-and-a-half.  The height will be about this 
    53        tall which would be 80 centimetres.
    54
    55   MS. STEEL:  So are there bars over the top as well?
    56        A.  The bars are just to the height, if not a little bit
    57        smaller.
    58
    59   Q.   So there are no bars over the top of the pig?
    60        A.  No.