Day 115 - 06 Apr 95 - Page 04

     
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     2   MS. STEEL:  I do not think its contract -----
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     4   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do not worry.  Mr. Bowes' evidence is what it
     5        is.
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     7   MS. STEEL:  Yes, but the witness might be mislead.
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     9   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It will not make any difference whether the
    10        witness agrees with it or disagrees; it cannot change what
    11        Mr. Bowes' evidence is.
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    13   MR. RAMPTON:  Mr. Bowes' evidence was that some 10 per cent of
    14        his pig suppliers still use dry sow stalls, get that
    15        directly out of the way, but no tethers.
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    17   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Straw.
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    19   MR. RAMPTON:  Straw, yes.  (To the witness):  What I started
    20        with, Dr. Long, was whether you do not see that very often
         the interests of the producer who, of course (and this
    22        naturally is right because it is a commercial operation)
    23        seeks to please its customer, the interests of the producer
    24        do not very often coincide with the interests of the
    25        animals; is that right or not?
    26        A.  They certainly clash.  The three parties involved, the
    27        animal, the producer and the customer.  If you were just
    28        asking me about practices, what I did notice was that at
    29        the time Mr. Bowes had an outbreak on his farms of pig flu.
    30          I looked up to confirm my impression of that and in the
    31        veterinary manual (which is very much used) I see that
    32        stress is an important predisposing factor to this
    33        increasing disease.  Therefore, I assume that whatever
    34        other practices he was doing that might be approved, that
    35        seemed to be an adverse factor.
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    37   Q.   What was an adverse factor?
    38        A.  That I would have looked at an outbreak such as that as
    39        a symptom of intensification and of stress.
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    Q.   I am not disposed to accept that at all, Dr. Long.  There
    42        may well be outbreaks of pig flu which are nothing to do
    43        with stress at all, just as there are with humans?
    44        A.  It is a symptom that would give me concern.
    45
    46   Q.   You noticed, did you, that his pigs were halothane
    47        negative, did you not?
    48        A.  Yes.
    49
    50   Q.   That is a benefit for both pig and producer, is it not? 
    51        A.  Yes.  It is a part of genetic engineering of a pig. 
    52 
    53   Q.   I know it is, but would you, please, answer my question.
    54        Is it a benefit to both pig and producer?
    55        A.  Yes, except that that sort of pig really should not be
    56        put in that sort of predicament.
    57
    58   Q.   What sort of pig?
    59        A.  They are generally pigs of the breed called pietrains
    60        which is a Belgium breed which brings in particular