Day 080 - 30 Jan 95 - Page 42

     
     1        he ever got wind of McDonald's thinking of an animal
     2        welfare policy?
     3
     4   MS. STEEL:  Right.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Anything in that sort of area time-wise,
     7        Mr. Walker.
     8        A.  I am thinking, my Lord.  The first conversations I can
     9        remember, sir, are 1992, but it was obviously going on in
    10        1991 with my one of my directors.
    11
    12   MS. STEEL:   In No. 2 he actually says:  "At certain times of
    13        the year all cattle originate from feed yards".  What do
    14        you know about that?
    15        A.  Well, in the winter, if you are killing fat cattle,
    16        they will not get fat off the grass so they go into the
    17        yards for the winter.  I think I have already said they are
    18        fed on hay concentrates and barley straw.
    19
    20   Q.   That would be?
         A.  The yard.
    22
    23   Q.   A concrete yard or what?
    24        A.  It would be a -- there are so many types of barns
    25        produced for feeding cattle now.  Most modern barns now are
    26        designed that they can be tractor fed.  In other words, a
    27        tractor goes up and down the central aisle, but it does not
    28        matter what the type of the barn is as long as the cattle
    29        are well fed and watered.
    30
    31   Q.   When they say "yards" then, they do not mean an uncovered
    32        yard; they are talking about a barn?
    33        A.  A barn.  It is a term, "cattle yard".
    34
    35   Q.   How long is that for?
    36        A.  Good farming, you try to keep your cattle out as long
    37        as you can which would probably be until the grass gets too
    38        wet in January.  So, yard cattle would go in in January,
    39        February and stay in until Easter.  Because they are so
    40        well fed and nursed, they are always very fat cattle.  They
         cause quite a problem because they are over-fat.
    42
    43   Q.   You said that you were well McKey's was a member of the
    44        Humane Slaughter Association?
    45        A.  Yes.
    46
    47   Q.   You have to pay them a fee for that?
    48        A.  Yes.
    49
    50   Q.   How much is that? 
    51        A.  I cannot remember. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Roughly?
    54        A.  I think it is about £6,000 a year.
    55
    56   Q.   How does membership affect your business?
    57        A.  Affect my business?
    58
    59   Q.   Affect your business.
    60        A.  It does not affect my business at all.