Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 05

     
     1
     2   Q.   These are your animals, are they?
     3        A.  Yes, they are.
     4
     5   Q.   I think we can see, at any rate, one bore, can we not, on
     6        the right of picture, and another second from the left may
     7        be?
     8        A.  Yes, that is correct.
     9
    10   Q.   Is that right?
    11        A.  Yes.
    12
    13   Q.   The rest would be sows?
    14        A.  That is correct.
    15
    16   Q.   In a group like this, roughly speaking, what would be the
    17        proportion between bores and sows?
    18        A.  Normally, in a herd we have one bore to 12 sows.
    19
    20   Q.   One bore for 12 sows?
         A.  Yes.
    22
    23   Q.   Is it unusual to have two bores in the same field with a
    24        collection of sows like this?
    25        A.  No, we feel that there is one area where we have met
    26        with success; we bring our bores in at a young age so that
    27        they are -- you avoid the aggression and so they grow up
    28        together as fellow males and then you can -- it is much
    29        safer for -----
    30
    31   Q.   If you put two strange bores together with a bunch of sows,
    32        is there a tendency for them to be aggressive?
    33        A.  If they are two strange bores that have not met before
    34        there will, undoubtedly, be a fight.
    35
    36   Q.   Yes.  You said you bring them in, that means you do not
    37        bring your own bores for the purpose of making your stock?
    38        A.  No, no.  We bring our breeding stock in co-operation or
    39        collaboration with other breeding companies, so that we can
    40        select the strains of breeding stock that we need for our
         requirements.
    42
    43   Q.   How many strains do you use?
    44        A.  We use from -- we try to keep to -- there is three
    45        breeding companies that supply us and we try to channel a
    46        single strain from each one.
    47
    48   Q.   Sorry, I did not hear.
    49        A.  We try to purchase a single strain from each one which
    50        is done in co-operation with our pig manager. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Does this also apply to the sows that you use for breeding? 
    53        A.  Exactly the same.
    54
    55   Q.   What are the qualities or the characteristics that you look
    56        for in the stock which you buy in in breeding stock?
    57        A.  Obviously, one has to look at it from a commercial
    58        point of view, but also when one looks at it from the
    59        welfare point of view which contributes very much to the
    60        commercial side of our business, we need to have our sows