Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 24

     
     1
     2   Q.   Made of what?
     3        A.  Based upon cereals and proteins.
     4
     5   Q.   Do they get any growth promoting hormones?
     6        A.  No, that is banned.
     7
     8   Q.   What about the use of antibiotics?  To what extent do you
     9        use antibiotics, if at all?
    10        A.  Yes, we use antibiotics.
    11
    12   Q.   For what purpose?
    13        A.  As a curative, and that is part of the management of
    14        our pig men, to be able to know when that is required.
    15
    16   Q.   Is that done under veterinary advice?
    17        A.  Definitely.
    18
    19   Q.   Then when they have grown up to be 40 kilos they are taken
    20        off to be finished; is that right?
         A.  That is correct.
    22
    23   Q.   How are they transported from the kennel in the field to
    24        the finishing unit?
    25        A.  There are two movements.  First of all, from the kennel
    26        in the field.  They will be put on to a trailer which has
    27        an actual, that rise and falls, so that they just simply
    28        walk straight over the pen quite level into the trailer and
    29        then -----
    30
    31   Q.   It is mechanically hoisted up?
    32        A.  Yes, it is hydraulic, and then the back of the trailer
    33        is lifted up and then it goes to the edge of the site where
    34        one of our lorries again will be, as you see in the centre
    35        picture, with hydraulic lifts and they will be transferred
    36        directly on to that lorry there, so that the lorry does not
    37        come on to the unit and we are concerned, obviously, you
    38        know, about transferring diseases.
    39
    40   Q.   Have I got it right, they walk off the unit on to the back
         of the lorry which is horizontal with the ground?
    42        A.  Yes.
    43
    44   Q.   Then it goes up?
    45        A.  Yes, then it goes up so it goes straight on to the
    46        lorry.
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What age are they then ---
    49        A.  They are.
    50 
    51   Q.   -- if they are weaned at 24 days, and sort age are they by 
    52        then? 
    53        A.  Approximately 12 weeks, sir.
    54
    55   MR. RAMPTON:  Then they are taken to a fattening unit, talking
    56        for a moment about your own -- sorry, finishing unit --
    57        land and your own pigs, roughly, what is the furthest
    58        distance the pig would have to travel from the site with
    59        the kennels on it, the outdoor site to the finishing unit?
    60        A.  Outdoor site to the finishing unit, the longest journey