Day 115 - 06 Apr 95 - Page 13
1 conditions in which those sows farrow their pigs which are
2 unsatisfactory.
3 A. The main conditions are that the sows are expected to
4 mother and exceptionally large environment/index.html">litter. They cannot do the
5 mothering properly because they are being forced into
6 over-production. When I have seen other systems --
7 I mentioned Soil Association systems -- I have seen sows
8 outside. They have not had nose rings. They have had the
9 right sort of soil that they can turn up so they can use
10 their noses in the way that they like. They are actually
11 housed in straw bale housing which I think is much better.
12
13 Q. I do not know what a straw bale house is, is it an igloo
14 made of straw bales?
15 A. Yes, it is just a just pile of straw bales held down so
16 they do not blow away. They are cosy and snug. They give
17 the sow a place to rest and keep away from other
18 influences. They are fairly well temperature controlled
19 and they can easily be moved so that the sow can have fresh
20 land to lie on and use.
21
22 Q. How in any material respect does that differ from
23 an insulated arc?
24 A. It is slightly cosier, it is slightly more friendly,
25 but certainly an insulated arc is better than the totally
26 indoor system.
27
28 Q. You used two words, one was "cosy" and the other was
29 "friendly" -- if ever I have heard anthropomorphic
30 terminology, it is that -- can you explain what, so far as
31 a pig is concerned, you mean by "cosy" and "friendly"?
32 A. Yes, I do not think there is any anthropomorphic about
33 it. I think that animals seek conditions that are warm.
34 They seek the conditions that are actually set out in the
35 Five Freedoms where they can rest, where they can go into a
36 dark place if they want to, where they are kept free from
37 their predators. I would call that, if you like,
38 comfortable.
39
40 I used the word "cosy" and you talked about the word
41 "friendly", you then earlier on told me about peer groups
42 and was that not a good idea; that is because those animals
43 are becoming friendly. There is no doubt that animals form
44 friends, just as human beings do, so the word is quite
45 appropriate.
46
47 Q. What, for an igloo, straw igloo?
48 A. Friend, no, I was talking about the word "friend". For
49 a straw house, straw housing, it is comfortable because it
50 keeps fairly warm in the cold weather. It is shadey in the
51 summer. It has soft walls so that they do not cause
52 problems and that seemed to me to be a better system than
53 I see described by Mr. Bowes. Of course, it is much less
54 intensive.
55
56 Q. Why is it less intensive? I am not following that at all.
57 A. Because one does not stop the land so much. One has a
58 rotation. I noticed or I could not find -----
59
60 Q. Sorry, I do not like interrupting you but I want to know
