Day 018 - 26 Jul 94 - Page 59
1 paper at page 7. After we had looked at the alleged
deprivation of chickens of proper space and light, the
2 defendants go on: "Their growth", that is the chickens'
growth, "is forced and they are killed after about seven
3 weeks".
A. I am sorry, you have lost me.
4
Q. Sorry, page 7. It should be in front of you, (ii), we
5 stopped at "deprived if proper space and light". "The
chickens growth is forced and they are killed after about
6 seven weeks"? Right?
A. Correct.
7
Q. What comment, if any, do you have about the use there of
8 the word "forced" as to growth?
A. It is not the word I would use.
9
Q. What actually?
10 A. Their growth -- certainly if it is an objective under
this situation to get the birds to grow fast. That is an
11 objective. The strain of bird has been selected for a
high appetite and that is one way in which it is actually
12 achieved. The birds are being unrestricted access to feed
and so they eat relatively large amounts.
13
Q. So they grow quickly?
14 A. Absolutely.
15 Q. At Sun Valley does anything go on which is anything like
what happens to certain geese and ducks in certain parts
16 of France in order to produce large livers?
A. They are not force fed. They are not given, as far as
17 I am aware, any appetite enhancers or chemicals which
would, like, say, clenbuterol or any of the betaagonists
18 to enhance growth or a partition of nutrients.
19 Q. Are they given any hormonal growth promoters?
A. No, that is the same thing.
20
Q. Then let us go on: "Often", I stress the word "often",
21 "the forced growth causes such pain in the limbs of the
birds that they are unable to move around at all". In
22 your observations at Sun Valley, did you see anything of
that kind, Dr. Gregory?
23 A. I think an implication of the poultry industry (and
this is not about Sun Valley) is that leg weakness can
24 arise from the high appetite and high growth rate of the
bird, but at Sun Valley where the words "move around at
25 all", that is not relevant because that is grade 4 and 5
and there were no such birds at the particular unit that
26 I visited.
27 Q. Yes. You should understand -- I am sure you do -- these
statements in this document are of no significance
28 whatever unless they may be applied to the animals which
are supplied to make products for McDonald's?
29 A. I understand.
30 Q. Therefore, we confine ourselves to Sun Valley, Midland
Meat Packers, plant B and others that may supply McKey
