Day 078 - 26 Jan 95 - Page 60
1 A. No, not now.
2
3 Q. Not now, but was it prior to 1989?
4 A. Yes.
5
6 Q. McDonald's did not have any policy to prevent that going
7 into the feed for the cattle that ended up being used by
8 them?
9 A. Well, no, there was no restriction on it to anybody.
10 I mean at that time it was just everybody could use a
11 protein meal if they wanted to.
12
13 Q. That would include McDonald's?
14 A. That would include -- well, it would include that meat
15 that eventually went to McDonald's.
16
17 Q. Do you ever visit the farms that rear the cattle that end
18 up in McDonald's burgers?
19 A. No.
20
21 Q. You do not?
22 A. No.
23
24 Q. So you have no idea what those farms are up to?
25 A. Yes, I have a very good idea because I have a farm
26 myself.
27
28 Q. But it will basically be standard practice?
29 A. Well, I have a very good idea of standard practice in
30 cattle rearing, yes.
31
32 Q. Yes, but what I mean is if say -- well, you do not go to
33 the farms to make any checks that the animals are not being
34 beaten or something like that?
35 A. No, I do not think you can do that very practically at
36 the rate of six and a half thousand head of cattle a week;
37 it is too many to look at.
38
39 Q. Or to check up on any other welfare considerations whilst
40 they are being reared, you are not in a position to be able
41 to do that?
42 A. No. In the way you are saying it, no, but do keep,
43 please, bearing in mind that unless cattle are healthy and
44 contented they will not put on weight and any commercial
45 farmer is trying to get cattle to make weight. An unhappy
46 animal will not put on weight.
47
48 Q. You said yesterday that animals responded to food, not to
49 the environment, is that right?
50 A. Yes.
51
52 Q. So you are saying there as long as the animal is fed it is
53 going to be happy and contented, basically?
54 A. Yes. When you use the term "environment" you are
55 talking about whether it is housed or in the open air? Is
56 that what you mean by "environment"?
57
58 Q. The circumstances that they live in.
59 A. Yes.
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