Day 061 - 05 Dec 94 - Page 62
1 Q. "A percentage of Oasters' hens are kept in cages. This is
2 the company's preferred system for egg production because
3 it is hygienic and efficient, providing a clean, low-risk
4 environment which enables eggs to be separated from the
5 hens and their droppings"?
6 A. Right.
7
8 Q. Why should they want hens to be separated from the eggs and
9 their droppings?
10 A. Presumably they are not on deep environment/index.html">litter and it would be
11 a risk if they were not separated.
12
13 Q. So it could be a health hazard if they are not separated
14 from their droppings?
15 A. In the context of the type of environment/index.html">litter in the cage, yes.
16
17 Q. But there would not be any environment/index.html">litter in the cage, would there,
18 it would fall through?
19 A. Yes, exactly. That is why they are separated.
20
21 Q. Right, but that is because they consider that if they were
22 in their own environment/index.html">litter it might be a health hazard?
23 A. I assume they do not want to put deep environment/index.html">litter in the
24 cages. There is no need to put it in so they do not.
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I suppose that may be one reason. If you
27 have got free range hens which are laying and may have
28 access to straw, hay or whatever it is, it is not always
29 that easy to find the eggs when they lay them. I suppose
30 there might be an element of that if they are on deep
31 environment/index.html">litter anyway?
32 A. Yes.
33
34 MS. STEEL: So it might explain why they wanted the eggs to be
35 separated, but there is no explanation of why they think
36 the chickens should be separated from their droppings?
37 A. No.
38
39 Q. Second up from the bottom under the "Oasters - Eggs" it
40 says: "Renewable, natural ingredients only are used in our
41 poultry feeds." Do you happen to know what they are?
42 A. No, I do not.
43
44 Q. You have not made any enquiries about that?
45 A. I personally have not, no.
46
47 Q. So it does not actually bother you whether or not they are
48 using natural ingredients?
49 A. Well, there is no requirement for us to do it. I think
50 the farmer is going to do what is in the best interest of
51 keeping healthy birds and producing eggs. As long as they
52 are doing that, I do not feel there is any requirement on
53 McDonald's to go any further.
54
55 Q. McDonald's has not got any worry about what ends up in the
56 foods that is being fed to the chickens that produce their
57 eggs then? They are not concerned about that?
58 A. Well, obviously they are not going to jeopardise their
59 own business with McDonald's, are they?
60
