Day 089 - 15 Feb 95 - Page 36


     
     1
     2   Q.   Is there any respect in which that process is affected by
     3        what the chickens have eaten?
     4        A.  It can be affected.  There are certain raw materials
     5        which will produce wet and sticky droppings in poultry and,
     6        obviously, we would wish to avoid those.
     7
     8   Q.   Do you try to avoid them?
     9        A.  We do.  We have certain limits on certain ingredients
    10        which we do not, which we do not allow because of wet
    11        droppings.  We also use enzymes in the feed to improve the
    12        digestibility of ingredients such as barley which tend to
    13        have an indigestible fraction of the carbohydrate and the
    14        enzymes help the digestion of the barley.  They also seem
    15        to help the working of the environment/index.html">litter.  We have found a big
    16        improvement in environment/index.html">litter conditions since we have started to
    17        use enzymes in the feed.
    18
    19   Q.   What problems do you face if the environment/index.html">litter is too wet, too
    20        damp?
    21        A.  If the environment/index.html">litter is damp, for whatever reason, it makes
    22        the -- it makes it very uncomfortable for the birds.  They
    23        can develop a sores on the feet or sores on the hocks
    24        causing hock scabs.
    25
    26   Q.   Is Hock Burn, as I think it is called, directly related
    27        then to humidity or dampness?
    28        A.  Hock Burn is related to the wetness of the environment/index.html">litter.
    29
    30   Q.   What about ammonia, does that constitute a problem and, if
    31        so, in what conditions and for what reasons?
    32        A.  Ammonia is very much a hazard, and one of the reasons
    33        for keeping a good environment in the poultry sheds is to
    34        remove ammonia.  Ammonia is damaging to the respiratory
    35        system of the birds and too much ammonia in a poultry house
    36        is very undesirable.
    37
    38   Q.   What are the causes of excessive ammonia in poultry houses?
    39        A.  Poor ventilation, damp, wet environment/index.html">litter which is not
    40        composting correctly; those are the basic causes.
    41
    42   Q.   Are there any other reasons why the level of humidity or
    43        dampness in the shed is important?
    44        A.  The other reasons, possibly, would be that if the
    45        conditions are damp and humid they may well predispose the
    46        birds to viral respiratory infections.
    47
    48   Q.   You mentioned ventilation.  Is ventilation an important
    49        aspects of animal welfare in the sheds?
    50        A.  Ventilation is probably the most important and critical 
    51        aspect of the control of the environment of the poultry 
    52        sheds. 
    53
    54   Q.   How is your ventilation controlled or provided in your
    55        sheds?
    56        A.  It is provided by air inlets and which pull in air from
    57        the outside and this is driven by fans.  The inlets may be
    58        in the roof or in the sides and the fans in the roofs or
    59        the sides, depending on how you want to ventilate the
    60        house.

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