Day 066 - 14 Dec 94 - Page 67


     
     1
     2   Q.   To what age are they kept?
     3        A.  Usually the females are kept or grown until about 42
     4        days.  The males are grown a little longer to about 52
     5        days.
     6
     7   Q.   Is the reason for that that in each case they will not
     8        actually grow much bigger if you leave them in there?
     9        A.  Yes, there is a reason for that.  It is strictly
    10        economics.  The males are capable of growing a little bit
    11        bigger, efficiently than the females.
    12
    13   Q.   Are there stocking densities laid down by regulations or
    14        guidelines?
    15        A.  Yes, there are.
    16
    17   Q.   What about temperature?  I mean, some parts of the United
    18        States have extreme climate, do they not?
    19        A.  Yes.  I am glad you brought it up.  I mentioned the
    20        growing houses in the hot areas.  In the cold areas it
    21        would be the same except they will have heaters.
    22
    23   Q.   Heaters?
    24        A.  Yes.
    25
    26   Q.   So far the as welfare of the chickens is concerned, which
    27        is the greater problem, excessive heat or excessive cold?
    28        A.  Heat.  Probably heat, yes.
    29
    30   Q.   If you are a chicken in a growing house in a hot area of
    31        the United States, I do not know, in the summer, let us
    32        suppose somewhere like Louisiana or Arizona, how does the
    33        farmer ensure that the chicken does not suffer?
    34        A.  I can show you an example of Arkansas where it is a hot
    35        area and it has the largest population of chickens in the
    36        US.  They use fans with humidifiers.  The purpose of the
    37        humidifiers in hot areas is to have some water available
    38        throughout the body of the bird.  The purpose of the water,
    39        if you look strictly to get into physics, we sweat.  When
    40        we sweat we convert the water into steam.  To convert the
    41        water to steam will take a lot of energy.  So, when we add
    42        water and that water evaporates it takes away heat.  That
    43        is how we cool off, the same way for animals, that is how
    44        they cool off.  That is why we sweat.  That is the purpose
    45        of having the water.  We have the fans to increase that
    46        rate of evaporation.  That is, basically, how the
    47        temperature and the conditions and the comfort of the
    48        animal is controlled.
    49
    50   Q.   Imagine the chickens in the first few days after they have 
    51        arrived in the growing house when there is a good deal of 
    52        space per chicken because of their size, to what extent do 
    53        they use that space?  Do they run around a lot?  Do they
    54        move from one to the other?
    55        A.  No.  That is a very interesting point.  They have more
    56        room because they will be spending the rest of their lives
    57        in that house, they will have plenty of room to run around,
    58        but you will see them clustered together in one side of the
    59        grow house and they will spend most of their time that
    60        way.  They like to be together.  They are social animals

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