Day 089 - 15 Feb 95 - Page 38


     
     1        that they can get into it comfortably.
     2
     3   Q.   You say you "aim to", do you think you achieve that aim in
     4        practice?
     5        A.  Yes, I think so.  I mean, feeder and drinker
     6        management, as we call it, is a very important part of
     7        stockmanship to ensure that the birds can get at them.
     8
     9   Q.   This shoulder level, bottom of the neck level (because
    10        chickens' necks are not quite like humans), that is for
    11        your average size bird, is it?
    12        A.  Yes.
    13
    14   Q.   How much do the birds actually vary in size?
    15        A.  In a good broiler house they do not vary greatly in
    16        size.  There are, obviously, you always get some very
    17        small, stunted birds and these should be culled out.
    18
    19   Q.   I was going to ask you.  Suppose I was a bird, you are a
    20        normal size bird, and I am a bird which the top of my head
    21        only comes up to, let us say, the bottom of your lapel
    22        there, how, if I was thirsty, would I get a drink?
    23        A.  Well, the aim is to try to judge the height of the
    24        drinkers so that all birds, all normal birds -- in other
    25        words, there will be some variation in size -- can get a
    26        drink.  The recommendation always is to put the drinkers at
    27        a height which would cater for the smaller sized bird
    28        rather than the larger sized bird.
    29
    30   Q.   Does the big bird have any problem bending over if the
    31        drinker is a wee bit below it?
    32        A.  No, not at all.  And birds naturally would drink out of
    33        puddles on the ground so that is not a problem.
    34
    35   Q.   Have you ever had a case or cases of birds dying of thirst?
    36        A.  Not that I am aware of.
    37
    38   Q.   What about starvation?
    39        A.  Starvation again is very unlikely because food is
    40        constantly supplied every day, so this is not going to
    41        happen.
    42
    43   Q.   Presumably, that is a level that they can all reach?
    44        A.  That is correct.
    45
    46   Q.   What about competition for food?  I mean, if I am a timid
    47        bird, might I be squeezed out by my more aggressive
    48        colleagues?
    49        A.  There is a certain amount of competition but the
    50        broiler birds are not naturally aggressive birds, so you 
    51        are not aware of very much fighting or jostling. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Do you get much feather pecking in the broiler houses?
    54        A.  No, this is very unusual.
    55
    56   Q.   What is the food made of?
    57        A.  The food is mostly wheat and soya bean meal.  70 per
    58        cent wheat, up to 20 per cent soya bean meal, made up with
    59        a vitamin and mineral package and with small amounts of
    60        other ingredients such as fish meal and maize meal, and so

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