Day 091 - 17 Feb 95 - Page 26
1 be logical. You know of no facts, is this right, to
2 gainsay? Is that what it boils down to?
3 A. That is correct, sir, yes.
4
5 MS. STEEL: These factors that are mentioned about stocking
6 densities, when the Farm Animal Welfare Council set the
7 stocking density, or recommended that the existing MAFF
8 stocking density remained, that would have been a factor
9 they took into consideration, would it?
10 A. As I said yesterday, they did visit a very large number
11 of units looking at different systems, looking at different
12 ways that birds were kept. The conclusion they came to
13 that the recommendation should not be changed was that they
14 were satisfied that they had seen enough of the industry
15 that no change was required to that recommendation.
16
17 Q. The reason why they did not, for example, increase the
18 stocking density would have been because they thought it
19 could lead to greater problems with leg problems and other
20 matters as well?
21 A. Yes, I think you have to remember that leg problems are
22 just part of the equation.
23
24 Q. There are other problems resulting from the stocking
25 density?
26 A. Yes, there are and also there are other problems that
27 arise if you allow birds to have free range and this is why
28 I was reluctant to agree with your supposition that there
29 would just be fewer problems if birds were allowed to range
30 free.
31
32 Q. Fewer leg problems?
33 A. OK.
34
35 Q. The nutritional factors relating to leg problems, do you
36 feel that that applies to Sun Valley or do you think that
37 is completely irrelevant to you?
38 A. Most of the recognised diseases of legs which relate to
39 nutrition have now been recognised and corrected for. The
40 diet in relation to leg problems, the nutritional
41 requirements of the bird, are constantly changing as they
42 change genetically. So we do make changes to the diet from
43 time to time. Our aim is not to make the birds grow as
44 fast as their potential. We try and limit their nutrient
45 intake so that you get a steady growth rate rather than
46 getting great spurts at different stages.
47
48 Q. So what changes have you made in relation to this point?
49 A. In relation to leg problems?
50
51 Q. In relation to changing the diet for leg problems, reasons
52 for leg problems?
53 A. Well, the important thing to minimise leg problems is
54 to make sure that birds do not grow too fast early on.
55 With that in mind, we adjust the energy and protein intake
56 to allow for that.
57
58 Q. When were those adjustments made?
59 A. As I say, the adjustments go on all the time in the
60 light of current and new developing knowledge.
