Day 089 - 15 Feb 95 - Page 56
1 manual, and the scalding tank?
2 A. This is normally about one-and-a-half minutes. We aim
3 for a minimum of 90 seconds and usually it is a bit longer
4 than that.
5
6 Q. So could it be sort of 10 seconds longer?
7 A. It might, it probably would be 20 or 30 seconds longer
8 than that.
9
10 Q. It might approach two minutes?
11 A. That is correct.
12
13 Q. You have told us that the present equipment, the stunning
14 equipment and, indeed, its predecessor, have evoked no
15 adverse response from MAFF or from the OVS. Can you tell
16 us, first of all, what current is delivered by the
17 equipment?
18 A. The equipment is a 40 volt DC stunner which delivers
19 about 700 miliamps which is spread across 12 to 16 birds
20 depending on how many we are hanging on the line.
21
22 Q. Do the mental arithmetic for us, please, Dr. Pattison.
23 Tell us how many miliamps per bird that works out at.
24 A. I think it is approximately 45 to 50 miliamps per bird.
25
26 Q. Can you also tell us, please, what was the voltage?
27 A. The voltage is 40 volt DC.
28
29 Q. How does that convert in hertz?
30 A. It works at 500 hertz.
31
32 Q. How does new equipment differ from the old equipment.
33 First of all, take the line on which the birds are strung?
34 A. OK. The aim of the new equipment is to improve the way
35 in which the bird is delivered to the electric shock. The
36 electric shock is delivered through the water and the aim
37 is to get the bird's head into the water to receive the
38 electric shock in the most effective way.
39
40 Q. How is that achieved?
41 A. The new equipment has a plate, a metal plate, which is
42 a non-conducting plate, which guides the heads of the birds
43 down into the trough. There is a ramp in the trough and
44 the birds heads come down against this plate and they are
45 guided in so that there is no risk of getting pre-stunning
46 shocks.
47
48 Q. Is the current in the stunning bath consistent?
49 A. It is. The current is delivered through the shackle.
50 It runs through the birds and down into an electrode which
51 is actually a plate which runs the full length of the
52 stunning bath.
53
54 Q. So the current is delivered from above?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. Through the shackle?
58 A. Yes.
59
60 Q. Through the bird via its legs?
