Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 23
1 A. There are two causes which were indicated previously;
one is you have an undersized bird, in which case simple
2 adjustment of the water bath is a thing they can do to
eliminate the problem. The other potential cause is that
3 as the birds are being conveyed over the line, a bird may
pull itself up while flapping its wings and not touch the
4 water. That is a cause as well. In that situation it is
quite difficult to do anything about it practically.
5
Q. You could do that by putting in the ramps you referred to?
6 A. The breast works in the comforter ----
7 Q. No, the ramp?
A. No, not necessarily. What the bird is doing, its legs
8 are in the shackle, it pulls up with its body while it is
flapping. The ramp, all it is doing is making contact with
9 the head of the body if the head is extended.
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It would not hit the ramp?
A. Correct. It would go over the water without touching
11 it. It is doing a pull up like on a gymnasium bar. There
have been systems to try and reduce that problem. Some of
12 them I would not recommend. One was, for instance, to
have electrodes that are either side of the bath which
13 delivers an electric shock to the bird which make it
extend, but that in itself is not a very pleasant way of
14 trying to rectify the problem.
15 Q. That is almost the equivalent of prestunning?
A. Exactly. That has been used, but this plant did not
16 use that.
17 MS. STEEL: If birds were lifting their head, would that be
because they were trying to avoid being ----?
18 A. It is difficult to generalise; it could be a number of
factors, causing disturbance which make them pull up and
19 flap.
20 Q. Trying to escape?
A. That is one possibility, yes, certainly.
21
Q. Just one final matter on current then I am going on. What
22 would be your view on stunning at 12.5 milliamps?
A. 12.5 milliamps?
23
Q. Yes.
24 A. Using a 50 herz sinosoidal AC should not be allowed
commercially.
25
Q. What about in any other type of frequency?
26 A. It is highly unlikely that is going to stun unless you
put the electrodes -- hold on, let me think -- it is
27 highly unlikely under any circumstances that is going to
stun, 12.5 milliamps, instantaneously at least; you would
28 have to apply it for such a long time that the animal
expires for another reason.
29
Q. So it would not be something you consider humane?
30 A. Certainly not.
