Day 089 - 15 Feb 95 - Page 51


     
     1        quick one minute break?
     2
     3   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause a moment.
     4
     5   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I do not mind.  It is unconventional.
     6
     7   MR. MORRIS:  I was missing what was being said and wanted to say
     8        something to Helen.  Sorry.
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, thank you.
    11
    12   MR. RAMPTON (To the witness):  At what stage then is it that the
    13        numbers of the birds that are dead on arrival can be
    14        identified?
    15        A.  The birds -- when the modules are unloaded the trays
    16        containing the birds go along a line to people that we
    17        call, who are called "hangers-on".  They actually hang the
    18        chickens on to the line.  At that point any birds that are
    19        dead are removed.
    20
    21   Q.   Are those birds which are removed or, at any rate, a
    22        proportion of them autopsied to find out what the causes of
    23        death might be?
    24        A.  Sometimes we do this.  The official veterinary surgeon
    25        in the plant will do this sometimes, or we ourselves will
    26        do it.  Certainly, if there are excessive numbers we will
    27        always do it to see what the particular problem is.
    28
    29   Q.   That would be something untoward then, would it not?
    30        A.  That would be an unusual occurrence.
    31
    32   Q.   But taking the ordinary percentage, you say of .15 to .17
    33        per cent, of all birds transported, over the years have you
    34        been able to identify what you believe to be the principal
    35        causes of death in transit?
    36        A.  The principal causes mostly relate to disease.
    37
    38   Q.   Disease?
    39        A.  To disease.  We see a number of birds that die of what
    40        we call ascites.
    41
    42   Q.   What is that?
    43        A.  That is collection of fluid in the body cavity.
    44
    45   Q.   It is not a respiratory thing as such?
    46        A.  No, it is not, but if birds have excessive fluid in the
    47        body cavity, it usually means that they have a heart which
    48        is not pumping correctly and so they have a heart attack
    49        during the transport.
    50 
    51   Q.   Whereas it may be exacerbated by transport, it is not, 
    52        I take it from what you have said, something that is caused 
    53        by the transport?
    54        A.  No, it is a condition which is present before the
    55        transport.
    56
    57   Q.   Is there any way of preventing or curing ascites if it is
    58        found in a flock?
    59        A.  There are ways of preventing.  It there are management
    60        practices which we use to try to minimise the condition

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