Day 089 - 15 Feb 95 - Page 33


     
     1        to do any detailed work in the house, then he very often
     2        will turn the lights up.
     3
     4   MR. RAMPTON:  The periods of 20, 30 minutes, I think -- did you
     5        say 20 or 30 minutes?
     6        A.  Yes.
     7
     8   Q.   What is the basis for that sort of period of darkness
     9        during the course of 24 hours?
    10        A.  The important thing is to make birds accustomed to
    11        darkness.  In the event of a power failure or any other
    12        accident, then it is important that they are used to it and
    13        accustomed to otherwise they could panic.
    14
    15   Q.   You have that MAFF document still, have you?
    16        A.  Yes.
    17
    18   Q.   Can you turn back to paragraph 29 on page 7, the right-hand
    19        page?  At top of the page it says "Lighting", do you see
    20        that?
    21        A.  Yes.
    22
    23   Q.   "Provision should be made for a period of darkness in each
    24        24 hour cycle.  Where birds do not have access to daylight
    25        they should be given at least eight hours lighting per
    26        day".  There is no specification there about the length of
    27        the period, is there?
    28        A.  No, and it is actually something that the industry are
    29        doing quite a lot of work on different light patterns at
    30        the moment, alternating light with darkness, to see if they
    31        can improve leg strength, leg activity and, therefore,
    32        reduce the number of leg abnormalities that occur.
    33
    34   Q.   Do you have the kingfisher blue file still there near you?
    35        Defendants Supplementary List of Documents, bundle II, the
    36        one that had the FAWC recommendations in it, tab 27?
    37        A.  Yes.
    38
    39   Q.   Page 13 of the document?
    40        A.  Yes.
    41
    42   Q.   Paragraph just below the middle of the page headed "Light"
    43        at (d) and then 35, do you have that?
    44        A.  Yes.
    45
    46   Q.   "Intensively reared broilers are usually kept in artificial
    47        light except for a short period of darkness of about 20 or
    48        30 minutes each day.  This period ensures that the birds
    49        become used to total darkness preventing panic in the event
    50        of power failure and assisting with the biological 
    51        development of diurnal rhythm".   Then this next passage is 
    52        underlined:  "The Council supports this practice and 
    53        recommends a regulation to require that all birds be
    54        provided with a period of darkness in every 24 hours.  We
    55        suggest this period should be at least 30 minutes".  Can I
    56        ask, why is that sentence underlined?
    57        A.  I think the reason is that the Council felt that it was
    58        a very unnatural thing for birds to be exposed to 24 hours
    59        light.  In other words, not to have any darkness
    60        whatsoever.  I think I would definitely agree that that is

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