Day 089 - 15 Feb 95 - Page 28


     
     1        machine for disposal.
     2
     3   Q.   Suppose on inspection of the gassed carcasses to have found
     4        that a chick or chicks were not, in fact, dead, what would
     5        happen?
     6        A.  Well, the procedure is that the whole process has to be
     7        repeated.
     8
     9   Q.   Has to be repeated?
    10        A.  Yes.
    11
    12   Q.   So it has to be gassed again?
    13        A.  Yes.
    14
    15   Q.   It is not put live into the macerator then?
    16        A.  No.
    17
    18   Q.   Is it a difficult task to sort through 200 chick carcasses
    19        to look for signs of life or not?
    20        A.  No, it takes no more than a minute to do and it would
    21        just be standard practice to do that.
    22
    23   Q.   Tell us precisely, please, how this system that you operate
    24        for the disposal and killing of unwanted chicks operates?
    25        A.  The chamber that is used is of the size of a 50 gallon
    26        drum.  It is lined with polythene.  It has a lid, tight
    27        fitting lid, with a hole on the top through which the
    28        carbon dioxide pipe can be inserted.  Then the gas is
    29        simply introduced into the chamber in that way.
    30
    31   Q.   What concentration of gas is used?
    32        A.  The important thing is to purge the chamber of oxygen
    33        first and then the C02 is just as it comes from the supply.
    34
    35   Q.   So it is pure CO2?
    36        A.  Yes.
    37
    38   Q.   At what stage are the chicks introduced into this exercise?
    39        A.  The chicks are placed in the chamber first and then the
    40        gas supply is switched on.
    41
    42   Q.   Now I will turn, if I may -- I am not again going to ask
    43        you to look at it, but I am summarising -- did you read
    44        what Dr. Gregory said about this particular operation?
    45        A.  Yes.
    46
    47   Q.   In general terms, he had not seen it working at Sun Valley,
    48        had he?
    49        A.  No.
    50 
    51   Q.   In general terms, and you will have noticed that he 
    52        expressed reservations about the use of carbon dioxide as a 
    53        killing agent?
    54        A.  Yes.
    55
    56   Q.   What is your view about that?
    57        A.  The reservations I think he referred to were mostly
    58        referring to older birds where you are using gaseous
    59        methods as a way, as an alternative to, as an alternative
    60        killing method for birds at slaughter weight.  As far as

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