Day 019 - 27 Jul 94 - Page 35


     
     1
         Q.   This says between two and three?
     2        A.  Right, OK; well, it is demarcating at a higher level,
              yes.
     3
         Q.  "Sorensen described the strutting walk typical of many
     4        birds given a gait score of 3 in the present study as
              indicative of pain, and there is likely to be chronic pain
     5        and discomfort associated with the immobility of birds
              with gait scores of 3, 4 or 5.  This immobility could also
     6        contribute to the development of hock burn in these
              birds".  So when you did the survey at Sun Valley poultry,
     7        you said that the record of culling was low.  The birds
              that were not culled, do you know what they died from?
     8        A.  The birds that were not culled?
 
     9   Q.   There is 487 males, you said, that had either died or been
              culled and 25 of those were culled?
    10        A.  Not for this particular shed, but I could make some
              generalisations with regard to the broiler industry if you
    11        wish me to.
 
    12   Q.   Yes, go on.
              A.  A common cause of mortality would be ascites.
    13
         Q.   Can you explain that a little bit more?
    14        A.  It is a condition in its early stages, takes the form
              of congestive heart failure.  If you recall, during the
    15        DOA survey, the most common cause of death during
              transport was congestive heart failure.  Ascites is an
    16        extreme manifestation of congestive heart failure.  The
              bird develops what is referred to as "water belly".  The
    17        fluid accumulates in the abdomen of the bird in
              association with the disease and it dies from a cardiac
    18        arrest.
 
    19        At various intervals there throughout, sorry -- in various
              years there are certain diseases which become prevalent.
    20        At the moment, for instance, there is a fairly virulant
              strain of Gumbaro disease going around, so that can result
    21        in mortality in some situations.
 
    22        Sudden death syndrome or "flip over", as it is sometimes
              called in the industry, is another cause where the bird
    23        experiences acute heart failure.
 
    24   Q.   What is the cause of that then?
              A.  That is a cardiac arrest which is quite distinct from
    25        congestive heart failure where you have poor function of
              the heart in terms of receiving blood and pumping it out; 
    26        you get a congestion in the lungs, a back log of blood in 
              the venous side; in acute heart failure you get an acute 
    27        cardiac arrest and the heart often dies in a fibriulated
              state; it is in an extremely contracted state.
    28
         Q.   Is that something that is common in the broiler industry?
    29        A.  It is.  It will account for some of the deaths.
              I would not like to give present prevalence at the moment,
    30        I do not know.  I would not say it is outstanding, it is
              not particularly common, but it occurs in most flocks, I

Prev Next Index