Day 291 - 31 Oct 96 - Page 42


     
     1        Sun Valley": "Chickens used for McDonald's products are not
     2        reared in cages.  They have the freedom to move around at
     3        will."  Obviously, that is a load of rubbish.  Apart from
     4        the fact that they spend their entire lives in a big,
     5        windowless shed, so they cannot be said to have the freedom
     6        to move around at will, certainly, by the end of their
     7        short six to seven week lives, they can barely move around
     8        at all.
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Well, that is the reference you want for the
    11        battery -- the layers as well, is it?
    12
    13   MS. STEEL:   No.  That is just the Sun Valley chickens.  The
    14        battery chickens are over the page.
    15
    16   MR JUSTICE BELL:  Right.  What does it -- oh, it is over the
    17        page?
    18
    19   MS. STEEL:   Yes.  I will come on to it in a second.  I mean,
    20        I am not going to go through every single point, because
    21        I think we have done that with quite a lot of the witnesses
    22        anyway.  I am just picking out the particularly ridiculous
    23        ones.
    24
    25        On page 3, it says: "Sun Valley complies with the strict EC
    26        legislation regarding poultry rearing"; and, as Miss Druce
    27        gave evidence on day 109, lines 46 to 48 -----
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Give me the reference again.
    30
    31   MS. STEEL:   Sorry.  Day 109, page 27, lines 46 to 48, there is
    32        no EEC or EC legislation regarding poultry rearing.
    33
    34        On page 3, it says about eggs, "Osters":  "A percentage of
    35        Osters' hens are kept in cages.  This is the company's
    36        preferred system for egg production, because it is hygienic
    37        and efficient, providing a clean, no risk environment which
    38        enables the eggs to be separated from the hens and their
    39        droppings."
    40
    41        Obviously, we have heard about the fact that it does not
    42        provide a hygienic and low risk end environment for the
    43        birds.  I will not go into all the detail about that.
    44        I think the only evidence we have heard is that all the
    45        eggs actually come from chickens in battery cages.  I think
    46        Mr. Kenny said that at one point.  Yes.  We have the formal
    47        admission, anyway.
    48
    49        I think, actually, that is it, because there is not
    50        actually a section about Bowes, for some reason.  There is 
    51        one about Roach Bacon. 
    52 
    53        Can I just say there was reference on, I think it was
    54        day 61, page 42, line 51, to Mrs. Crawford going down to
    55        Sun Valley on one occasion and stopping the slaughter line
    56        because the stunning was not adequate.  If I just say, if
    57        she was able to spot that the stunning was not adequate,
    58        then it must have been going pretty badly; it must have
    59        been pretty obvious, because she is not someone with any
    60        kind of qualification in that area.  I think that is

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