Day 019 - 27 Jul 94 - Page 55


     
     1        There is a danger or a risk, there is a risk, that this
              will put an additional demand upon the skeleton of the
     2        birds and it will deplete its skeleton of calcium
              rendering them weak.  So weak bone is, weak bones can be a
     3        consequence of high selection pressure for egg production.
 
     4   Q.   How often do the hens lay in the battery system,
              approximately?
     5        A.  Once every 28 hours.  They produce about 250 eggs in
              an egg laying period of 50 weeks.
     6
         Q.   Does this put the bird under strain?
     7        A.  In what respect?
 
     8   Q.   For example, the mortality rate -- has this an implication
              for mortality?
     9        A.  One of the main causes of mortality in battery systems
              would be salpingitis which would be an infection in the
    10        fallopian tube.  I would not like to comment whether that
              is the function of egg, number of eggs laid.  I would be
    11        surprised if it was because the implication is that the
              most productive flocks would be the ones with the highest
    12        mortality.  I do not think there is any evidence for that.
 
    13   Q.   Do you know anything about ovarian tumours in high
              producing laying hens?
    14        A.  Not a lot.  I am not an expert on that.
 
    15   Q.   Do you know the mortality rates at all for safer --
              probably you would not remember on Oasters -- but
    16        generally mortality rates, say, per year, what percentage?
              A.  Yes.  It does vary between flocks.  It depends on when
    17        the flock is sold for slaughter, how long it goes on for.
              Six per cent might be a figure which -----
    18
         Q.   Six per cent?
    19        A.  Six per cent mortality from point of lay, that is 16
              weeks of age, up to, say, 72 weeks of age.  That would be,
    20        I would say that is within the normal range.  That is a
              typical sort of level.
    21
         MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, might not the relevant question be: What
    22        is its rate as compared with free range egg layers?
 
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I had understood you to say, so far as
              pressure on the bird is concerned from repeated egg laying
    24        or frequency of egg laying, I have assumed it would be
              about the same because you said that the egg laying rate
    25        is about the same.  So if there is a greater mortality in
              battery hens, it is because of other factors in their 
    26        lives; is that right? 
              A.  That is right. 
    27
         Q.   But how does the mortality rate compare?  Do you have any
    28        way of knowing that?
              A.  I can speak generally rather than give precise
    29        national estimates, is that satisfactory?
 
    30   Q.   Give an answer to that.  Let us see where we are.
              A.  In free range systems, if things go wrong, then you

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