Day 104 - 15 Mar 95 - Page 48


     
     1   MS. STEEL:  It changed when you split the lines into males and
     2        females?
     3        A.  Yes, that is right.
     4
     5   Q.   Which was between the two visits that Dr. Gregory made?
     6        A.  Yes, that is correct.
     7
     8   Q.   Was it the intention of Sun Valley to improve conditions
     9        for the birds when the speed was reduced and the separation
    10        of the sexes was introduced?
    11        A.  The actual conditions for the birds themselves did not
    12        change very much.  The arrival area was the same.  The
    13        angular auto-flow system was the same.  The unloading was
    14        all the same.  They were hung on the lines in the same
    15        way.  As I have explained before, the stunning and all the
    16        equipment on the line was from the stunner through to the
    17        pluckers and scalding equipment, that was all updated, but
    18        really the conditions on the line itself really did not
    19        change.
    20
    21   Q.   So there would not have been any improvements in terms of
    22        birds missing the stunner or entering the scalding tank
    23        alive or anything like that?
    24        A.  Well, there were no really major changes.  As we have
    25        talked about before, the stunning equipment obviously has
    26        been updated and improved.
    27
    28   Q.   So the main reason for the changeover then was to make
    29        processing easier with different sized birds?
    30        A.  Yes, that was the main reason.  Also the opportunity to
    31        introduce more modern equipment and also to refurbish the
    32        plant itself and make it more up to modern standards.
    33
    34   Q.   How long is the stun bath?
    35        A.  It is about a metre long.
    36
    37   Q.   Is that the same or did that used to be different?
    38        A.  I think it used to be a bit longer than that, maybe one
    39        and a half metres before.
    40
    41   Q.   A metal electrode in the bath, does that now span the
    42        length of the water bath?
    43        A.  Yes.  The arrangement is that there is a metal
    44        electrode at the base of the water bath which runs the
    45        whole length.
    46
    47   Q.   Previously it did not, that is correct, is it not?
    48        A.  I believe that is so, yes.
    49
    50   Q.   The bath now stuns eight birds at a time, is that correct? 
    51        A.  No, there are 16. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Sixteen?
    54        A.  Yes.
    55
    56   Q.   Do the male and female lines have separate baths?
    57        A.  Yes, they do.
    58
    59   Q.   How long do the birds remain in the baths?
    60        A.  They are in the bath for five or six seconds.

Prev Next Index