Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 73


     
     1
              Right.  In my report I have tried to highlight some good
     2        aspects of animal welfare and some poor aspects of animal
              welfare.  Within those poor aspects of animal welfare, if
     3        they were improved, I do not anticipate they would have
              much of an effect on carcass or meat quality.
     4
         Q.   Apply that to ones where improvements  have been made that
     5        you have given evidence about.  What is the answer there?
              A.  I do not understand what you mean by "improvements
     6        have been made".
 
     7   Q.   There have been put to you over the last two or three days
              instances where the situation used to be X, it has now
     8        been improved to Y, some even between February and April
              of the same year?
     9        A.  Right.
 
    10   Q.   What is your answer to the same question in respect of
              those specific improvements you have dealt with?
    11        A.  I understand.
 
    12   Q.   The nub of it is this.  Are they done for the welfare of
              the animal or might there be some commercial advantage,
    13        some profit element, as well?
              A.  The principal changes you are referring to, I believe,
    14        would be in the case of the captive bolt survey of
              cattle.  In the case of the comparison, February versus
    15        April, chicken slaughter, and also in the case of the dead
              on arrival survey for chickens.  Thinking of just those
    16        three, which, I believe, encompasses all that you imply,
              the improvements in captive bolt stunning would have no
    17        bearing whatsoever on quality; the improvements in poultry
              stunning and slaughter would have limited, may have a
    18        small bearing.  There might have been less wing flapping;
              you might have got an improvement of less red wing tips,
    19        but it would be minor.  The other area has escaped me.
              I am sorry, the other area -- can anybody help me?
    20
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you have a particular area?
    21
         MR. MORRIS:  Not really.  We are all under pressure of time.
    22        We would have liked to have gone through them.  The
              plaintiffs are frantically searching for any examples
    23        which will explode our theory.
 
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You put one where you think.  If you have a
              specific improvement where you say, in fact, the motive
    25        there was to improve the value of the meat rather than to
              improve the welfare of the animal, is that what you are 
    26        getting at? 
  
    27   MR. MORRIS:  To me all of them, but an example can be having
              the, for example, in the broiler sheds having lower water,
    28        is it because the people care about the welfare of the
              smaller chickens or is it because they do not want them to
    29        die because they lose profit?
              A.  It is going to be both, I believe, because in the case
    30        of this particular company they are very sensitive about
              animal welfare.  So they would be addressing the animal

Prev Next Index