Day 095 - 02 Mar 95 - Page 16
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2 MS. STEEL: Perhaps that could be left until the lunch-time.
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4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, very well.
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6 THE WITNESS: Yes I have it.
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8 MS. STEEL (To the witness): It says: "The American Veterinary
9 Medical Association shared the United Poultry Incorporated
10 concern about humane slaughter of poultry and believed that
11 electrical stunning prior to slaughter is appropriate for
12 broilers". It then goes to on to say: "However, spent
13 foul, culled laying hens frequently suffer broken bones
14 when electrically stunned and their economic value makes it
15 difficult to justify costly new slaughter techniques".
16 Would you accept that spent battery chickens are not
17 stunned prior to slaughter in the USA?
18 A. I do not know, to be honest. When I read this letter
19 that is one of the things that I get out of this trial. If
20 that is happening, I do not know. We buy eggs. We do not
21 -- we sell the spent house. I do not know what happens to
22 them after that. It is an area that I am going to
23 investigate that I would like to be familiar with, with
24 that part. There needs to be further research, yes.
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26 What I do not agree is the part you have to keep in mind
27 that the equipment can be modified, the voltage. There are
28 a lot of variables that you can do to improve that. It is
29 not a matter of economical -- what it says here that it is
30 because of the equipment cost too much, you cannot, "it is
31 difficult to justify costly new slaughter technique", that
32 is not true. That is an incorrect statement. You can
33 adjust the equipment -----
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35 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Please stop there. If you want to get back
36 to the States before Easter you have to keep your questions
37 as short as possible. I know there is a temptation to do
38 yourself justice by giving a full answer but do your best
39 to keep them short.
40 A. I will, my Lord.
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42 MS. STEEL: The American Veterinary Medical Association is a
43 respected organisation, is it?
44 A. It is a very well respected organisation, yes.
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46 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I did have that letter. I have read it. It
47 is not at the back of that particular bundle. If there is
48 a spare copy, I will put it in in due course. I remember
49 perfectly well what it says. AVMA in this country is the
50 Association for the Victims of Medical Accidents which is
51 why I remembered the letter.
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53 MS. STEEL (To the witness): Have you heard of the Farm Animals
54 Concern Trust?
55 A. No.
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57 Q. You have not heard of them? OK. I am afraid there is
58 another paper chase again. If you could get down the
59 Defendants' documents No. 114 of the original list. It
60 will be in the blue ones on the top row, 114.
