Day 092 - 27 Feb 95 - Page 68


     
     1        word.
     2
     3   MS. STEEL:  He has actually said it more than once.
     4        A.  I said I retracted what I said.  I said I probably used
     5        the wrong word, is what I said.  The better word would be
     6        "comfortable".
     7
     8   Q.   Comfortable?
     9        A.  Yes.
    10
    11   Q.   How can you tell it is comfortable?
    12        A.  Just by looking at it.  It is a healthy animal.  If you
    13        have seen our broilers, there are broilers that are
    14        healthy, that look good, they stand good.  I do not know of
    15        any other measurement to say whether or not the animal that
    16        is comfortable is healthy. If it is healthy most animals
    17        will be comfortable.
    18
    19   Q.   Why do you make the assumption they are comfortable because
    20        they are healthy?
    21        A.  It is simple.  It is common sense.  We do more than
    22        anybody else.  Our suppliers, I know of no other suppliers
    23        that spend more time, more money into research into
    24        developing practices to make sure that the animals are
    25        comfortable and live comfortable.  That is part of taking
    26        care of the animal.  We know their needs, physiological
    27        needs, nutrition needs, lighting.  We control the
    28        environment.  We do a lot of the things that most people do
    29        not do in the business.  Those animals, when you look at
    30        them, are healthy.  It is a pretty good indication that the
    31        animals are comfortable and they are OK.
    32
    33   Q.   That is an assumption you are making?
    34        A.  Those are the facts.
    35
    36   Q.   Have you experimented with putting the birds outside?
    37        A.  Personally, no.
    38
    39   Q.   Not as a company?
    40        A.  No.
    41
    42   Q.   No?
    43        A.  No, not as a company.  Again some of the suppliers
    44        have.  McDonald's, no, we have not.
    45
    46   Q.   McDonald's has not done that?
    47        A.  No.
    48
    49   Q.   And none of McDonald's suppliers have done that?
    50        A.  Some of them. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Well, I thought there were only two? 
    53        A.  US, no.  We have never seen the need for that.
    54
    55   Q.   So you would not know whether they preferred being indoors
    56        or outdoors?
    57        A.  No.  It is not a matter of preference.  Again, you have
    58        to look at the entire animal.  One of the things that we
    59        try in the industry in general, we try to spend a lot of
    60        effort, is to prevent the animal from being on the

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