Day 289 - 29 Oct 96 - Page 29
1 milliamps, that time would be shorter". And he said that
2 was likely. So he said it was possible that a bird could
3 regain consciousness before it dies.
4
5 I am finding it really hard. I have sort of forgotten
6 where the relevant parts are.
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If it is Dr. Gregory, do not worry for a
9 moment. In fact, what we will do, we will have the five
10 minute break now. I may get my notes down because I may be
11 able to find the references quickly. If I cannot, just
12 deliver your points and I will have to hunt them out, or
13 you can just give me a piece of paper at any time within
14 the next three weeks or so with the references on them.
15
16 MS. STEEL: Yes. I mean, I can finish reading this part out.
17 The point is - I can't remember where the references are
18 for 60 milliamps - but I am sure that was the current that
19 they were using at Sun Valley at the time when he visited,
20 and that was why I referred to it. So I asked him about
21 whether it was possible that the bird could regain
22 consciousness before it dies, and he said: "Yes, it is
23 possible, depending on the circumstances".
24
25 And the recommendation to avoid a recovery is to cut both
26 carotid arteries in order to minimise the risk, and that
27 was not being done at Sun Valley Poultry, so there was a
28 risk that birds could regain consciousness before they
29 died, which obviously would cause severe suffering.
30 He said that the recommendations that he usually made in
31 terms of the current per bird were that the current should
32 be 120 milliamps per bird.
33
34 There was then reference to a document which was in the
35 defendants' list of documents, blue bundle 3, number 105,
36 The Slaughter of Food Animals, and that document says:
37 "The problems involved with the stunning and slaughter of
38 poultry are complex but essentially can be divided into
39 three main areas. First, that some birds may miss the
40 stunning bar, and then I say which is what has occurred
41 here, and then, reading again, the voltage and current
42 flowing through the bird's body may be insufficient to
43 render the bird unconscious for long enough before death
44 supervenes due to blood loss. And then it goes on to say:
45 During bleeding out only one side of the neck is normally
46 cut. Scientific evidence has shown that under these
47 conditions it may be as long as six minutes before brain
48 failure ensues. And Dr. Gregory said that sounds right.
49 This is day 20, page 15, from line 10.
50
51 The report goes on to say: "All birds should therefore be
52 killed instead of being temporarily stunned". And I
53 asked: "So they are making the same recommendations as
54 you?" He said: "Yes." Then I said: "They explain how
55 that can be done". And then the report says the RSPCA
56 urges the remainder of poultry processes to do the same
57 without delay. And Dr. Gregory replied: "Yes, these
58 problems over the times which we have been discussing
59 become irrelevant when you kill at stunning".
60
