Day 102 - 13 Mar 95 - Page 42


     
     1        teams are making continuous improvement.
     2
     3   Q.   What percentage of the birds that are injured on arrival,
     4        or have visible injuries at the time of their arrival, in
     5        the processing plant are determined to have been injured
     6        before or during catching?
     7        A.  It is very small numbers for each load.  In actual
     8        percentage terms, I could not give you any figures.
     9
    10   Q.   What are the numbers for each load?
    11        A.  There are usually small numbers in each load.
    12
    13   Q.   50, 100?
    14        A.  No, less than that -- may be 10 or 20 per load.
    15
    16   Q.   What number are determined to have been injured during
    17        transport?
    18        A.  We cannot tell the difference but we call them
    19        catching-related -----
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Answer that question first, please.
    22        A.  It is impossible to tell whether an injury has occurred
    23        during catching or during the transport, so we simply call
    24        them catching-related injuries.
    25
    26   MS. STEEL:   You said in your evidence-in-chief it does happen
    27        that birds are injured when they are caught to be taken to
    28        the processing facility?
    29        A.  Yes.
    30
    31   Q.   So they are not all culled at the farms, are they?
    32        A.  Well, sometimes an injury that occurs during catching
    33        is not appreciated at the time.
    34
    35   Q.   You said in your evidence that there was absolutely no
    36        reason why broilers should have their heads caught and
    37        crushed in the drawers when they are taken for
    38        slaughter.  If that is the case, how do you explain the
    39        high incidence of head injuries at Sun Valley?
    40        A.  The case where that has happened is negligence on
    41        behalf of the catching teams.  As I said to you before, the
    42        welfare and the standard of that operation can only be down
    43        to the people who actually do the job.
    44
    45   Q.   So in every load there is negligence, is there?  It is the
    46        fault of the catchers?
    47        A.  Not in every load.
    48
    49   Q.   Every load would have some injuries, would it not?
    50        A.  Of the head crushing injury, no, I would say not. 
    51 
    52   Q.   So every load would have injuries of some kind or other? 
    53        A.  The most common injury is a haemorrhage in the leg or,
    54        extreme cases, dislocation of the hip joint.  That is the
    55        most common injury.
    56
    57   Q.   That is caused by picking them up by the legs?
    58        A.  That is, yes.
    59
    60   Q.   How frequently do head injuries occur?

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