Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 42


     
     1   Q.   So, prior to that poultry ----
     2        A.  We could have used poultry meat and bonemeal prior to
     3        that.
     4
     5   Q.   It would have been typical to do so?
     6        A.  Yes, that would have been normal practice.
     7
     8   Q.   Have you still got the Farm Animal Welfare Council document
     9        open?
    10        A.  Yes, I have.
    11
    12   Q.   Have you got page 4, please?  Sorry, just going on on page
    13        3, under "nutrition" it says, "Knowledge of the nutrient
    14        requirements of chickens has advanced and diets to exploit
    15        the genetic potential for rapid growth can now be
    16        formulated with great precision".
    17
    18        Is that how the diet for the Sun Valley Poultry recommended
    19        diet is formulated?
    20        A.  The diets for Sun Valley are formulated on the basis
    21        that there are basic requirements for chickens for protein,
    22        fat, carbohydrates, vitamins; and there is a computer
    23        system, a model system, in which you can put in raw
    24        material specifications into the model and develop an
    25        accurate formulation based on the analysis of the raw
    26        materials.  So, that is how we routinely do it.
    27
    28   Q.   That is designed with rapid growth in mind?
    29        A.  Well, the rapid growth is a feature of the modern
    30        hybrid broiler and obviously its nutritional requirements
    31        do change with genetic changes.  So, yes, we obviously have
    32        to take into account that the bird is changing genetically
    33        every year.
    34
    35   Q.   Going on to the following page, under (iii), what growth
    36        promoters are in the Sun Valley Poultry feed?
    37        A.  We do vary the growth promoters.  The ones normally
    38        used are Zinc Bacitracin or Virginia Mycin or Avo Parcin.
    39
    40   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I have read them before, but can you just
    41        spell them, so I am quite clear?
    42        A.  Zinc bacitracin, so that is zinc B-A-C-I-T-R-A-C-I-N;
    43        Virginia Mycin, so that is Virginia and M-Y-C-I-N, and Avo
    44        Pacin; A-V-O  P-A-R-C-I-N.
    45
    46   MS. STEEL:  Are they the same ones that have been used for a
    47        number of years?
    48        A.  Yes, they have not changed at all.
    49
    50   Q.   Are they antibiotics? 
    51        A.  They are antibiotic compounds in that they are derived 
    52        originally from microbial organisms. 
    53
    54   Q.   But their purpose is for growth promotion?
    55        A.  Their purpose is as growth promoters and they also help
    56        to improve digestion; and that is part of the way that they
    57        actually work.
    58
    59   Q.   Are they fed to the chickens from their arrival until
    60        leaving, or what?

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