Day 066 - 14 Dec 94 - Page 60


     
     1   Q.   Is?
     2        A.  Clean routinely.  Most of them, there is a proportion
     3        of hens that live, especially if they are breeders, that
     4        will be used as a breeding stock.  They are housed in a
     5        slightly different conditions where they share the space
     6        with males and have different roosting conditions.
     7
     8   Q.   The chicken which is bred to lay eggs is a different sort
     9        of chicken from the one that is bred to make meat?
    10        A.  Yes, it is.
    11
    12   Q.   A different breed?
    13        A.  Yes, it is significantly different.
    14
    15   Q.   Before I forget it, did I ask about Mr. McDonald this
    16        morning -- no.   I would like you just to say a word about
    17        Mr. McDonald.  Do you know who Mr. McDonald is?
    18        A.  Yes, I know.
    19
    20   Q.   Can I ask you what the function of Mr. McDonald is and
    21        perhaps more important -- first of all, who devised the
    22        name "Mr. McDonald"?
    23        A.  I do not really know who gave it the name, but the name
    24        refers to a line of chickens that were developed by Tyson
    25        Foods in the US.  There is no specifically, a specific
    26        bird.  There was a bird, they said:  "This is what we want"
    27        and they took a picture and we will give our name
    28        'Mr. McDonald's'".  I do not know who gave it -----
    29
    30   Q.   What is the purpose in life of Mr. McDonald?  Why is he a
    31        special bird?
    32        A.  The special bird because it was a bird that was
    33        developed by Tyson for so that it will be healthier,
    34        bigger, stronger and will grow faster than was currently
    35        available at that time.
    36
    37   Q.   So he gives better value for -- I mean, he gives better
    38        meat production for the amount you have to feed him; is
    39        that correct?
    40        A.  That is correct.
    41
    42   Q.   What is important is this, do you know whether there are
    43        any health or other welfare implications for Mr. McDonald
    44        on account of his size?
    45        A.  No, he was bred so that it could be healthier.  That
    46        was the main -- healthier animals will produce better.
    47
    48   Q.   Does he suffer from an excessive amount of heart attacks on
    49        account of the fact he is very large?
    50        A.  No. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Do his legs stand up to the strain of carrying him around? 
    53        A.  Do the legs?
    54
    55   Q.   Do the legs carry his weight satisfactorily?
    56        A.  Oh, yes, they do.
    57
    58   Q.   Is he, generally speaking, then well-proportioned?
    59        A.  Yes, it is very well-proportioned, I would say.
    60

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