Day 102 - 13 Mar 95 - Page 35
1 A. Yes.
2
3 Q. So it would be very difficult to place them on their feet?
4 A. Yes.
5
6 Q. So how are you suggesting that they ought to place them in
7 the drawers?
8 A. Well, the only way you can pick up a chicken is by its
9 legs, and so to do that you must turn it upside-down. If
10 you then place it in the drawer upside-down, it very
11 quickly rights itself.
12
13 Q. So you expect them to be placed in the drawer upside-down?
14 A. I do not see any problem with that.
15
16 Q. They can actually be picked up other than by their legs,
17 can they not, but you would have to pick them up
18 individually?
19 A. Yes.
20
21 Q. Which would cost more money in terms of the length of time
22 it would take to catch them?
23 A. Yes.
24
25 Q. So that is something where commercial consideration would
26 come before the welfare of the birds?
27 A. Certainly, it is of commercial importance, yes.
28
29 Q. When you say the birds are picked up carefully, in order to
30 get four, five, six chickens or even three in one hand, you
31 have to grab them fairly quickly, do you not?
32 A. Yes.
33
34 Q. It is not something where you could grab one and then move
35 over to another ---
36 A. No.
37
38 Q. -- and pick that up? Is the only time that thinning occurs
39 at the six weeks period?
40 A. Yes, it is.
41
42 Q. It never occurs at any other time?
43 A. No.
44
45 Q. Is it correct that the thinning is often carried out in
46 daylight?
47 A. Yes, it may be done in daylight.
48
49 Q. In fact, does the company prefer that it is carried out in
50 daylight?
51 A. I do not think there is any particular preference.
52 When catching is taking place the lights are dimmed.
53
54 Q. Is there a difference between clearing out the shed and
55 thinning in terms of what time of day it is normally done?
56 A. Not really. It would just depend on the particular
57 factory requirements.
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is only incidentally that it is thinning,
60 you happen to be catching the pullets ---
