Day 019 - 27 Jul 94 - Page 44


     
     1   Q.   Right.  Can you give us some examples?
              A.  I think you are going to find the prevalence of
     2        angulation would be very low in the case of, say, a Rhode
              Island Red type of bird.  Hock Burn could be present.
     3        I have heard of cases where there has been Hock Burn in
              free range hens, for example.
     4
         Q.   Using which definition of free range?  Is that comparable
     5        to --
              A.  Outdoor, free range egg laying hens.
     6
         Q.   Right.
     7        A.  Inflammatory changes is possible if they had an
              infection.  Tibiodischondroplasia is highly unlikely.
     8        Osteochondrosis is highly unlikely, but instead you might
              get thinning of the cartilage over a chondyle.  So, some,
     9        I think you can say with high confidence, are going to be
              absent, others may be present.
    10
         Q.   Right, and the ones that are present, they would be less
    11        common, would they?
              A.  In general, yes.
    12
         Q.   Going back:  You mentioned about antibiotics as being a
    13        novel way of dealing with the problem of lameness,
              particularly gaits four and five.  Do you know which
    14        antibiotic was the one that was used by Sun Valley?
              A.  Yes, I did know.  I was told and it does not come to
    15        me at the moment.  I might remember later on.  The usual
              feed additive used is furozolidone.  That is the one that
    16        is commonly used in the poultry industry.  It is not
              particularly effective for this particular disorder.
    17
              Now, the one which Sun Valley was using is a different one
    18         -- I might remember it later on -- sulphadimidine, it
              comes back to me, I beg your pardon.  It is
    19        sulphadimidine.  If I can add something to that:  It is
              unusual for that particular drug to be used in the poultry
    20        industry.  It is more associated with the pig industry.
              That is one of the reasons why I was commending it.  You
    21        know, what they have probably done is matched the microbe
              to an antibiotic which will actually control the microbe.
    22        That in itself -- that is what I assume they have done --
              that in itself is to be a commended procedure.  They are
    23        using a lot of logic in trying to overcome the problem.
 
    24   Q.   Is there any problem with using antibiotics routinely?
              A.  I am not an expert in this area but it is, as you are
    25        probably aware, it is reputed that (and it is, no doubt,
              true) bacteria can acquire resistance to antibiotics if 
    26        the antibiotic is used over a long period of time. 
  
    27   Q.   As far as you are aware, they are doing this on a regular
               -- I mean, they are doing this for every batch of
    28        chickens?
              A.  No doubt, they are familiar with that problem because,
    29        from the point of view of poultry health in other areas,
              and if they were following what is recognised as good
    30        veterinary practice, they would be alternating their
              antibiotic treatments for specific disease.  That is the

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