Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 23


     
     1        recommendations.
     2
     3   Q.   You said that you were comfortable with the stocking
     4        density as long as the equipment is able to support it.
     5        A.  Yes.  What I said yesterday was that we do vary the
     6        stocking density and reduce it if the housing facility is
     7        not adequate to support that number of birds.  That is a
     8        very important part of farming practice, to be able to vary
     9        the number of birds in the house according to whether it is
    10        summer or winter and also according to the insulation and
    11        the equipment standards in the house.
    12
    13   Q.   You said that the MAFF recommendations were based on the
    14        average facility up and down the country?
    15        A.  That is correct.
    16
    17   Q.   Why do the MAFF then recommend that the stocking density
    18        should never go over 34?
    19        A.  That is a code of recommendation which is based -- as
    20        I say, if it is based on average facilities up and down the
    21        country, it is not really allowing for units that have
    22        up-to-date modern facilities.
    23
    24   Q.   Can you get down the Defendants' Second Supplementary List
    25        of documents, please?
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What is the number of the document?
    28
    29   MS. STEEL:  No. 27.  It will be in Supplementary bundle II,
    30        I think.
    31        A.  What number was it, please?
    32
    33   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  27.
    34
    35   MS. STEEL:  27.  It is the Farm Animal Welfare Council, Report
    36        on the Welfare of Broiler Chickens we were looking at
    37        yesterday?
    38        A.  Yes.
    39
    40   Q.   If you could turn to page 10 and look at paragraph 22
    41        firstly?
    42        A.  Yes.
    43
    44   Q.   Halfway through it says:  "As a result, and in the absence
    45        of the scientific evidence required as above, we conclude
    46        that the current recommended maximum stocking density of 34
    47        kilograms per metre squared is acceptable, provided
    48        adherence to it is strictly enforced.  In this regard we
    49        consider that stocking densities should be controlled by
    50        Regulation and not by Welfare Code alone". 
    51        A.  Yes. 
    52 
    53   Q.   You would agree with that?
    54        A.  I think it is a good basic principle, as I say, based
    55        on average facilities across the country.
    56
    57   Q.   Then No. 23, it says:  "We therefore recommend that 34
    58        kilograms per metre squared is retained as the maximum
    59        stocking density, which should not be exceeded at any time
    60        during the growing period; and that this maximum is

Prev Next Index