Day 092 - 27 Feb 95 - Page 58
1
2 MS. STEEL: If you had less chickens in the sheds then you
3 would not make so much money because you would not be
4 slaughtering so many chickens?
5 A. You can say that, yes.
6
7 Q. When you said cleaning the houses, more problems cleaning
8 the houses, what did you mean by that because they are not
9 cleaned out during the chickens' lives in the sheds, are
10 they?
11 A. No.
12
13 Q. No. So what did you mean by that?
14 A. By "cleaning" it is an overall term. There could be
15 things, there could be dead birds that they have to take
16 out as part of the cleaning.
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18 Q. So if they are densely stocked it is hard to pick out the
19 dead birds, so that could lead to problems?
20 A. Usually it is not, well, it could be hard, but they can
21 notice, it is not a problem under normal conditions. If it
22 is heavily overstocked then it will be hard to find it.
23 One of the big problems with over-stocking is diseases. If
24 you have one bird that gets sick it wipes out the entire
25 20,000, 25,000 birds in no time at all.
26
27 Q. How often does that happen?
28 A. Not very often, but it has happened.
29
30 Q. When was the last time you are aware of that happening?
31 A. Last month I went to Mexico and there is a ----
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33 Q. Was this a McDonald's supplier?
34 A. No. I went to visit a McDonald's supplier but in the
35 neighbouring state there was an epidemic of influenza.
36
37 Q. When was the last time it has happened at a McDonald's
38 supplier?
39 A. I am not aware that it has happened to us.
40
41 Q. All 25,000 you said?
42 A. Yes.
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44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you want the break there?
45
46 MS. STEEL: Yes.
47
48 (Short Adjournment).
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50 MR. MORRIS: You said that the average shed that you have seen
51 is about 200 feet long by 20 feet wide?
52 A. Yes.
53
54 Q. That think about it. Think of an average shed.
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56 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It seemed pretty narrow to me when he said
57 it. Twenty feet is not very far.
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59 MR. MORRIS: Twenty feet is like three people laid down
60 together.
