Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 33
1 one way Ms. Steel could put it to you, here you are, a
2 member of this Committee in the industry, what amounts to
3 recommendations have been made, why ever not set what the
4 FAWC would think to be a good example, if nothing more, by
5 having a minimum of 20 lux if it is not going to cost Sun
6 Valley anything which matters?
7 A. What I am saying is that I totally agree with that and
8 the light levels in our houses are probably 20 lux anyway.
9 But we do not routinely carry light meters. We do not
10 insist that people stick to a particular level because the
11 light intensity varies greatly throughout the houses and,
12 quite honestly, I think we can get totally tied up on
13 figures when they really mean nothing. I am saying that 20
14 lux is not a problem.
15
16 MS. STEEL: What period of darkness is provided at the Sun
17 Valley farms?
18 A. We aim for 20 to 30 minutes in any 24-hour period.
19
20 Q. That is what you aim for?
21 A. That is what we do.
22
23 Q. That is what you do. How long has that been the case?
24 A. It has always been the case.
25
26 Q. Dr. Gregory said in his statement that he was told that the
27 lights were on 24 hours a day. Was he told the wrong
28 information?
29 A. If he said that, then he must have been told it.
30
31 Q. Right, but was it true?
32 A. I can only assume that it must have been true.
33
34 Q. Has your practice policy on this changed within the last
35 five or 10 years?
36 A. We have recognised the importance of having a dark
37 period and that is -- it is something that we have, we have
38 recommended it as good practice and that is now the current
39 recommendation.
40
41 Q. How long has that recommendation been in place?
42 A. I cannot really say. It is for some time, three or
43 four years, I would guess.
44
45 Q. If you turn back a page to page 13 in this report under
46 35: "Intensively reared broilers are usually kept in
47 artificial light except for a short period of darkness of
48 about 20 to 30 minutes each day. This period ensures that
49 the birds become used to total darkness, preventing panic
50 in the event of power failure and assisting with
51 the biological development of diurnal rhythm. The Council
52 supports this practice and recommends a Regulation to
53 require that all birds be provided with a period of
54 darkness in every 24 hours. We suggest this period should
55 be at least 30 minutes." Do you not feel that Sun Valley
56 ought to take a lead and stipulate that it should be at
57 least 30 minutes on all its units?
58 A. What I have said was that we are doing quite a lot of
59 work on a number of farms at much longer periods of
60 darkness to see if this improves bird activity, bird
