Day 066 - 14 Dec 94 - Page 66


     
     1        once upon a time in the United States they were all
     2        grilled?  Is that why they are called broilers?
     3        A.  Yes.
     4
     5   Q.   They are for McDonald's purposes reared or grown in what
     6        manner in the United States?
     7        A.  They start with hatcheries where they hatch in an
     8        incubator.  They are programmed so they will hatch, all of
     9        them, within a day.  From there they are moved to a table
    10        where they are vaccinated.  They could be debeaked
    11        depending on the management and practices, and they will be
    12        transported to a growing house.
    13
    14   Q.   Can you describe a typical United States growing house for
    15        us?
    16        A.  Yes.  It will be a house which will be covered, which
    17        will have walls that are, I would say, about three yards
    18        tall over solid material, it could be concrete or it could
    19        be wood, then the other half is curtains, and then they are
    20        covered at the top.  There would be an air-conditioning
    21        system where you will see fans running from one side of the
    22        house to the end, and they will have some atomizers or
    23        foggers which will spray water in into the air.
    24
    25   Q.   To humidify it?
    26        A.  Yes, a humidifier.  The curtains will be moveable, so
    27        they will go up and down so the environment could be
    28        controlled.  If they need more air, if they need more
    29        light, they will have that choice.  There will be
    30        lighting.  They will also have free access to food and
    31        water.
    32
    33   Q.   And water?
    34        A.  And water, yes.
    35
    36   Q.   How is the food and water dispensed?
    37        A.  Dispensed in containers that can be moved, so you would
    38        see something like this glass so they will move according
    39        to the age of the animal.  There will be some variations to
    40        allow some of the slightly smaller animals to have access
    41        to water and feed.
    42
    43   Q.   You say they are all from virtually the same days, within a
    44        few days hatching of each other?
    45        A.  That is correct.
    46
    47   Q.   Do they all get the same kind of food?
    48        A.  Yes, they do.
    49
    50   Q.   Is there much variation then in the growth rates within a 
    51        batch? 
    52        A.  A very small variation.  They are what they call 
    53        hybrids, so the uniformity will be amazingly similar.
    54
    55   Q.   When they are first put into the chicken house, the growing
    56        house, there will be quite a lot of room for each chicken?
    57        A.  Yes.
    58
    59   Q.   Because they are quite small?
    60        A.  Yes, that is correct.

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