Day 019 - 27 Jul 94 - Page 70


     
     1        A.  Do you mean stunned instantaneously, because if you
              hold 120 milliamps on for three to four seconds, our
     2        experience, based on laboratory experiments, you will stun
              all birds.
     3
         Q.   But instantaneously?
     4        A.  I would have to go back to the figures.  I would be
              giving a guesstimate.  You will find the majority of birds
     5        will be instantaneously stunned, but there will be a
              proportion which will not be.
     6
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That proportion varies between something
     7        less than instantaneous and something just before the end
              of four seconds?
     8        A.  That is right, yes, as you prolong the current
              application, the prevalence of the stunning goes up.
     9
         MS. STEEL:   At a hundred milliamps is it right that less than
    10        80 per cent are likely to be instantaneously stunned?
              A.  I honestly would be guessing to give you the answers.
    11        We have the information.  It is tabulated back in the
              laboratory.  I do not carry the information up in my
    12        head.  I am sorry.
 
    13   Q.   When the birds are in the water bath, roughly how long are
              they in the water bath?
    14        A.  This may not be given in the report.  It was mentioned
               -- sorry, it was measured.  The usual duration in poultry
    15        plants is around four seconds.  To my recollection, Sun
              Valley was not unusual.
    16
         Q.   I think there was some mention yesterday about uneven
    17        current in the bath, was there?  Was there some mention
              yesterday about uneven current in the bath?
    18        A.  Was there?  No.
 
    19   Q.   If not, it may be -- do you know whether the current was
              even throughout the bath?
    20        A.  A lot depends as to the design of the water bath
              stunner, as to whether you get an even distribution of
    21        current along its length.  At the bottom of the water bath
              you have a metal plate and the current is going to take
    22        the line of least resistance.  The birds, as they enter
              the water bath, if that metal plate does not extend to the
    23        whole length of the bath, if it does not, then they will
              get increasing current as they are drawn nearer to the
    24        plate, then it will decrease again as they are drawn away
              from the plate.
    25
              So there can be uneven distribution of current along, 
    26        according to the length of the bath.  Now, at Sun Valley, 
              during the visit in April, they had a metal plate which 
    27        extended the whole length of the bath.  This was a
              purposeful design feature.
    28
         Q.   What about in February?
    29        A.  I cannot recollect.  Please ask Mark Pattison.
 
    30   Q.   If we look at your report --
              A.  What number, letter?

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