Day 101 - 10 Mar 95 - Page 48


     
     1   Q.   But that does not happen with the broiler chickens?
     2
     3   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Does that happen with the broiler chickens?
     4        Do you know how environment/index.html">litter works?
     5        A.  It does happen to a degree, yes.  The environment/index.html">litter will soak
     6        away the excrement from the birds so there is a separation
     7        there.
     8
     9   MS. STEEL:   The excrement stays on the environment/index.html">litter at least until it
    10        soaks in, which is some period of time, is it not, so until
    11        then they are have to be sitting their droppings?
    12        A.  No.  The birds can move around.  They do not have to
    13        stand on the same spot they just excreted on.
    14
    15   Q.   There are a lot of birds in there.  It is not just one
    16        bird?
    17        A.  That is correct.
    18
    19   Q.   Twenty to 30,000 birds?
    20        A.  About 20,000 birds I would say would be an average
    21        chicken house at Sun Valley.
    22
    23   Q.   So you feel that is something that only applies to the
    24        battery chickens.  It does not matter for the broiler
    25        chickens?
    26        A.  The important thing in the statement here I think is
    27        that we are talking about to separate the droppings from
    28        the eggs at that stage and then go on for human
    29        consumption.  Legally you are not allowed to wash eggs that
    30        are sold in the shell, so if they are left around lying in
    31        excrement they will reach the consumer in that condition.
    32
    33   Q.   You did actually say that you thought that the chickens
    34        should be separated from their droppings as well but -----
    35
    36   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  He said that and the question is the extent
    37        to which environment/index.html">litter is effective to do that.
    38
    39   MS. STEEL:   Have you asked Sun Valley to clear out the environment/index.html">litter
    40        from the broiler sheds more often?
    41        A.  No.
    42
    43   Q.   So you are happy for them to be on environment/index.html">litter and their own
    44        excrement from the time they get put on there until the
    45        time they are cleared out; that does not trouble you?
    46        A.  The important thing is the management of the environment/index.html">litter.
    47        If there was mismanagement of the environment/index.html">litter and the environment/index.html">litter was
    48        in poor condition then, yes, that would concern me, but
    49        I am confident that the Sun Valley chicken houses are
    50        managed extremely well and extremely competently and the 
    51        stockmen do their job and the environment/index.html">litter is always in a good 
    52        condition. 
    53
    54   Q.   Again you are relying on them to tell you that?
    55        A.  It has certainly always been the case when I have
    56        visited the farms as well.
    57
    58   Q.   Mr. Oakley said that the company first published the animal
    59        welfare policy in the Fact Book because of increasing
    60        public interest in this area.  Do you feel that this is

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