Day 091 - 17 Feb 95 - Page 28


     
     1   Q.   In a normal broiler shed in one of your other units, not a
     2        breeding unit, at four weeks how much would the broilers in
     3        there been eating per day?
     4        A.  At that age, at four weeks, they are probably eating
     5        about 100 grammes of food a day, and at seven weeks
     6        something like a 180 grammes.
     7
     8   Q.   At seven weeks?
     9        A.  That is correct.
    10
    11   Q.   What would they be getting at seven weeks in the breeding
    12        unit?
    13        A.  In the breeder units they are getting about 70 grammes
    14        a day.
    15
    16   Q.   So that is quite a bit less than half of what they are
    17        getting in the broiler house?
    18        A.  That is correct.
    19
    20   Q.   Is the water also restricted?
    21        A.  In the breeder houses the birds are fed once a day.
    22        The water is available to them throughout the day.  It
    23        tends to be switched off at night when the lights go out
    24        because the birds do not drink at night anyway.
    25
    26   Q.   When the lights are off?
    27        A.  When the lights are off.
    28
    29   Q.   Whereas in the broiler houses where the lights are on all
    30        the time, apart from half an hour, they do drink?
    31        A.  They will eat and drink, yes.
    32
    33   Q.   You said that you did not think it had welfare implications
    34        to reduce the food because it was equally cruel to overfeed
    35        the animal if it had potential to get fat.  Does that mean
    36        that you think that the rations that the chickens are
    37        getting in the broiler houses are cruel because they are
    38        being overfed?
    39        A.  I do not think I said that precisely.  What I said was
    40        that the broilers have an opportunity to eat and drink when
    41        they want.  The breeders are given a ration each day which
    42        is weighed out according to the number of birds, and the
    43        idea is that they do not put on excessive weight so that
    44        they are in good condition for breeding.
    45
    46        I do not see any difference with broiler breeders, for
    47        example, to my own labrador dog.  As you know, labrador
    48        dogs would love to eat all day long if they wanted, but it
    49        does not really do them any good if they are allowed to do
    50        that.  The analogy is exactly the same for a breeder. 
    51 
    52   Q.   You were asked: Does this reduced diet have, in your 
    53        opinion, any welfare implications so far as the breeding
    54        parents are concerned?  You said:  I believe it does not.
    55        I think it is equally cruel to overfeed an animal if it had
    56        potential to get fat?
    57        A.  The analogy I gave you of the labrador dog is exactly
    58        what I was referring to then.
    59
    60   Q.   Are the chickens in the broiler houses overfed?

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