Day 102 - 13 Mar 95 - Page 51


     
     1        A.  Just because it is a better design; it is more suitable
     2        for the job.  I mean, I have seen producers working on huge
     3        weight ranges of birds going into the factory with no
     4        change in shackle, simply because the design is there to
     5        accommodate several different sizes of birds.
     6
     7   Q.   The shackles that you had were not designed to accommodate
     8        several different sizes of birds, were they?
     9        A.  As I say, they have a tapered shape which will allow
    10        you a certain amount of flexibility.
    11
    12   Q.   Yes, but they were not designed for that?
    13        A.  All I am saying is that when we redesigned the system
    14        it was an opportunity to have the shackles of the
    15        appropriate size, both for males and females, which would
    16        do a more effective job.
    17
    18   Q.   The size of the shackles -- I mean, if the birds are caused
    19        pain are they more likely to flap their wings?
    20        A.  I think you could possibly say that is a possibility.
    21
    22   Q.   Which could cause other problems with the slaughter process
    23         ---
    24        A.  Yes.
    25
    26   Q.   -- and the quality of the meat at the end?
    27        A.  Yes.
    28
    29   Q.   So that was a concern when you changed the shackles?
    30        A.  Yes.
    31
    32   Q.   Can you just explain on page 85 of the yellow bundle?
    33        A.  Yes.
    34
    35   Q.   No. 1 on that page it says:  "Remove any loose feet in
    36        shackle".  Can you just explain that?
    37        A.  When the birds -- a shackle line is a continuous system
    38        through the factory.  At various stages various procedures
    39        are carried out; one of them obviously is that the birds'
    40        feet are cut off and the birds drop on to belts.  The feet
    41        are removed from the shackle by a sort of rotating spoke
    42        thing that pushes them out.  Occasionally odd feet get left
    43        like that and go round the system so they get removed
    44        manually.
    45
    46   Q.   Under No. 5 it says:  "Hang bird on to shackle by both
    47        feet.  Any bird hung by one leg must be corrected otherwise
    48        bird will be incorrectly stunned and killed".  Is that
    49        something that is fairly frequent when shackling is taking
    50        place, that the bird will just end up being --- 
    51        A.  Hung by one leg? 
    52 
    53   Q.   -- hung by one leg.
    54        A.  No.
    55
    56   Q.   How often does that happen then?
    57        A.  Well, it does not happen very often.  I have
    58        occasionally seen it.  The whole point about this task
    59        procedure is to tell people it is very important to hang
    60        them by both legs.  The only time I have seen it is where a

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