Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 62


     
     1        to bacterial or viral infections, for instance, which
     2        affect the legs of the bird to its genetic makeup?
     3        A.  Well, this is something -----
     4
     5   Q.   I mean, your susceptibility to infection can be affected by
     6        your genetic makeup, can it not?
     7        A.  Yes, I think that is absolutely right and I think the
     8        answer to your question is that I really do not know.
     9        Femoral head necrosis is a condition that was first
    10        described in about 1978, as described in Holland, and
    11        progressively over the years it has become more common.
    12        So, you could say that there is a possibility that the
    13        increasing incidence of it relates to a change in the
    14        genetic material of the breeding stock.  But you could also
    15        relate it to a changing population of bacteria and viruses
    16        in the poultry farm environment.  So, really we do not know
    17        the answer to your question.
    18
    19   MS. STEEL:  Viruses that have become more frequent?
    20        A.  That is correct, yes, that is correct.  There is, for
    21        example, a virus, a rio virus, which is well-described in
    22        Holland as a cause of femoral head necrosis.  We do not
    23        believe that that virus is very common in the UK, but
    24        usually it is only a matter of time before we get
    25        infections that have occurred in other parts of the world.
    26
    27   Q.   The system of having a lot of birds in one shed means that
    28        those viruses can spread much more rapidly?
    29        A.  Yes, that would apply with any species where you have
    30        larger numbers congregated, there is greater potential for
    31        the multiplication of bacteria and viruses.
    32
    33   Q.   More than half of your birds suffer from some kind of leg
    34        problem, do they not?
    35        A.  No, not at all.
    36
    37   MR. MORRIS:  When Mr. Gregory did his only analysis, only 39 per
    38        cent of the birds had what he called a perfect gait, the
    39        birds that he looked at, although he did not actually look
    40        at any birds that were in such a poor condition that they
    41        should be culled.  So, it was his expert opinion -- this is
    42        actually in his statement on page 4 of his statement -- do
    43        you accept his view as an expert on the grading system of
    44        gait scores between 0 and 5?
    45
    46   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think you had better put to him a bit more
    47        precisely than that.  It was not only in his statement, he
    48        gave evidence and was examined and cross-examined about
    49        it.
    50 
    51   MR. MORRIS:  Yes. 
    52 
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If you think it came down to a situation
    54        where a certain percentage had grade 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, or
    55        whatever it was, put those figures to him.
    56
    57   MR. MORRIS:  In his statement on page 4 he says -----
    58
    59   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You are familiar with the gait grades, are
    60        you?

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