Day 069 - 19 Dec 94 - Page 65


     
     1        know if it can be -- I have never seen one that has been
     2        reduced but it will depend, it will depend on the farmer.
     3
     4   Q.   McDonald's does not have any specifications about stocking
     5        densities?
     6        A.  No, we do not.
     7
     8   Q.   What about -----
     9        A.  All we say is that they have to follow -- the animals
    10        have to be treated humanely.
    11
    12   Q.    What about poultry?  Do you know what the stocking density
    13        is for chickens in a broiler house in America, the maximum?
    14        A.  Again it will change and it will be different,
    15        according to the purpose of the end use of the chicken.  If
    16        a chicken -- for instance, when they comparison -- let me
    17        go back to Mr. McDonald:  When the comparison was made in
    18        the broiler industry at that time, and thinking back now
    19        I can remember at that time there was no boneless broiler
    20        industry at that time.  We developed that industry.  To
    21        develop, to increase the yield, yes, we work with the
    22        genetics selection, genetic selection, of the animals.  We
    23        controlled the environment as well as anybody.  We also
    24        grew the animals a little bit longer.  When they grow
    25        longer, they will always remain the weight or the bones
    26        will be same, it will deposit more meet.  That is one of
    27        the reasons why we had a higher yield than the regular
    28        broiler industry.  The regular broiler industry had a bird
    29        that was smaller than ours just by design because they used
    30        to sell parts and not by weight.  We sold and we created a
    31        need for boneless meat for our products.  So, our broilers
    32        were significantly different from the broilers that they
    33        were existed at that time because we had a different need.
    34
    35   Q.   So you cannot tell us what the stocking density is?
    36        A.  For the entire industry, no, I cannot, they all change.
    37
    38   Q.   No, all right, at Tysons?  The chickens that are reared for
    39        McDonald's, what is the stocking density?
    40        A.  That is proprietary and confidential information.
    41
    42   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, but I want you to answer it.
    43        A.  Let me think.  Let me think of before 4 o'clock.
    44
    45   Q.   Yes.  Take your time and try to get it right.
    46        A.  I believe it is around 30 pounds per square metre.
    47
    48   MS. STEEL:  That is for each chicken?
    49        A.  No, no.
    50 
    51   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, 30 pounds per square metre? 
    52        A.  No, 30 pounds for a bird weight.  I believe it is a 
    53        little higher than that.  I have to double check.
    54
    55   MS. STEEL:   How many chickens would that be then because
    56        Mr. McDonald is a bit heavier than average?
    57        A.  It will change depending on the size and the age of the
    58        bird.  At the beginning, it weighs 100 grammes.  The
    59        finished weight, we go by the finish weight, the finish
    60        weight of our birds, it is about six pounds, the males.

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