Day 066 - 14 Dec 94 - Page 68


     
     1        too.  They will stay in one very small part of the grow
     2        house.
     3
     4   Q.   These chickens are grown for their meat.  Therefore,
     5        presumably they are heavier birds than the laying birds?
     6        A.  Yes, they are.
     7
     8   Q.   To what extent in your experience does that additional
     9        weight give rise to problems like leg disabilities and
    10        things like that?
    11        A.  They do not have any additional problems that a regular
    12        bird will have.  They have been selected keeping in mind
    13        the health of the animal.  An animal that is defective in
    14        any way, form or shape will not produce, will be constantly
    15        under stress and will not produce meat in this case.  It is
    16        for that particular reason that it will not be economically
    17        feasible to raise animals that are physically deficient.
    18        There is no way you can do it.  The profits will not allow
    19        it.  The profits are so small in the chicken business that
    20        it will not allow you.  You could not survive.  The
    21        business would not survive.
    22
    23   Q.   So, perhaps, you have already really answered my next
    24        question, which is to what extent is there a significant
    25        death rate amongst chickens living in growing houses?
    26        A.  You will hear of a death rate.  Most of it is caused by
    27        several reasons.  One is that the animal themselves will
    28        attack a physically deficient bird, it is their nature.
    29        However, most of the animals will be called from our own
    30        management people, staff, if they see they are deficient,
    31        if they see they are injured, to terminate their
    32        suffering.  But the rates will be very small.  I would say
    33        it would probably be 2 per cent, much smaller than chickens
    34        that are kept in the wild or outdoors.
    35
    36   Q.   Are these growing houses as far as possible proof against
    37        predators, for example?
    38        A.  Yes, they are.  They are covered and protected from
    39        predators for two reasons.  One is to protect the animals
    40        themselves, and the other reason, perhaps a bigger reason,
    41        is to protect the animal, any animal, from getting into the
    42        house that might carry any potentially harmful bacteria.
    43
    44   Q.   I was going to ask you about the problem of illness and
    45        disease amongst chickens.  How do chicken farmers protect
    46        broiler chickens and growing houses against diseases of
    47        this kind or the other?
    48        A.  In general?
    49
    50   Q.   Yes, in general. 
    51        A.  They start from the beginning.  Normally the biggest 
    52        concern or the biggest carrier of bacteria that could enter 
    53        growing house comes in the form of the chick itself, so
    54        every effort is made by the farmer to ensure that the
    55        hatchers where the animals hatch are free from bacteria;
    56        that the egg itself is clean and does not contain any
    57        diseases; that the hens that lay the eggs are also clean,
    58        and that the animals that produce the eggs are healthy.
    59        The other potential area of concern is the feed itself.
    60

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