Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 21


     
     1        broiler sheds have less space each then a sheet of A4 piece
     2        of paper, do they not?
     3        A.  I have never really thought of it in terms of that.
     4        I really cannot answer that question.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is a way of illustrating it, but an A4
     7        sheet of paper has finite borders.
     8        A.  Yes, if I could be told a size of sheet of A4.
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is A4.
    11        A.  So, is that half a square foot?
    12
    13   Q.   I do not know.
    14
    15   MS. STEEL:   Apparently, there is actually -- I did not say this
    16        last time but I did it by measuring the sheets, but I was
    17        then told there is exactly 16 sheets of paper to a square
    18        metre, 16 sheets sheet of A4 to a square metre.
    19        A.  OK.  So, we are saying if our stocking density at, say
    20        it was 16 -- well, say it was 34 kilos per square metre
    21        (which is the MAFF recommendation) and we would have birds
    22        of two kilos, say, for example; that would be 17 birds and
    23        they would be occupying the 16 sheets of A4 paper, so what
    24        you say is correct.
    25
    26   Q.   Of course, you actually stock more densely than that?
    27        A.  We are slightly over that 34 kilos.  As I said
    28        yesterday, about 36.5 would be the normal.
    29
    30   Q.   Do you feel that that amount of space for each chicken is
    31        humane?
    32        A.  The amount of space available to it, that level really
    33        only applies in the last three or four days.  If you walk
    34        into a shed at that stocking density, birds clear in front
    35        of you and it is quite easy to move amongst them.  So, that
    36        they are clearing space, and I feel that that is acceptable
    37        as long as the environment, the ventilation, the heating
    38        controlled, as long as the environment/index.html">litter is good, as long as the
    39        environment is satisfactory, then I think I regard that as
    40        being acceptable and I feel comfortable with it.
    41
    42   Q.   You think it is humane?
    43        A.  I feel that it is comfortable for the birds to be in
    44        the houses like that, particularly as it is only the last
    45        three or four days.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Say a week before the females are taken
    48        out  ---
    49        A.  Yes.
    50 
    51   Q.   -- what might the weight of the average bird be then? 
    52        A.  I suppose it would be ----- 
    53
    54   Q.   That is at the end of the fifth week of the six weeks?
    55        A.  I suppose at that time they weigh about 1.6 kilos.
    56
    57   MS. STEEL:   I think you said yesterday (and if you did not
    58        certainly Dr. Gregory said that) actually you have to pick
    59        your way very carefully through the broiler sheds towards
    60        the end of their lives in the sheds?

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