Day 019 - 27 Jul 94 - Page 35
1
Q. This says between two and three?
2 A. Right, OK; well, it is demarcating at a higher level,
yes.
3
Q. "Sorensen described the strutting walk typical of many
4 birds given a gait score of 3 in the present study as
indicative of pain, and there is likely to be chronic pain
5 and discomfort associated with the immobility of birds
with gait scores of 3, 4 or 5. This immobility could also
6 contribute to the development of hock burn in these
birds". So when you did the survey at Sun Valley poultry,
7 you said that the record of culling was low. The birds
that were not culled, do you know what they died from?
8 A. The birds that were not culled?
9 Q. There is 487 males, you said, that had either died or been
culled and 25 of those were culled?
10 A. Not for this particular shed, but I could make some
generalisations with regard to the broiler industry if you
11 wish me to.
12 Q. Yes, go on.
A. A common cause of mortality would be ascites.
13
Q. Can you explain that a little bit more?
14 A. It is a condition in its early stages, takes the form
of congestive heart failure. If you recall, during the
15 DOA survey, the most common cause of death during
transport was congestive heart failure. Ascites is an
16 extreme manifestation of congestive heart failure. The
bird develops what is referred to as "water belly". The
17 fluid accumulates in the abdomen of the bird in
association with the disease and it dies from a cardiac
18 arrest.
19 At various intervals there throughout, sorry -- in various
years there are certain diseases which become prevalent.
20 At the moment, for instance, there is a fairly virulant
strain of Gumbaro disease going around, so that can result
21 in mortality in some situations.
22 Sudden death syndrome or "flip over", as it is sometimes
called in the industry, is another cause where the bird
23 experiences acute heart failure.
24 Q. What is the cause of that then?
A. That is a cardiac arrest which is quite distinct from
25 congestive heart failure where you have poor function of
the heart in terms of receiving blood and pumping it out;
26 you get a congestion in the lungs, a back log of blood in
the venous side; in acute heart failure you get an acute
27 cardiac arrest and the heart often dies in a fibriulated
state; it is in an extremely contracted state.
28
Q. Is that something that is common in the broiler industry?
29 A. It is. It will account for some of the deaths.
I would not like to give present prevalence at the moment,
30 I do not know. I would not say it is outstanding, it is
not particularly common, but it occurs in most flocks, I
