Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 35
1
2 Q. Why not do it now? Why are birds in light for so long, for
3 23 and a half hours out of every 24 or more?
4 A. That has been a system that has been traditionally
5 used, but we are also looking at -- the bird is changing
6 genetically, it grows much faster than it used to; there
7 is absolutely no need to have lights on for that length of
8 time for birds to eat or drink or do their normal activity
9 -- we are looking at light and dark periods to see how it
10 affects feeding activity and also how it effects leg
11 strength.
12
13 As I say, I am quite sure that we will end up increasing
14 the amount of darkness that these birds have. That is
15 something I am aiming to do within the company, but these
16 changes, you do not make changes certainly overnight, you
17 make them by careful evaluation.
18
19 Q. How long have you been evaluating this?
20 A. We have been working on this for probably 18 months.
21
22 Q. So you did not do any investigation into it prior to that?
23 A. Not on light and dark periods, no.
24
25 Q. Why was the system traditionally in use of these periods,
26 these extremely limited periods of darkness? For what
27 reason?
28 A. That has been the standard practice within the industry
29 for a number of years. I cannot say what the reason is.
30
31 Q. It was before your time then?
32 A. It has been for a long, long time.
33
34 Q. No-one has ever suggested to you what the reason is or you
35 have not ever read that in a scientific paper anywhere?
36 A. No.
37
38 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Have you got a reason to put, for instance,
39 that if there is some light they might eat more often and
40 eat throughout the 24 hours? I do not know whether this is
41 so or not, but if there is a reason like that, put it.
42
43 MS. STEEL: I have got a recall, actually, that Dr. Gregory said
44 something about there were more problems with aggression.
45
46 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What, if the lights were turned down?
47
48 MS. STEEL: If the lights were turned down (To the witness):
49 Are you aware of any reason like that?
50
51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can you think of any benefit and actual
52 benefit in keeping them on?
53 A. No, I cannot really, and it is one of these practices
54 which I am not really sure why it became established in the
55 way it did.
56
57 MS. STEEL: You do not know whether they eat more if the lights
58 are on?
59 A. Well, as I say, the birds will eat. There is only a
60 certain capacity for a bird to eat, and it certainly does
