Day 108 - 27 Mar 95 - Page 39
1 A. I think he says he did not remember any. I am very
2 surprised. I know that Ruth Harrison was on the working
3 group but I do not know whether she actually retired before
4 Dr. Pattison joined, but if she was there at the same time
5 there was certainly extremely strong opposition and I am
6 surprised if there was no opposition because it is
7 absolutely central to the welfare problems, stocking
8 density, and it is a welfare council.
9
10 Q. I think we saw Ruth Harrison's name in the council report.
11 When you say you do not know whether she was on the
12 committee at the same time as Dr. Pattison, do you know
13 what happened to her?
14 A. She retired because of her age. You have to retire at
15 a certain age, but I know she was strongly opposed to the
16 broiler system. Whether she coincided with Dr. Pattison, I
17 am not sure and it does not make it clear, I do not think.
18
19 Q. In your input when you were at the pre-meetings before the
20 report was published, did you oppose the stocking density
21 of 34?
22 A. Yes, I am sure this was discussed. We were very
23 disappointed in the report I saw. That is all I can say.
24
25 Q. Does FAWN formulate an exact stocking density which it
26 would be satisfied with or?
27 A. It is not as simple as that because it is the breed of
28 chicken, the genetic development of this particular strain
29 of chicken, which is also central to the problems but,
30 certainly, if you halved it, say, it would be massively
31 better for the birds. They would have more exercise and
32 there would not be the problem of -- perhaps it would be
33 less of a problem, birds not reaching the food and water
34 because of over crowding, and also the inspection would be
35 much easier to carry out.
36
37 Q. You hinted there at the problems you see with the stocking
38 density. Do you want to run through them a bit more what
39 the problems are even with the stocking density as the
40 recommendation, 34 kilograms a metre square?
41 A. In the last, say, two weeks, two and a half weeks,
42 there is very little opportunity to exercise normally but
43 then the birds are of such a freakish nature very often
44 that they do not -- their problems with walking are quite
45 pronounced and they are not really like chickens. They are
46 engineered, not genetically, but they are an engineered
47 species. They have been selected ruthlessly so that they
48 have become like dogs, are completely untenable in a way.
49 They have respiratory disease and things. They have been
50 selected simply for fast growth. I am repeating myself,
51 I know. Breeding stock has to be kept half starved and I
52 am using the phrase of an RSPCA -- the late Alastair
53 Mews(?) I remember at a conference where I was present as
54 well, he used the expression "half starved". It is no
55 exaggeration to say that, so you have an untenable species
56 now, if you like, so you have that problem anyway.
57
58 Moye Park is the main supplier of free range broiler
59 chickens. They are a company that operates in Northern
60 Ireland and they are better because they have more room and
