Day 018 - 26 Jul 94 - Page 20

     
     1   Q.   Have you conveyed, wherever you have had a comment or a
              criticism, small or great, your thoughts to people at Sun
     2        Valley?
              A.  I mentioned it to the manufacturers and designers of
     3        the module system, yes.
 
     4   Q.   When they arrive they are taken out of the crates.  Is
              that done manually?
     5        A.  Correct.
 
     6   Q.   Are they then hung up on shackles by their legs?
              A.  Yes.
     7
         Q.   Are the shackles on a moving line?
     8        A.  Yes.
 
     9   Q.   What risk of injury or discomfort is there to the bird at
              that stage of the operation?
    10        A.  There are two factors which are worth keeping in
              mind.  Firstly, there is the mental distress associated
         with handling the bird.  That is an unusual situation for
              the bird.  Secondly, when the bird is placed into the
    12        shackle, you have a rigid stainless steel receiver into
              which the shanks of the bird are forced, and that can be a
    13        painful operation if the width is too narrow relative to
              the thickness of the shank.  So pain can be inflicted
    14        during that procedure.
 
    15   Q.   But what about being hung upside-down?  Do birds normally
              hang upside-down?
    16        A.  No.  This is another factor.  I thought we were
              talking about the transfer.
    17
         Q.   I want to look at the whole part of it before we get to
    18        stunning.  Is there evidence that being hung upside-down
              is, at any rate, a frightening experience or distressing
    19        for the bird?
              A.  I am afraid there is not any scientific evidence but,
    20        intuitively, many people would say it is likely to be.
 
    Q.   What signs of distress or excitement or anxiety may a bird
              show at this stage of the operation?
    22        A.  The typical one would be flapping of the wings.
 
    23   Q.   May a bird in this part of the operation which flaps its
              wings injure itself?
    24        A.  That is possible.
 
    25   Q.   So far as your examination of Sun Valley was concerned,
              how much wing flapping did you see at this stage?  Page 7 
    26        of your report? 
              A.  I recall that it was remarkably little, the exact 
    27        prevalence.
 
    28   Q.   Do remind yourself.  It is the first complete paragraph on
              page 7, I think.
    29        A.  Shackling was closely observed for 26 birds.  Only one
              of them displayed any wing flapping and it lasted for
    30        about half a second.