Day 018 - 26 Jul 94 - Page 21
1 Q. Did you examine the birds -- you seem to have examined a
hundred of them?
2 A. I palpated the wing bones of about a hundred birds,
yes.
3
Q. You found no broken bones?
4 A. Nor dislocations either.
5 Q. Did you conclude the disturbance of hanging the birds on
the line was as low as could be hoped for?
6 A. Under the circumstances of existing practice, yes.
7 Q. When they are hanging on the line, hanging by shackles, is
there any mechanical assistance to help them calm down?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. What is that?
A. It goes by the term of a breast comforter. It is a
10 plastic sheet against which the birds are drawn as they
are conveyed by the overhead line. The breast of the bird
11 makes contact with that plastic sheet and this has a
calming or quietening effect on the bird's physical
12 activity.
13 Q. Is this something one could achieve manually? If you
stroke a bird that is in a state of alarm, can you calm it
14 down?
A. To some extent yes, so it is probably fulfilling a
15 similar function.
16 Q. Do you think it is an effective device, this?
A. Yes, one to be commended.
17
Q. You made measurements showing how long it took for the
18 birds to reach the stunning bath from the point of
shackling?
19 A. Yes.
20 Q. You measured the time at 1.16 seconds which would be,
I suppose, more or less constant, would it not, because
21 the line moves at a constant speed?
A. It can be varied but that would be normal.
22
Q. Does that seem to you an acceptable period of time from
23 the animal welfare point of view?
A. It is well within the recommendation in the code of
24 practice.
25 Q. There is a risk, is there not, that a bird which is
hanging by its legs goes into the stunning bath with its
26 head, does it not?
A. Correct.
27
Q. It is a bath full of water through which an electric
28 current runs?
A. Yes.
29
Q. Is there a risk that a bird may miss the water?
30 A. Under some circumstances, yes.
