Day 091 - 17 Feb 95 - Page 17
1 Q. Is that a routine procedure or do you only do that
2 when ----
3 A. We only tend to do postmortems if we have a particular
4 problem or if we are doing a survey, as I described.
5
6 Q. It would not necessarily be the problem of kinky back, it
7 could be another problem and then you ----
8 A. No, as I say, the clinical signs of kinky back are very
9 characteristic, so that would lead the manager in the house
10 to suggest that that might be the problem.
11
12 Q. Then one or two birds out of that sample would be found to
13 have kinky back?
14 A. As I say, I very rarely see the condition. I probably
15 have not seen the condition for the last three or four
16 months. In any one year, I might see, maybe, half a dozen,
17 a dozen cases across the whole company.
18
19 Q. When you say "cases", you mean samples?
20 A. Individual cases, individual birds.
21
22 Q. The samples in the postmortem experiments.
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I thought you said it was distinctive so you
25 would see it as the chicken walked around?
26 A. Yes, you would. They have very characteristic posture
27 that they tend to sit down with the legs projected
28 forwards. So, it is fairly easy to diagnose the condition
29 on the farm and then that has to be confirmed by postmortem
30 examination.
31
32 Q. Do you always confirm it by post mortem?
33 A. Yes.
34
35 Q. Or do you say it is obvious, what it is?
36 A. No, we would because it is quite a rare condition now
37 and some of the younger farm managers probably have not
38 even seen it.
39
40 MS. STEEL: But when you do the postmortem sample, if you
41 discover it, you do not then take the rest of the flock and
42 check to see whether they have all got it as well?
43 A. No, because, as I say, clinical signs would tell you
44 whether other birds are affected. The only way that you
45 can you make a final diagnosis is on a dead bird by
46 splitting the spine.
47
48 Q. You were involved in writing this pamphlet or preparing
49 it -----
50
51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think we had better call it a report, had
52 we not?.
53
54 MS. STEEL: Report, sorry. (To the witness): When this was
55 discussed, did you say to them: "What are you talking
56 about, up to 20 per cent of a flock may show a degree of
57 deformity without clinical signs"?
58 A. This particular section was not written by me, and if a
59 report is produced it is done as a consensus report within
60 the group. It does not mean that every individual agrees
