Day 290 - 30 Oct 96 - Page 04

     
     1   MS. STEEL:   She said that birds in broiler units are frequently
     2        deceased, lifeless and crippled, and that they suffer from
     3        painful and crippling leg weakness due to their unnatural
     4        weight and also suffer from a number of widespread diseases
     5        such as ascites and gumboro.  And obviously her evidence
     6        was basically confirmed by the evidence of Dr. Pattison and
     7        Dr. Gregory.
     8
     9        She said that, in addition to problems largely arising from
    10        their genetic make-up, the birds' living conditions are
    11        unacceptable, being unsuited to the birds' needs and
    12        insanitary, diseases and injuries caused or exacerbated by
    13        living conditions in the windowless controlled environment
    14        sheds include hock burns, ulcerated feet, poor feathering,
    15        heat stress, and injuries caused by birds becoming trapped
    16        in automatic feed devices.
    17
    18        She went on to say that conditions in broiler sheds which
    19        give cause for concern to welfare is, since they may cause
    20        distress or actual pain, include dim lighting, inadequate
         ventilation, filthy, inadequate environment/index.html">litter, overcrowding, and
    22        the impossibility of properly inspecting stock as is
    23        required by law in the Welfare of Livestock Intensive Units
    24        Regulations 1978.  That was all from her statement, which
    25        she averred.  She expanded on the point about inspections
    26        when she was giving evidence on day 108, page 29.
    27
    28        Can I just say that, obviously, as far as we are concerned
    29        her entire evidence was completely in our favour; it was
    30        damning of the entire broiler and battery chicken
    31        industry.  We would obviously like you to read the entire
    32        evidence, but I am just kind of picking out particular
    33        points to draw your attention to.
    34
    35        Actually, while I am on that point, can I just say that
    36        I have done my best to read through the transcripts but I
    37        have not actually got through all of the transcripts
    38        relating to the evidence on animal welfare, and the parts
    39        that I have picked out and drawn to your attention so far
    40        I would not like that to be taken as that is all that I
         think is important.
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, it certainly will not be understood in
    44        that way.  I am not going to give undertakings to read
    45        absolutely everything in this case.  I have to choose here
    46        and there.  Wherever you or Mr. Morris have asked me
    47        specifically to reread something, I have made a note of it.
    48
    49   MS. STEEL:   Okay, thank you.  Mrs. Druce related the problems
    50        that she saw with even the stocking density at the 
    51        recommendations of 34 kilograms a metre square, and 
    52        obviously we have heard that at Sun Valley the stocking 
    53        density exceeds that, it is 36.7 kilograms per metre
    54        square.  She says that even with the recommendations, if
    55        they are adhered to, of 34 kilograms a square metre, she
    56        said that in the last two weeks, two and a half weeks there
    57        is very little opportunity to exercise normally, by then
    58        the birds are of such a freakish nature, very often, that
    59        they do not.  And then she...  Sorry, I will have to tidy
    60        this up a bit.