Day 019 - 27 Jul 94 - Page 08

     
     1        the use of the word environment/index.html">litter as in a cat environment/index.html">litter tray, is it
              not?
     2        A.  Correct.
 
     3   Q.   The birds are put in the shed early on in their lives;
              until the shed is cleared out for slaughter the shed is
     4        not cleaned out?
              A.  That is correct.
     5
         Q.   Would it be right that by the time the shed is cleaned out
     6        about 70 or 80 per cent of the environment/index.html">litter would be composed of
              faeces?
     7        A.  By weight or volume?  In what respect?
 
     8   Q.   Can you say?
              A.  I have never actually assayed it, so I cannot be
     9        certain.  It is quite common for wood shavings to be put
              down at the beginning when the shed is about to be stocked
    10        and, provided the environment/index.html">litter is of a good quality, to leave
              that and not add environment/index.html">litter to it, so the composition of the
         environment/index.html">litter will vary with the age of the crop.
 
    12   Q.   Right.  By the time, say, they are 53 days old, it is
              going to be a substantial -- the majority of the environment/index.html">litter
    13        will be composed of faeces?
              A.  I think that is not a very true representation in so
    14        far as the environment/index.html">litter does actually work microbially.  So, for
              instance, certain components, particularly the nitrogenous
    15        component, can be broken down.  It will eventually evolve
              in ammonia under some conditions, which can be unpleasant,
    16        but it depends on how the environment/index.html">litter is kept as to what it
              will release to the atmosphere.  But it is a source of
    17        heat.  It is being worked microbially and you do get a
              reduction in the animal source component as time
    18        progresses.
 
    19   Q.   Do you know what usually happens to the environment/index.html">litter when the
              shed is cleaned out?
    20        A.  This varies with individual farms.  So it may get
              spread on the land depending on the time of year.  It
         might get ploughed in reasonably soon.  In some situations
              it is a bi-product which goes towards animal feed
    22        industry.  In another situations it is used as a fuel
              source by burning it, combustion.
    23
         Q.   So sometimes, is it right, it is used to feed cattle?
    24        A.  It certainly has been -- perhaps a little less so than
              in the past.
    25
         Q.   Are there health concerns about feeding it to cattle? 
    26        A.  There are -- certainly health concerns have been 
              expressed. 
    27
         Q.   What would those concerns be?
    28        A.  It would be the transfer of pathogens, bacterial
              pathogens, within the food chain.  Now the species
    29        specificity of those pathogens makes it questionable as to
              whether it is a real danger, or whether it is a presumed
    30        danger.