Day 092 - 27 Feb 95 - Page 36
1 beaks?
2 A. No, I have not done the research.
3
4 Q. So how do you know?
5 A. Because I have seen the research.
6
7 Q. You have seen all the research on the subject, have you?
8 A. No, I have not seen all the research.
9
10 Q. Have you seen research by the Institute of Animal
11 Physiology and Genetics Research in Edinburgh?
12 A. About what, about the same subject?
13
14 Q. About this subject, yes?
15 A. No.
16
17 Q. You have not seen that. Would you accept that debeaking of
18 chickens causes pain to the chickens?
19 A. No, I would not.
20
21 Q. Never?
22 A. Never.
23
24 Q. Not even if it is not done -----
25 A. If it is done improperly, it could cause, yes; under
26 normal practices, no.
27
28 Q. So how much of the beak is taken off in the farms that
29 supply McDonald's?
30 A. Probably about half a centimetre.
31
32 Q. About half a centimetre?
33 A. Or probably less, just the tip. No, I am sorry, when
34 it grows, if that is what it shows. When they are chicks,
35 it is very, very little, just the tip. But as they grow it
36 shows more.
37
38 Q. Have you seen that happening?
39 A. Yes, I have seen it happen.
40
41 Q. And the beaks sometimes bleed, do they not?
42 A. If it is done improperly, yes.
43
44 Q. Yes, that does happen?
45 A. Yes, it does happen in the industry.
46
47 Q. What age are the chickens put in these cages?
48 A. Let us say, 20 some weeks, 18, 20 weeks.
49
50 Q. Then how long do they remain there after that?
51 A. Probably 70 weeks, 72 weeks.
52
53 Q. So it is when they do not lay eggs frequently enough that
54 they go for slaughter?
55 A. That is correct.
56
57 Q. What is that, when they drop below one egg every 48 hours
58 or something like?
59 A. It is not only eggs; you have to look at a lot of
60 factors. Everything is planned before that. It depends on
