Day 103 - 14 Mar 95 - Page 10

     
     1   Q.   How often would you say it is done?
     2        A.  It is not done very often.  It is a tool that is
     3        available to be used as and when required.
     4
     5   Q.   How often does the OVS visit the farms?
     6        A.  I could not say without knowing and specifically
     7        consulting him, but he is certainly on farms every week.
     8
     9   Q.   What, so he would visit a couple of farms every week or
    10        something like that?
    11        A.  I would think so, yes.
    12
    13   Q.   You said something about there is no scientific evidence
    14        that chickens being kept indoors are being deprived of
    15        normal conditions.  In fact, there is some scientific
    16        evidence, is there not?
    17        A.  There may be.
    18
    19   Q.   Is it not right that there is evidence, for example, that
    20        chickens in battery cages go through the motions of having
         a dust bath?
    22        A.  That may be so, but I am not commenting on battery
    23        cages.
    24
    25   Q.   Do you know whether that is correct for battery chickens?
    26        A.  No, I do not know whether it is correct.
    27
    28   Q.   Is it actually something you have looked into at all?
    29        A.  No, it is not.
    30
    31   Q.   What about in terms of broiler chickens as well, have you
    32        looked into that?
    33        A.  Well, broiler chickens are able to dust bath because
    34        they are kept on deep environment/index.html">litter conditions.
    35
    36   Q.   What about things like perching and things like that?  Have
    37        you looked into any scientific evidence about whether
    38        broiler chickens might miss perching?
    39        A.  In certain types of houses they perch on the feeder
    40        systems.  Where that cannot happen, I do not know whether
         there is any evidence to suggest that they require that.
    42
    43   Q.   Is it not correct that there is scientific evidence to
    44        support the theory that chickens are capable of complicated
    45        thought processes?
    46        A.  Well, I do not know what kind of research you are
    47        referring to.  They can certainly be taught to do things.
    48        But if you are talking about logical and reasoned thought,
    49        then I think that is much less likely.
    50 
    51   Q.   Is that something you have looked into? 
    52        A.  No, it is not. 
    53
    54   Q.   There have been occasions when whole shedfuls of birds have
    55        died from heat stress at Sun Valley?
    56        A.  It has happened in the past.
    57
    58   Q.   Have the managers been sacked as a result of that?
    59        A.  No, they have not.
    60