Day 108 - 27 Mar 95 - Page 21
1 very important one and we welcome that of course, and there
2 were minor tinkerings, I would call it, but I do not think
3 that it was likely to change anything very radically and we
4 thought that the timescale given was too long since, for
5 instance, leg weakness has been recognised fully since, let
6 us say in 1980 I can remember a Ministry document on that
7 as long ago as that, so it is not a new problem.
8
9 Q. Was there any response to the concerns raised about the
10 number of inspections by MAFF their powers?
11 A. I do not think that was part of the -- I mean we are
12 always raising this and we have run petitions years ago
13 about the fact that they give warning and in fact there has
14 been a kind of vague impression given that this is less
15 common but I think that it is the same. I think they are
16 reluctant to waste time turning up at a farm where the
17 farmer might not actually be there but, in my opinion, one
18 spot check is probably worth 20 inspections when you have
19 given prior warning and I think, for instance, training
20 standard officials do not give prior warning. I can see no
21 reason, apart from this fact of the farmer having to be in,
22 but most farmers are in. Very often somebody can be found
23 and if not, they could go to the next farm.
24
25 Q. Is that the reason that the MAFF officials have given for
26 not making on spot checks?
27 A. Yes, that has been the reason every time.
28
29 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What are the particular ways in which a
30 battery farm can be improved once a farmer knows MAFF is
31 coming? I understand picking up the deads birds?
32 A. That would be a fairly important thing, yes.
33
34 Q. Do you have other matters in mind?
35 A. They would check on the equipment, I suppose, the
36 feeders and the water. Sometimes the water gets cut off by
37 mistake and perhaps only one drinker would be functioning
38 instead of two in cage, that type of thing. They would be
39 able to check on all that type of thing. They would be the
40 main things, I think, or repairing cages, because it would
41 be frowned on if cages were -- sometimes you quite often
42 see loose birds living in the deep fit underneath in
43 battery units and they have escaped, so that is clearly not
44 to be desired and they may do some repairs in that day or
45 two.
46
47 Also may I just add that sometimes the droppings are piled
48 up so high that they actually reach the feet of the birds
49 in the cages which of course makes the whole point of the
50 battery system pointless and that could be remedied in the
51 course of two days.
52
53 MS. STEEL: The chickens that you have bought, have you been
54 able to restore them to good condition?
55 A. Yes. I think without exception, apart from the one
56 with the rotting eggs in her abdomen, which obviously she
57 had to be put down, otherwise we have, I think in every
58 single case, restored them for a while, though it has been
59 a feature of them that they perhaps died after a year or
60 two and very often from tumours I have had them put down by
