Day 108 - 27 Mar 95 - Page 22

     
     1        the vet and this is a common occurrence in the very high
     2        producing hen of today.
     3
     4   Q.   How long generally does it take to restore them to good
     5        health?
     6        A.  I call good health "refeathered".
     7
     8   Q.   Or good condition?
     9        A.  It varies.  We once had a batch which we bought, I
    10        remember, in the November as it turned extremely cold and I
    11        had them under a heat lamp for the whole winter until
    12        something like March because there, I think, there is
    13        actual damage to the feather follicle in some cases which
    14        is much worse than other cases and they were virtually
    15        naked and remained so for a very long time, but that was
    16        the worst example.  Usually it might take a month or two to
    17        be fairly well feathered.
    18
    19   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you want to break off there?
    20
    MS. STEEL: Yes, perhaps that would be a good time.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  2 o'clock.
    24
    25                        (Luncheon adjournment)
    26
    27   MS. STEEL:  At what age do battery chickens usually go for
    28        slaughter?
    29        A.  Usually around 76 weeks of age.
    30
    31   Q.   How long would chickens normally live?
    32        A.  Five or six years is not at all unusual.
    33
    34   Q.   Do hens normally lay eggs all year round every year, well
    35        for 76 weeks?
    36        A.  No, usually they go into a molt for two or three
    37        months, 2 months, perhaps, in the autumn when the days get
    38        shorter.  That is their natural behaviour.
    39
    40   Q.   Would they stop laying then?
         A.  Yes, they go completely off laying.
    42
    43   Q.   For how long?
    44        A.  It varies.  About two months is quite normal.
    45
    46   Q.   What happens in battery units do they just go without eggs
    47        for two months or -----.
    48        A.  No, because the lights are on continually and that
    49        mimics a summer's days.  Although it can be very dim
    50        lighting, it is enough to trigger off the egg laying 
    51        process.  Thus, they lay continuously.  If they are going 
    52        to have another year of laying, which is not totally 
    53        uncommon, it is quite frequent for farmers to force molt
    54        the birds which is a process where they withdraw all food
    55        for at least 24 hours and then they put them on to a very
    56        restrictive and very low protein diet for about two weeks,
    57        gradually stepping it up, but very, very inadequate, and
    58        that shocks them into a false molt and their feathers come
    59        off -- if they have any left to come off -- and then they
    60        go into another year of lay.  This varies.  It used to be