Day 108 - 27 Mar 95 - Page 31

     
     1   Q.   -- than the recommendations?
     2        A.  Yes, but even so, it was fairly closely stocked and
     3        they were panting from heat.  I remember that as well.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  When was that?
     6        A.  It was probably about 1986.
     7
     8   MS. STEEL:  You have mentioned in your statement about buying
     9        several day old boiler type chickens from a commercial
    10        hatchery.  Can you just give us a bit more detail about the
    11        purpose of doing that and what you found?
    12        A.  Yes, we thought we would do that and arrange to have
    13        them recorded on video like at day 1, and then at every
    14        week up until 49 days, which is the most usual, or used to
    15        be the most usual age of slaughter.  For various reasons,
    16        we were quite interested to see whether they would be as
    17        heavy as a commercial bird without growth promoters but, of
    18        course, it was in no way a controlled experiment because
    19        I did not have the control, and it was fairly haphazard but
    20        it was very interesting, nevertheless, because they were
         very much more lively than any broiler we had ever
    22        encountered.  They were, in fact, about 25 per cent lighter
    23        at that age than a comparable female -- they were all
    24        females -- at Gleadthorpe which we happened to have the
    25        figures from because we visited it recently.
    26
    27   Q.   Were they bought from the same place -- sorry, I do not
    28        know whether you -----
    29        A.  They were bought from a commercial hatchery in
    30        Yorkshire, just one of the Ross or Cobb, I cannot remember
    31        which, but they were destined for an ordinary commercial
    32        broiler house.
    33
    34   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is there any way you can specifically
    35        identify the particular breed?
    36        A.  Well, they are very, very similar.  I think they are
    37        tremendous competitors and there is not much difference,
    38        apparently.
    39
    40   Q.   So I have been told already, but there is no specific
         identification?
    42        A.  No, they are white and I do not think there is a big
    43        difference.
    44
    45   MR. MORRIS:  I think you said something about Ross and Cobb,
    46        yes, breed types?
    47        A.  Sorry?
    48
    49   MS. STEEL:  They were purchased from either Ross or Cobb?
    50 
    51   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You said who the hatchery was. 
    52        A.  It was in somewhere called Mythemroyd.  I could look it 
    53        up but I am afraid I cannot remember.
    54
    55   Q.   I think Mr. Morris is right; I thought you gave the name of
    56        the hatchery.
    57
    58   MR. MORRIS:  The type of bird.
    59
    60   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The company, no?