Day 110 - 29 Mar 95 - Page 03


     
     1
     2   Q.   Do you actually have any previous experience of chickens at
     3        all?
     4        A.  I have, well, I had a friend when I lived in
     5        Southampton, I had a friend who had a small holding and
     6        kept free range chickens there.  So I was able, you know,
     7        to see what chickens, how chickens behave in a normal
     8        environment.
     9
    10   Q.   Was there a difference in behaviour between the chickens on
    11        the small holding and the ones you saw in the lorries?
    12        A.  Yes, I think it is very easy to tell the difference
    13        between a happy chicken and one that is completely
    14        miserable.
    15
    16   Q.   Were any parts of the birds protruding from the crates?
    17        A.  Yes, because they were packed so tightly some of the
    18        chickens were squashed against the sides and wing tips were
    19        sticking out, and some of the birds' legs were sticking
    20        out.  One bird, I remember its leg was obviously broken
    21        because it was hanging at a very sort of odd angle and was
    22        limp, and just flapping around.  I remember one bird's head
    23        protruding from the cage.  I was not able to see if that
    24        bird was alive or dead because it was actually several
    25        tiers up the lorry.
    26
    27   Q.   How long did you observe the birds for?
    28        A.  Approximately 10 minutes.  That was how long the lorry
    29        was stationary.
    30
    31   Q.   Were you shocked by the condition of the birds you saw?
    32
    33   MR. RAMPTON:  I do not think that is a very sensible question,
    34        quite apart from the fact it is a leading question.
    35
    36   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The reason it does not help is that it is
    37        such an entirely subjective thing.  You have asked the
    38        factual matters.  In fact, I think you have asked all the
    39        ones I can see in Miss Wallis's statement.  If there are
    40        other matters, ask about them.  Some people are not shocked
    41        by the most gruesome things and some people are shocked by
    42        the most trivial things.  It is the facts of what Miss
    43        Wallis saw that I want to know about or you want me to know
    44        about.
    45
    46   MS. STEEL:  Right.  No further questions.
    47
    48                  Cross-Examined by Mr. Rampton Q.C.
    49
    50   MR. RAMPTON:  Miss Wallis, you say you went to Sun Valley on a 
    51        day in December 1988 to inspect the transport of the birds; 
    52        is that right? 
    53        A.  Yes, that is right.
    54
    55   Q.   Why did you go to Sun Valley to inspect the transport of
    56        the birds?
    57        A.  Well, the inspection was organised by a group called
    58        Co-ordinating Animal Welfare based in Bristol, and they had
    59        plans to initiate a campaign publicising the conditions
    60        that various farm animals are transported in, so we went

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