Day 115 - 06 Apr 95 - Page 37

     
     1        A.  Per module.
     2
     3   Q.   How many farms would you usually do in a night?
     4        A.  It would be difficult to say.  Some nights you might do
     5        one farm or two farms and then you might do three farms.
     6        It depends on the size and the quantity of birds they
     7        wanted off that shift of that night.  You might visit one
     8        farm or you might visit a number of farms.
     9
    10   Q.   Right.  You have mentioned the number of drawers on a
    11        lorry.  How many birds, how many chickens, would normally
    12        be put in a drawer?
    13        A.  Anything from 18 to 30 per drawer.
    14
    15   Q.   Right.  Can you describe the catching procedure?
    16        A.  Catching procedure?
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just take it step by step and pause as you go
    19        along, Mr. Bruton.
    20        A.  The procedure of catching is everybody go to work at
         the time we are scheduled, which you would meet at the
    22        factory where you would leave the factory and disburse to
    23        whatever site you was going, maybe Cardiff, Shrewsbury,
    24        into Wales, whatever, where you would travel to the farm to
    25        start your evening/afternoon or day's work, whatever shift
    26        you may be on.
    27
    28   MS. STEEL:  When you got to the farms, I think we have heard
    29        already from Mr. Pattison that the modules would be brought
    30        in before you start catching and put in the shed; is that
    31        correct?
    32        A.  That is right, in a sense, yes.  You would go into the
    33        farm, you would open the doors, clear away, moving all the
    34        birds side to side, whatever, to bring your modules in.
    35
    36   Q.   How would you move the birds out of way?
    37        A.  Clap your hands, shout, whistle, shake a bag, whichever
    38        was the easiest way.  Some lads would kick them or throw
    39        them out of the way as long as you had a gap in the shed to
    40        bring your modules you would start, once the module is in,
         you would start work loading the modules to be taken back
    42        out and put on the lorry again.
    43
    44   Q.   How were the birds picked up to be put into the drawers?
    45        A.  Some would be by legs, some would be by wings, some
    46        would be by the back of their necks.
    47
    48   Q.   Generally speaking, were they picked up by the legs?
    49        A.  By the legs, one leg.
    50 
    51   Q.   One leg.  Usually, how many birds would you carry in each 
    52        hand? 
    53        A.  Six.
    54
    55   Q.   Was it always six?
    56        A.  Not always six.  Some would catch more, some people
    57        have smaller hands and they would catch less; some people
    58        have bigger hands and they would catch more.  Once they was
    59        caught they was thrown into a drawer.
    60