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
