B & R Meat Processing: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 Q2 (USDA)

313.2

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, I, CSI REDACTED, while conducting a routine PHIS Livestock Humane Handling task, HATS Category III, Water and Feed Availability observed the following noncompliance: At 0803 hours the steer in pen 11 and the adult goats in pen 4 no accesses to liquid water. Each pen has an approximately 15-gallon water bucket which were frozen solid. The temperature when I arrived at the facility was -2F. The establishment has no means of preventing the water in the buckets from freezing. President/GM REDACTED was notified of the issue and forthcoming noncompliance. The establishment provided fresh water to the animals. The establishment rescheduled the remaining animals this week to allow for warmer weather. The establishment failed to meet the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.2.

313.16(b)(2),313.16(a)(1)

On January 6th, 2025, while conducting a routine PHIS Livestock Humane Handling task, Hats Category VII, Stunning effectiveness observed the following noncompliance: At approximately 1105 hours the establishment attempted to render a cow unconscious via gunshot with a .45 caliber bullet. After the completion of the establishment's protocols and the shot was fired, I heard the cow vocalize and looked to verify unconscious. The cow was standing upright, alert and looking around. The establishment immediately set up for a second shot, I exited the kill floor to the designated area. After the shot was fired, I verified that the cow was unconscious. The cow had collapsed to the floor, had no reaction to external stimuli, no breathing, the eyes were still and nonresponsive. I took a regulatory control action and applied USDA Rejected tag No. B-46609983 to the knock box. After the head was removed the designated employee place the head on the head cradle and removed the hide around the gunshot wounds to demonstrate where the two gunshots entered the skull. The initial shot was properly placed but did not penetrate the skull, the copper jacketed bullet was flattened against the skull. I notified President/GM REDACTED of the issue and the forthcoming noncompliance. Mr. REDACTED stated that the cause of the failure was due to the use of a hollow point round. Hollow point rounds were accidentally mixed with the slug rounds. Establishments corrective action given is to remove all the hollow point rounds from the slaughter room gun cabinet and document on the corrective action log. The establishment failed to properly selection the ammunition used, and this led to a failure to render the cow immediately unconscious. The establishment failed to meet the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1) and 313.16(b)(2).