Big Sky Processing, LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 Q4 (USDA)

313.16(a)(3),313.16(b)(1)(iii),313.16(a)(1)

Hats Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On Tuesday July 29, 2025, at approximately 0800 hours I, the CSI was standing inside the building on the slaughter floor doing a postmortem inspection task when I heard the first shot with a 12-gauge shot gun outside in the knocking area. Establishment employees went to raise the garage door to roll the carcass into the slaughter floor however, from the inside of the facility I heard what was a heifer vocalizing repeatedly. The new stun operator said to the employees to close the door. I went outside to see what had transpired after hearing the vocalization and the knocker’s direction to close the garage door. While standing at the knock box, I directly observed blood on the heifer’s head, but no apparent entry hole. The animal had not been caught and secured in the head catch. I observed that the heifer was partially down on all fours, with its shoulder touching on one side of the knock box, however it was eventually able to pull its legs back into and under itself and finally center its weight in attempt to right itself. Prior to this, its shoulder was down but the head was erect and moving side to side in a controlled manner. The animal continued to be audible. The right eye was blinking and tracking. The left eye that had been observed on antemortem was now missing. The animal was still vocalizing with a consistent mooing at this point. The animal started pushing forward with its hind legs with the head rocking forward. The stun operator said it was not down. He readied another shot, so I went back to the slaughter floor through the door to a safe distance. I continued hearing the heifer vocalize while inside the building until the 2nd shot was discharged. After the 2nd shot was applied the animal stopped making all audible noises. I checked and confirmed that the animal, after the second attempt, was sufficiently stunned. The animal’s legs were splayed out, with no additional movement. The animal was still, and the head was drooped. The tongue was hanging outside of the mouth. I asked to observe the dressed head. The first initial shot was approximately 2 inches behind the left eye closer to the left ear. The second shot was in the middle of the forehead approximately 1-2 inches above the eyes. The plant employee was informed of the noncompliance for failure to render an animal insensible with a single stun attempt. A U.S. Reject tag number B-45250154 was applied to the knock box and my supervisory chain contacted.