10,000 Lakes Beef, Inc: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)

313.2

At approximately 0610 hours while conducting a Livestock Humane Handling task (HATS Category III Water and Feed Availability and HATS Category IV Ante-mortem Inspection) in the barn, Dr. REDACTED IIC, observed the following noncompliance with HATS Category III Water and Feed Availability. Dr. REDACTED was standing in Pen 1 at the north end of the barn (which was empty of cattle) next to Pen 2, which held 37 steers, watching steers from Pen 7 be moved for ante-mortem inspection. The watering trough shared by Pen 1 and Pen 2 was noted to be empty and was pushed through a cutout in the wall between the two pens such that cattle in Pen 2 could not reach into the watering trough to drink. Dr. REDACTED notified barn employee Mr. REDACTED of the fact that the cattle in Pen 2 had no water and asked when the cattle had arrived at the facility. Mr. REDACTED stated that the cattle had been unloaded at approximately 1800 hours on 9/19/2021 and that he had checked the watering trough at 1900 hours that evening before he left and found it to be full. No other establishment employee was back at the facility to check on the cattle between the hours of 1900 on 9/19/2021 and 0600 hours on 09/20/2021. Mr. REDACTED said he would fill the watering trough shared by Pen 1 and Pen 2 after securing the cattle from Pen 7 in their pen. The watering trough was filled at approximately 0615 hours. This represents noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.2(e). Harvest Floor Manager Mr. REDACTED Chief Operating Officer Mr. REDACTED and General Manager Mr. REDACTED were informed of the forthcoming noncompliance.

313.15(a)(1),313.15(b)(1)(iii)

At approximately 1000 hours while verifying HATS Category VIII Stunning Effectiveness CSI REDACTED observed the following noncompliance. After one stunning attempt by an establishment employee with a pneumatic captive bolt stunner on a steer in the head restrainer the animal was heard to vocalize. The steer was conscious. The establishment employee took immediate corrective action and delivered a second stunning attempt to the steer with a hand-held captive bolt stunning device, at which point the animal was rendered insensible. Production Supervisor Mr. REDACTED had the line stopped and CSI REDACTED informed Mr. REDACTED of the noncompliance. CSI REDACTED then requested the presence of Dr. REDACTED IIC, on the harvest floor. After consulting with CSI REDACTED Dr. REDACTED informed Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ms. REDACTED of the noncompliance and requested that the head from the steer be saved for post-mortem examination. Examination of the head identified that one stun wound from the pneumatic captive-bolt stunning device measured 2-3 cm across and had been placed at an approximately 90-degree angle roughly 2-3 cm to the left of center on the skull and had partially fractured the skull bone, causing subdural hemorrhage at the wound site. A second stun wound from the hand-held captive bolt stunning device measuring 1 cm across was centered at the crosshairs of the lines running from right eye to left ear and left eye to right ear and had completely penetrated the skull bone to full depth at a 90-degree angle. The establishment determined that the head restraint had failed to secure the head and allowed the animal to move its head at the last second during the first stunning attempt. The establishment then instituted temporary preventative measures. This represents noncompliance with regulations 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) and 9 CFR 313.15(b)(1)(iii).

313.2

At approximately 1430 hours while performing HATS Category III Food and Water Availability, CSI REDACTED observed the following noncompliance. Several cattle were left in the chute leading to the restrainer for 70 minutes during a mechanical breakdown on the harvest floor, during which time they did not have access to water. The cattle did not appear to be distressed, as they were not panting or demonstrating signs of depression or lethargy. CSI REDACTED informed Barn Manager Mr. REDACTED of the noncompliance. The establishment resumed operations before the cattle could be moved back into a pen with water access, and the animals in the chute were slaughtered within approximately 15 minutes of operations resuming. This represents noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.2(e). Chief Operating Officer Ms. REDACTED was informed of the forthcoming noncompliance record.