ABF Packing, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)

313.15 (b)(1)(i),313.15(a)(1),313.15(b)(1)(iii),313.15(a)(3),313.15(b)(2)(i)

On 8/2/21 at approximately 13:56 hours, at the establishment’s knock box, Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, was walking past the knocking box to go perform ante-mortem inspection back in the cattle holding pens. Dr. REDACTED observed the shackler handing the knocker back a captive bolt gun. Dr. REDACTED observed a very small black heifer, approximately 350 - 400lbs, laying in the establishment’s knocking box unrestrained. The heifer was small enough that it could have freely move about in the knocking box. The heifer was conscious and laying sternally with its head in a righted position, blinking and looking around the knocking box. A knock hole was visible and bleeding on the back left side of the animal’s pole near the left ear. Dr. REDACTED observed the door of the knocking box had been raised and the hind leg of the animal had been pulled out of the knocking box in preparation to apply the shackle. The large side knocking box door was sitting on the left hock of the conscious heifer. After Dr. REDACTED observed the heifer in the knocking box conscious, the knocker told the shackler to wait. The knocker grabbed a second captive bolt gun and he jumped down into the knock box with the heifer. A stun attempt was applied to the flat part of the heifer’s forehead. The heifer was immediately rendered unconscious with this stun application and displayed no tracking eye movements, rhythmic breathing or righting reflex. Mr. REDACTED was notified of the inhumane handling and failure to produce immediate unconsciousness after stunning the heifer. This represents a failure to comply with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1), 9 CFR 313.15(a)(3), 313.15(b)(1)(i), 313.15(b)(1)(iii) and 313.15(b)(1)(iv). This noncompliance is linked to NR#AMH4914042521N on 6/21/21 for the same root cause of inadequate design and construction of the stunning area and inadequate restraint of the small cattle. The establishment proposed corrective actions on 6/21/21 for the linked NR to construct and install a new restraining device within the next 90 days and with full implementation within 120 days from that date. No changes to the design of the knock box or restraint of small cattle have been made at the time of the noncompliance above.

313.15(a)(1),313.15(a)(3),313.15 (b)(1)(i),313.15(b)(1)(iii)

On 6/21/21, at approximately 1350 hours, at the establishment’s knock box, Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, was performing the humane handling verification task at establishment M19478. Dr. REDACTED was verifying compliance of the HATS category VIII, stunning effectiveness, and 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1). Dr. REDACTED observed the shackler employee attempt to knock an approximately 700 pound black steer with the captive bolt gun in the establishment’s knock box. The steer was presented for and past ante-mortem inspection. The captive bolt was placed on top of the steer’s forehead, fired by the employee and made contact with the steer’s head. The steer remained conscious and standing after the stun attempt and was bleeding from the wound on its forehead. The signs of consciousness that the steer displayed were rhythmic breathing, tracking eye movements, and remained standing upright on all 4 limbs. The establishment employee grabbed the second captive bolt gun that was at the knock box which was loaded. The establishment employee leaned over into the knock box and attempted to apply a second stun attempt to the steer’s forehead. The steer was able to move freely in the knock box. During this process, the employee slipped and accidently hit the trigger on the side of the box causing the captive bolt to go off. The captive bolt did not come in contact with the steer when it went off. The establishment employee had to break down and reload the captive bolt. Dr. REDACTED had notified Mr. REDACTED, Slaughter supervisor, of the incident that was occurring. At this point a second stun attempt was still not able to be applied to the steer due to the ability of the steer to move around and keep its head in a downward position out of reach for the knockers. The steer was pressing his head to the front of the knock box and flipped over onto his head before a second stun attempt was applied due to inadequate restraint. Mr. REDACTED, yard supervisor, arrived and assessed the situation. He instructed several yard employees to go in the knock box and grab the steer’s tail to flip the steer back upright in order to attempt to knock the steer. Once the steer was righted by the establishment employees pulling on its tail, the knocker applied a second stun to the poll area of the steer. The steer dropped to an upright sternal position with the head and neck rigid in a fixed upright position after the second stun attempt. The establishment employee reloaded the captive bolt and immediately applied a 3rd stun to the steer’s forehead. The steer was rendered immediately unconscious by the third stun attempt and immediately dropped to the ground, displayed no tracking eye movements, rhythmic breathing or righting reflex. Dr. REDACTED immediately initiated a regulatory control action and applied US Reject tag #B45405377 to the establishment’s knock box and while contacting the Dallas District Office. Mr. REDACTED and Mr. Gilbert Martinez, plant manager, were notified of the inhumane handling and that a noncompliance record would be documented. Dr. REDACTED and Mr. Martinez observed the skinned head of the steer. There were 2 knock holes present and adjacent to each other in the appropriate location in the middle of the flat portion of the steer’s forehead. Additionally, there was a 3rd knock hole on the pole region of the skull. This confirmed that the first and second ineffective stun attempts penetrated the steer’s skull but failed to produce immediate unconsciousness. This represents a failure to comply with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1), 9 CFR 313.15(a)(3), 313.15(b)(1)(i), 313.15(b)(1)(iii) and 313.15(b)(1)(iv).