Green Bay Dressed Beef, LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)

313.1

August 20, 2021 (at Est. 410 Green Bay Dressed Beef) at approximately 5:10 AM while performing HATS Task IV Handling during antemortem inspection, I, Dr. REDACTED SPHV observed the following noncompliance: The barn personnel were running a batch of cull dairy cows from pen 26 to pen 38 for antemortem inspection. One cow did not come out of the pen. As I investigated I saw the barn crew actively trying to free a Holstein cow that had its head entrapped in the fence next to the alley in pen 26. The plant uses stout 6-8 inch steel pipes for partitions. Almost 6 feet high there are 4 of these pipes running horizontally between the supports. The gap is large and allows cattle to withdraw their heads easily. However, in this instance there is a short section between the gate to Pen 26 and Pen 22. Complicating this issue, there is a concrete post that supports the roof very close to this section. As a result there was a gap where a cow could insert their head and not easily withdraw it. Barn Manager REDACTED was summoned. He and the barn crew managed to free the cows head with no injury. I informed REDACTED that this was a noncompliance with 9CFR 313.1(a) which states that “unnecessary openings where the head, feet, or legs of an animal may be injured shall be repaired.” REDACTED then contacted Maintenance and initiated corrective actions. Pen 26 was rejected with FSIS Tag No B37949344, and the plant chained and locked the gate to deny access to other groups of cattle until it was repaired. Once repaired I removed tag B37949344.