Homestead Springs: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)
See the detail of the non-compliance of humane livestock handling that the USDA observed at the Homestead Springs slaughterhouse establishment in 2021.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2021.
313.30(a)(3)
HATS Category VIII- Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 10:00am while performing my organ inspection, I, CSI REDACTED, observed the following noncompliance. I observed a plant employee use an electrical stunner wand on a market hog behind the ears. I observed the animal’s back legs go out and the front half stay up and the hog began to vocalize while being stunned. The hog then collapsed. Then Mike Meyer, plant manager, requested everyone leave the kill floor so that the firearm could be used. I then heard two gun shots while standing in my safe location. When I went back onto the kill floor and checked the knock box, the hog was observed to be unconscious. Mike Meyer immediately stopped slaughter operations and I, CSI REDACTED, took regulatory control by applying U.S Rejected tag number B39868022 to the electrical stunner and B39868021 to the electrical outlet. The plant failed to meet the requirements of 9 CFR 313.30(a)(1), 313.30(a)(3), and 313.30(b)(3) and was notified of the noncompliance. This NR is linked to NR ZSR4410064017N/1 issued on 06/17/2021 for the egregious stunning event involving the electrical stunning of a market hog.
313.30(b)(3),313.30(a)(4)
At approximately 830 hours while verifying the components of the livestock humane handling task HATS Category VIII, the following noncompliance was observed by CSI REDACTED. A hog began to vocalize while on its side in the knock box which is located on the slaughter floor. CSI REDACTED looked in the direction of the knock box. CSI REDACTED observed that the plant associate had just delivered a stun to the head area and was initiating an electrical stun to the chest area. The hog became silent. Yet, while stunning the hog in the chest the animal tried to right itself with its front legs and began more vocalization. There were electric arcs visible from the electrical stunning instrument to the animal’s wet hide. The plant associate immediately returned the stunning equipment to the hog’s head area and requested IPP and all employees to evacuate the slaughter room. A gunshot was heard. When IPP returned to the knock box area she verified the hog to be rendered effectively unconscious. CSI REDACTED immediately halted slaughter operations and took regulatory control of the knock box by applying US Rejected tag no. B39 868020 to it. Mr. Michael Meyers, Plant Manager was notified of the egregious incident that failed to meet the requirements of 9 CFR 313.30 (a) (4), 9 CFR 313.30 (b),(1), and 9 CFR 313.30 (b) (3). Additionally, a NOIE was issued by the Chicago District Office for the egregious incident. After corrective actions were taken to bring the stunning equipment back into compliance regulatory control was relinquished.
