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

313.2

HATS Category lV; Handling During Ante Mortem Inspection On August 14, 2021 at 7:44 am I, REDACTED, was performing observations of employees moving cattle in the crowd pen and serpentine area. The crowd pen operator was leading a group of Steers into the serpentine. The operator did not properly close the pen 16 swing gate, when one of the Steers turn back around and got it’s hips caught between the swing gate and the fence, and was unable to free itself. The pen employee then encouraged the Steer to move backward so the swing gate could be moved away from the animal to free it. The Steer did not vocalized and did not appear injured. Mr. REDACTED Barn Supervisor, Mr. REDACTED (Slaughter Superintendent and Quality Control REDACTED verbally were all notified verbally and in writing of the establishment failure to comply with the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.2.

313.2

HATS Category III – Water and Feed Availability On July 10th, around 0530hours, I, REDACTED, started antemortem and observed pen #21 from the overhead catwalk where there was not sufficient room in the holding pen for the animals in the pen to lie down. This pen had been kept overnight. The pen consisted of 42 Holstein steers and heifers and I observed four (4) animals lying down with the remainder standing closely together (parallel orientation) from side to side and no other open areas available in the pen to move. The lack of sufficient room also inhibited and made access to water difficult for the animals standing in the middle of the pen. There was no barn supervisor on duty at the time of observation. At around 0800 hours Dayshift Barn Supervisor REDACTED and Tech Services Manager REDACTED were informed of the noncompliance and the establishments failure to comply with 9CFR 313.2(e).

313.2

This morning (7/7/21) at approximately 0645, while performing Ante Mortem inspection in the barn area, I (REDACTED) observed pen 47 containing 14 Holstein cows 13 of which were standing side by side with no room to move and one cow jammed in the corner in a lateral recumbent position with its' head protruding completely beneath the gate into the alley and unable to move. These cattle were received on 7/6/21 and held overnight and due to the overcrowded pen condition the cattle were unable to lie down or have access to water. REDACTED, barn supervisor, was notified verbally and in writing with this NONCOMPLIANCE Report of the establishments failure to comply with the Code of Federal Regulations Part 9 section 313.2(e). The establishment also failed to follow its' General Barn Operation SOP dated 9-1-20 which states that REDACTED and also states that REDACTED. No regulatory control action was taken since management immediately opened the pen gate and the recumbent animal got up and did not appear injured and all animals were relocated.

313.2

HATS Category VIII – Stunning Effectiveness On June 30, at 1538 hours I, REDACTED, was observing stunning operations from the knock box platform. An uncooperative conscious animal on the moving belly conveyor presented a difficult shot with the pneumatic captive bolt gun for the stunning operator. He stopped the conveyor and then backed the animal up to perform a hand-held captive bolt gun shot. I observed that the animal had already been shackled by the shackling operator on the floor. The animal did not vocalize or struggle. The stun operator then yelled “head shot” which normally indicates to the floor operator to not to shackle the animal yet, but it already had been done and no attempt to remove the shackle from the conscious animal was made by the floor operator. I observed the stun operator apply a hand-held captive bolt shot to the shackled animal which rendered it unconscious. Barn Supervisor REDACTED and Harvest Supervisor REDACTED were immediately informed of the noncompliance and the establishment’s failure to comply with 9CFR 313.15(a)(1).

313.2

HATS Category III – Water and Feed Availability On July 16, at approximately 0546 hours I, REDACTED, was performing antemortem at pen 8&9 and the water tank appeared empty while the animals were present. An inspection of the water trough after the animals had left the pen revealed that the trough was empty, and the automatic water valve was not functioning to return any water into the trough. There was also a small ancillary tank at the back of the pen that is also on long-term disrepair and an inspection of it revealed it to be empty too. At approximately 0550 hours I informed the Night Barn Supervisor, REDACTED, of the noncompliance and the establishment’s failure to comply with 9 CFR 313.2(e). The supervisor performed a correction to the automatic pump which allowed water to start flowing to the trough. The animals were returned to the pen upon adequate water availability.

313.2

HATS Category VI – Electric Prod/Alternative Object Use On June 5, at approximately 1226 hours I, REDACTED, was observing animal handling at the serpentine area. There was a single animal that was not wanting to go into the alley up the serpentine. Both the operator at the mouth of the alley and the one on the ground at the circle were attempting to coerce the animal with rattle paddles. The one in the circle had already touched the animal in the front shoulder area twice. The animal did not cooperate. The circle operator then hit the animal on the cheek with the flat side of the paddle and the immediately followed it up with a hit to the center of the forehead. The animal did not vocalize or appear to be injured. I immediately yelled to stop operations, which they did. The Barn Supervisor, REDACTED, was at the scales and immediately came over to the area. I informed her of the events and the subsequent noncompliance and the establishment’s failure to comply with 9CFR 313.2(b). The immediate corrective action was to remove the operator and replace him with another.

313.2

HATS Category V – Suspect and Disabled On June 3rd, at approximately 1253 hours I was in the barn on the upper catwalk and my attention was drawn to a NAD cow in the main alleyway of the lower pens (about between pen 16 and pen 25). She was part of a lot of animals that was being unloaded from the scales. The animal was unprotected and had several other cows milling around on both sides of her. The pen runner had left the area. At the approach of a different establishment person who was going to knock the animal, the loose animals moved away from him and 3 or 4 cows trampled the NAD. The right side of her torso was stepped on and her head/neck was kicked. She made no attempt to rise, she just turned her head away from the oncoming animals, nor did she vocalize. The remainder of the loose animals moved around the NAD toward their designated holding pen. The animal did not appear to be injured. I informed the Barn Supervisor, REDACTED of the noncompliance and the establishment’s failure to comply with 9CFR 313.2(a).

313.2

HATS Category III – Water and Feed Availability On May 19th at approximately 0950 hours, I, REDACTED, went to the truck unloading area to observe activities there. I noticed that the animals in pen #11 (which had been there since I arrived to work at 0530) had no water in their tank. I notified the barn supervisor, REDACTED, of the noncompliance and the establishment’s failure to comply with 9CFR 313.2(e). Her immediate corrective action was to tinker with the filling float mechanism which turned on and filled the tank with water. Two animals immediately availed themselves of the water, but none seemed badly affected by dehydration. The long term corrective action was to empty a different pen that had a functional water tank in it and transfer the animals to that pen, as the animals were being held overnight.

313.1

HATS Category: 4 On April 16, 2021 I, REDACTED was performing ante-mortem inspection. At approximately 0545 I observed a Holstein cow reluctant to move from the corner of the pen (pen 16) adjacent to the center alley where pens 16 and 17 join. Upon closer examination it was observed that approximately a 2” hook attached to about a 2’ chain was in the cow’s nostril. The chain was connected to the gate which kept the animal from freely moving about the pen. The cow was in a standing position, remaining calm. The chain was taut, but she was not pulling against it. The cow was also not vocalizing. A quick and simple attempt was made to dislodge the hook and was unsuccessful. The animal was euthanized to prevent any further injury or discomfort to the animal. Barn Supervisor, Mr. REDACTED was verbally notified and Mr. REDACTED, Food Safety Manager was notified in writing of the non-compliance with the Meat and Poultry Regulation 9 CFR 313.1, pens shall be maintained in good repair and free of sharp or protruding objects which may cause pain or injury to an animal.