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

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1420 hours Wednesday September 1, 2021, I was called to the stunning area to observe the establishment knock a bull just prior to the knock box. When I arrived, I observed that the bull’s horns were wide enough to touch either side of the chute leading up to the stunning area and the establishment was unable to get the animal into the stunning box. A rope was placed around the animal’s neck and the establishment employee used a hand-held captive bolt device to stun the animal. The first attempt was placed appropriately on the animal’s forehead and the captive bolt became lodged in the animal’s forehead. The bull remained standing and conscious. No movement or vocalization was noted. The employee immediately used a second hand-held captive bolt and applied a second stun attempt to the animal’s poll. Again, no movement or vocalization was noted, and the animal remained standing. The employee reloaded the captive bolt device and immediately applied a third stun attempt to the bull’s poll causing the animal to become non-ambulatory. The animal was then confirmed to be fully unconscious. USDA Reject Tag# B42117542 was applied to the stunning box. Slaughter floor supervisor REDACTED was verbally notified of the non-compliance. Denver District Management was contacted through supervisory channels. There have been no other non-compliances for the same root cause within the past 90 days.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII - Stunning Effectiveness On 04/12/2021 while performing a routine humane handling verification visit at approximately 1422 hours, I, Dr. REDACTED, DVMS observed the following non-compliance. I observed a beef cow restrained in the rectangular metal stun box. I observed the stun operator apply the first stun attempt with the pneumatic captive bolt device. Following the ineffective stun attempt, I observed the animal remain conscious rhythmically breathing and standing on its hind limbs but down on its front knees and moving its head from left to right in a controlled manner, but the animal did not vocalize. I observed the stun operator immediately retrieved the backup hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device and apply a second stun attempt. I observed the second stun to be effective at rendering the animal insensible. I observed the animal remained unconscious during shackling, hoisting and bleeding. US Retain tag #MPD63811997 was applied to the carcass. A regulatory control action was not taken at the stun box as immediate and effective corrective actions were observed. I verbally notified Mr. Tonheim, plant manager, of the observed noncompliance. Upon review of the dressed head, I observed a stun hole above the left eye and a second penetrating stun hole within the target zone. The Denver District Office was contacted. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause with the past 90 days.