Upper Iowa Beef LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)

313.1

HATS Category VI Observation for Slips and Falls At approximately 0647 hours while performing ante mortem inspection and verifying HATS Category Handling During Ante Mortem Inspection IV I observed the following noncompliance. An establishment employee at the back of the group of 35 head of beef gave verbal commands to move them from the north ante mortem pen into the south ante mortem pen. The animals at the back of the group pushed into the animals in the front of the group which then started to move as the establishment employee walked behind the group. The establishment employee did not use a moving implement. Approximately 15 head were turning the corner, moving through the gate between the two pens when one beef fell down, the rest of the group continued to move, walking over the down beef. Once all of the beef in the group had passed the down beef, it moved to a dog-sitting position and after a moment rose to its feet and walked to the group. No external injuries to the down beef were visible. The floor of the two pens was covered in fecal material and the grooves in the waffled concrete floor were filled with fecal material. Slaughter Floor Supervisor Mr. REDACTED was present during ante mortem inspection. I informed Mr. REDACTED and the establishment employee of my intent to document the noncompliance citing regulation 9 CFR 313.1(b). U.S. Reject tag # B39246512 was applied to the garage door of the indoor ante mortem pens, preventing further animals from entering either north or south pens. USDA removed the U.S. reject tag at approximately 0900 hours after the establishment had cleared the fecal material from the flooring.