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

313.2

HATS Category III (Water and Feed Availability) On 9/15/21, while performing a HATS Task 3 approximately 10:45 a.m., I (Dr. REDACTED) observed a truckload of sows had arrived and was ready to be unloaded into an available pen. While there was adequate time to unload the sows prior to break, Mr. REDACTED, Barn Supervisor, informed me that the establishment was electing to leave them on the truck rather than unload, thus creating a de facto holding pen. I returned to the pens after break, approximately 11:45 a.m., and the sows were still present on the trailer with no access to water. As such, these sows were left on the regulated premises, in a de facto holding pen, for over an hour with no access to water. I informed Mr. REDACTED, Barn Supervisor, Dr. REDACTED, QA Manager, and Mrs. REDACTED, QA Supervisor of the noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.2(e) due to failure to provide the animals with access to water in the de facto holding pen, and the truck was promptly unloaded at approximately 12 pm into the establishment pens, thus providing an appropriate and adequate water source for the animals.

313.30(a)(1),313.30(a)(3)

HATS Category VIII On 7/1/21, approximately 1:20 pm, while performing a humane handling observation task, I observed the following noncompliance: In the loading chute just prior to the stun box, there was a sow that had laid down in the chute and was unable to stand to walk into the stun box. After attempting to get the animal to move, the establishment barn employees attempted to use the electrical wand to stun the animal where she lay so that she could subsequently be dragged into the stun box. When they applied the electricity to the stunner, the contraction of the sow’s muscles caused the electrical wand to contact the steel bars over the chute and send off sparks, which resulted in the wand not maintaining effective contact with the sow. The sow loudly vocalized and immediately stood and walked into the stun box without prompting where another establishment employee was able to effectively stun her without any delay, effectively rendering an immediate and effective corrective action. I immediately told the barn employees to stop slaughter and notified Dr. REDACTED, QA Manager, of the noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.30(a)(1) and 9 CFR 313.30(a)(3) for failure to produce an immediate and effective first stun. Upon being informed of the situation, the establishment began their corrective actions of putting a protective insulation layer on the overhead steel bars to prevent further electrical conduction between the bars and the stun wand. CSI REDACTED ensured no further animals were slaughtered while observing the implementation of the corrective actions. Once these were completed, the establishment was released to continue slaughter.