Farmhouse Meat Company: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1),313.15(b)(1)(iii),313.1

HATS Category VIII-Stunning Effectiveness HATS Category IV-Ante-Mortem Inspection  On 6/29/22, at approximately 10:33 am, I observed the following noncompliance:  During the beef slaughter operation, while verifying stunning effectiveness, the last steer of the day was moved into the knock box to be stunned.  The animal was overly excited while in the head restraint and moved it's head when the stunning operator deployed the captive bolt gun.  This first stunning attempt did not render the animal unconscious, and the steer remained standing and moving its head around.  Employee REDACTED then went a few steps away to grab another cartridge for the captive bolt gun from the container just outside the doorway, reloaded the captive bolt gun, and applied the second stun, which rendered the animal unconscious and it immediately dropped to the floor  Two penetrating wounds were observed in the forehead upon inspection of the dehided skull.  Plant Manager REDACTED was notified of the noncompliance.   The plant failed to meet 313.15(a)(1) and 313.15(b)(1)(iii).   During this same slaughter process at approximately 11:27 am, District Veterinary Medical Specialist, REDACTED was inspecting the barn and pen area and observed that a floor drain cover (dimensions 10.5 inches wide, with a 6 inch drop to a centrally located 4 inch drain) was not in place between livestock pens #1 and #2.  REDACTED notified REDACTED, manager REDACTED and myself of the situation.  Two market hogs were in pen #1 and one market hog was in pen #2.  REDACTED moved the hog in pen #2 to the knock box, and when he returned, he retrieved the cover from inside pen #1 and put it back in place over the drain.  The plant failed to meet 313.1(a). The following nonconformances were observed: 313.15(a)(1), 313.15(b)(1)(iii) and 313.1(a)