Williams Sausage Company, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.2

HATS Category III – Water and Feed Availability At approximately 5:45 on 1-7-2022, while performing my antemortem and Livestock Humane Handling Task, I observed a trailer on the lot and was informed that a hog had gone down in the doorway of the trailer and establishment employees were unable to complete unloading the trailer. The trailer had arrived at approximately 4 am. The non-ambulatory hog was given a pan of water but the other 25 hogs on the trailer had no access to water. As the hogs were held on the trailer for approximately 2 hours, 4 am to 6 am, prior to Barn Supervisor REDACTED arriving, the establishment’s actions resulted in the trailer becoming a de facto pen. I informed Mr. REDACTED of the situation. Dr. REDACTED, QA manager was informed of the noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.2(e).

313.1

HATS Category IV Handling During Ante-Mortem Inspection At approximately 5:40 am on 1-5-22, while performing ante-mortem and my Livestock Humane Handling task, I found a dead sow in Pen 6 that had fallen in a hole in the pen floor that leads to a drain. The hole is approximately 2 feet x 2.25 feet and approximately 2.5-3 feet deep. The sow appeared to have fallen in the hole rear feet first as her front feet and head were above the hole. There is normally a flat metal cap on the hole, but it had slipped to the side. I had the associates move the hogs out of that pen into another and applied US Reject tag B20797690 to the gate of Pen 6. I informed Mr. REDACTED, barn manager, of the non-compliance.

313.1

HATS Category III Food and Water On 01/04/22, while performing the Humane Handling Verification Task at Williams Sausage M-7455, I observed the following noncompliance during antemortem inspection. There was a pen of hogs that had been brought into the facility on the previous day and had been held overnight. The water trough was dry and there was no running water or overhead sprinklers on. I notified Barn Supervisor REDACTED of my findings citing 9 CFR 313.2(e). The establishment located the issue and restored water to all holding pens..

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

HATS Category VIII Stunning Effectiveness On 11/22/2021 approximately 9:55 am, while performing a humane handling observation task, I observed the following noncompliance: In the upstairs pen in the establishment barn, a disabled sow had collapsed immediately before the hydraulic gate that leads into a ramp to the stun box. After checking and clearing the animal for humane slaughter, I observed establishment barn personnel set up and attempt to humanely stun the sow using an electrical stun wand. After the electrical current was activated, the sow clenched up followed by jerking backwards and loudly vocalizing. The establishment barn employee immediately repositioned the stun wand on the sow’s neck and head and activated the current again to perform an immediate and effective corrective action stun, rendering the sow fully unconscious, and it remained so thereafter. I informed Dr. REDACTED, QA Manager, of the noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.30(a)(1) and 9 CFR 313.30(a)(3) and applied US Reject Tag B-45632536 to the chute leading to the stun box. Once corrective actions had been evaluated and performed, I removed the tag and released the establishment to continue slaughter.

313.15(a)(3),313.15(a)(1)

HATS CATEGORY VIII Stunning Effectiveness On 11/12/2021 approximately 2:00 pm, while performing a humane handling observation task, I observed the following noncompliance: In the establishment barn in “Pen 2,” I observed establishment barn personnel performing humane slaughter of a disabled sow that was laterally recumbent and unable to stand. The animal was restrained using a nose snare by a barn employee and then stunned with a captive bolt device by the barn manager Mr. REDACTED. Immediately after the initial stun attempt, the sow thrashed momentarily and then returned to lateral recumbency but continued to breathe normally with conscious eye movements. When the establishment employee restraining the sow went to move the nose snare, the animal began vocalizing and maintained conscious eye movement while trying to right itself into dorsal recumbency. As soon as the animal displayed signs of still being conscious, Mr. REDACTED reloaded the captive bolt device and performed an immediate and effective corrective action stun, rendering the sow fully unconscious; and it remained so thereafter. I informed Mrs. REDACTED, QA Supervisor, of the noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) and 9 CFR 313.15(a)(3) and the verbal regulatory control action at the knocking box. CSI REDACTED remained in the establishment barn to ensure no further slaughter occurred until corrective actions could be evaluated and performed.