Colorado Homestead Ranches, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)
See the detail of the non-compliance of humane livestock handling that the USDA observed at the Colorado Homestead Ranches, Inc. slaughterhouse establishment in 2023.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2023.
313.30(a)(3)
HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On Thursday August 3, 2023, at approximately 10:18 am at Homestead Meats Est. 7748, a company employee came to the USDA office to summon me, the CSI, to the slaughter floor. The company employee stated there was a live animal that had been stunned (via firearm) but was still standing and the firearm was now not working. I rushed to the slaughter floor and observed four live swine standing in the stunning area. None of the swine were vocalizing and all four swine were facing the corner away from me and therefore I could not determine which animal had already been stunned. The new stun operator asked me if he could stun the animal a second time with the hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device. I responded “yes”. The stun operator slowly asked me a second time if he could stun the animal a second time with the HHCB device and I again responded with a “yes”. The stun operator repeated once again, “I am asking you what would happen if I stun it again and it doesn’t work?” I asked the stun operator to please stun the animal. The stun operator then utilized the HHCB device, and the animal was effectively stunned and rendered unconscious. I verbally informed the employees on the slaughter floor that I needed to return to the USDA office to get a tag. When I returned to the slaughter floor another swine had just been slaughtered and was in the process of being bled. I asked the new stun operator if he had just stunned a second pig and he said “yes” and he also stated that he was going to slaughter the remaining swine as well. I left the slaughter floor to summon the plant manager. I verbally notified my supervisor and the plant manager of the incident and placed U.S. Reject tag #B42012464 on the stun box. Upon inspection of the dressed head, two stun holes were observed. There was a penetrating firearm projectile hole through the right cheek and a penetrating captive bolt hole within the target zone. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. This establishment operates under a robust systematic approach to humane handling and slaughter of livestock.
313.15(a)(3),313.15(a)(1)
HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1252 hours, I, the CSI, while performing stunning effectiveness verification observed the following inhumane incident. The establishment was performing a stunning attempt with a hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device. On the first stun attempt, the beef dropped immediately to the floor of the stun box. The stun operator observed the animal down within the stun box prior to opening the stun box for the beef to roll out. I observed the beef thrashing while on its back and side and its eyes were blinking. Another establishment employee was yelling at the stun operator to stun a 2nd time. The beef was still thrashing but there was no vocalization. The beef managed to get itself upright and started a staggered walk out of the stun box pit into the adjacent blood pit. A 2nd stun attempt was readily performed by another establishment employee with the reloaded HHCB device. The 2nd stun immediately rendered the animal insensible. U.S. Reject tag B42012481 was applied to the stun box. The slaughter floor manager was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance. Upon inspection of the dressed head, I observed two holes that went into the brain chamber. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. This establishment operators under a robust systematic approach to humane handling of livestock. This noncompliance is being associated with NR#WOI5008032207N issued on 3/7/2023 for same root cause.
313.15(a)(3),313.15(a)(1)
HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On March 7, 2023, at approximately 0730 hours while verifying humane handling of livestock during slaughter operations at Est. 7748, I, the SPHV observed the following noncompliance. Establishment personnel had driven a steer into the stun box. The stun operator attempted to stun the steer with a hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device, but the stun attempt was ineffective. I observed the HHCB device contact the steer in the frontal sinus. The steer partially went down, stood back up, and had blood coming from its nostrils. The stun operator readily retrieved the backup .357 pistol and immediately applied a second stun attempt which effectively rendered the steer insensible. The steer remained unconscious during the shackling, hoisting and bleeding process. A regulatory control action was not taken due to the observed immediate and effective corrective actions. The establishment owner was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Upon inspection of the dressed head, two penetrating holes were observed. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. The establishment has a robust systematic approach to humane handling of livestock. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. This constitutes a noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.15 (a)(1): "The captive bolt stunners shall be applied to the livestock in accordance with this section so as to produce immediate unconsciousness in the animals before they are shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut. The animals shall be stunned in such a manner that they will be rendered unconscious with a minimum of excitement and discomfort." This constitutes a noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.15 (a)(3): "Immediately after the stunning blow is delivered the animals shall be in a state of complete unconsciousness and remain in this condition throughout shackling, sticking and bleeding."
