Ebels Family Center, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning effectiveness At 0949 during slaughter operations a noncompliant stunning attempt was observed: At approximately 0945 a large boar was loaded into the cattle knock box by establishment personnel. It was decided that a .450 Bushmaster firearm would be used on the boar. At 0949 the establishment yelled the warning that a firearm would be discharged. Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) was across the kill floor from the knock box checking the final beef viscera for the day and did not have time to move off the slaughter floor to a safe location before the shot occurred. The stunning area is behind a sheet-metal divider from the rest of the slaughter floor, with a door, which was closed. One discharge of the firearm was heard followed immediately by loud squealing coming from the stunning area. IPP had enough time to finish inspection on the viscera, check the beef carcass, and walk the 20 feet off the kill floor before hearing a second shot, at which point the squealing/vocalizing ceased. At that point, IPP hearing the knock-box door open, meaning no more shots were likely, reentered the slaughter floor and went over to verify the unconsciousness of the boar, which was determined to be insensible. IPP informed the establishment employees that slaughter was to stop until a determination was made. The knock-box was then tagged with U.S. Rejected NO. B37557184, and IPP informed SPHV REDACTED of the ineffective stunning attempt. The above is a violation of 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1) which states the firearms shall be employed in the delivery of a bullet or projectile...to produce immediate unconsciousness in the animal. After the establishment provided corrective actions, the tag was removed, and slaughter operations resumed. REDACTED and REDACTED were informed that a noncompliance record would be issued. Continued failure to meet regulatory requirements regarding effective stunning may result in further enforcement action as described in 9 CFR 500.4.

313.2

HATS Category III: Feed and water availability At approximately 1040 on Thursday 04/27/2023 in the holding pens while performing ante-mortem inspection, the following noncompliant conditions were observed: The western side of the holding pens (pens 1-4) were observed to be overcrowded with market hogs, prohibiting free movement of the hogs and not allowing many of the hogs access to water. There were 54 large market hogs loaded into the pens, resulting in overcrowding to a point where there was no available floor space, and some hogs were observed off the floor across others’ backs with no room to move off the other animals. Several hogs were also observed to be panting. The hogs had been unloaded approximately 15 minutes prior to IPP doing antemortem inspection. The above condition is a violation of 9 CFR 313.2(e) which states that animals will have access to water at all times. REDACTED, barn manager, was informed that too many animals were contained within the pens and a noncompliance record would be issued. He was also informed some animals needed to be moved out of the pen to allow access to water. Approximately ten animals were immediately moved out of the pen into the chute while IPP was still in the holding pens. No similar noncompliance records have been issued in the past ninety days. Continued failure to meet regulatory requirements may result in enforcement actions as described in 9 CFR 500.4