Farmers Union Industries, LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

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

At approximately 1558 hours on 09/12/2023, while performing a Routine Livestock Humane Handling task observing HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness at the restrainer belt, the stunning employee attempted to stun a hog in the restrainer with the simultaneous application of two electrical stunning wands to the head and thorax. When he touched the hog with the wands the animal was observed to become stiff momentarily. The hog was conscious and began vocalizing and tried to climb over the hog in front of it. The employee at the stunning station immediately applied a stun with the pneumatic captive bolt stunner, when another hog entered the restrainer jostling the hog he was attempting to stun. After this stun application with the pneumatic captive bolt stunner the hog stopped vocalizing, remained conscious and was then observed tracking movement with its eyes and blinking normally. The employee then immediately grabbed the handheld captive bolt stunner and administered a third stun which rendered the animal unconscious. There were two captive bolt wounds on the head. One was approximately 1 inch to the left of the midline left and approximately 1 inch above the level of the eyes. The second wound was on the midline. This is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.30(a)(3) and 313.15(a)(1) in that the establishment failed to render this animal unconscious on the first attempt with the electrical stunner and on the first attempt with the captive bolt stunner. Immediate regulatory control was taken by stopping production and notifying the SPHV of the incident. The stunning station was tagged with US Rejected tag # B45700488. Barn Manager REDACTED was immediately notified of the incident, that the stun area was tagged, and that USDA IPP would be contacting the District Office for further guidance. This NR is associated with NR OXG5317085716N-1, issued on August 16, 2023. This NR and the associated NR are both noncompliance's relating to the establishment’s failure to render hogs insensible upon the first stunning application with an electrical stunning system.

313.30(a)(3),313.30(b)(3)

At approximately 0814 hours while performing HATS Category VIII, Stunning Effectiveness, I, CSI REDACTED, observed the following noncompliance. A market hog in the restrainer was not immediately rendered unconscious with the first stun application. After the first stun application with the electrical hog stunner, the hog remained conscious with rhythmic breathing and continuous loud vocalization. The prongs of the stunner were fully seated on the hog, however, there was not sufficient current to render the hog unconscious. After the ineffective stun the establishment employee immediately applied a follow-up stun using a handheld captive bolt device, effectively rendering the hog unconscious. I then took regulatory action applying U.S. Reject tag no. B-45700493 to the electrical stunner and went to get SPHV REDACTED. SPHV REDACTED then came with me to the stunning area. QC Manager REDACTED arrived and was informed of the noncompliance and regulatory control action. The establishment then tested the pair of wands with a voltage/amperage meter, and they failed to deliver sufficient electrical current. They then tested the backup pair of wands, which were effective in delivering sufficient electrical current. The establishment provided verbal preventative measures and I released regulatory control. This is a regulatory noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.30(a)(3) and 9 CFR 313.30(b)(3).

313.1

Today at approximately 1810 hours, while performing a directed Livestock Humane Handling task, I observed the following noncompliance during an odd-hour inspection (OHI): In the barn, pens 18 and 19 each contain a divider gate in the middle which is used to divide them in North and South parts when smaller pens are desired. Neither of these gates were maintained in good repair, with one protruding rod observed on each gate. The rods had broken free from their weld to the frame and were protruding into the pig area, at pig level. I applied US Reject tags B45701062 and B 45701063 to the pens. I was able to show QC REDACTED the finding and notify her of the and forthcoming noncompliance. This is is a noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.1(a).