Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Company: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.30(a)(3)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On June 28, 2023, at 1126 hours, I, the CSI observed the following event: I observed the establishment employee calmly drive the sow into the stun box. I observed the establishment wet the sow. I observed the establishment consultant place the electrical current tongs behind the ears and apply the first stun attempt. I observed the red light on the electrical current device light up thereby indicating that the electrical current was being discharged. I observed the electrical current tongs quickly slip from the sow. I observed and heard the sow vocalizing. I observed the establishment consultant quickly replace the electrical current tongs behind the ears and apply a second stun attempt, which rendered the sow unconscious, and then apply a stun to the heart. The sow stopped vocalizing, eyes were not tracking, and no rhythmic breathing. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. This noncompliance is being associated with noncompliance record NR#HNT1609063215N-1 issued on 6/14/2023 for the same root cause. The SPHV contacted the establishment owner and verbally notified her of the forthcoming noncompliance. This establishment does not operate under a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling and Slaughter of Livestock.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On June 26, 2023, at 1631 hours, while performing a Humane Handling task, I, the CSI, observed the following noncompliance(s): While performing postmortem inspection on the slaughter floor, I observed establishment employees, calmly drive a steer into the stun box from the holding pens. This steer was agitated as it was foaming at the mouth, kicking the door to the stun box, and trying to escape the stun box. The steer was not being restrained with the head catch. The stun operator retrieved the hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device and waited a moment for the steer to calm itself. When the stun operator discharged the HHCB device, I observed the steer was still conscious and standing with eyes tracking. Blood was on the face in the area of the first stun attempt and the steer became more agitated, vocalizing and moving its head from side to side and up and down. The stun operator reloaded the HHCB device, and a second stun attempt was administered, and I observed the steer was rendered unconscious. A regulatory control action was taken. USDA Reject tag was placed on the stun box. Tag #B272521. The plant owner was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. This noncompliance record is being associated with NR#HNT0714063820N-1 issued on 6/20/2023 for the same root cause. This establishment does not operate under a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling and Slaughter of Livestock.

313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII - Stunning Effectiveness On June 20, 2023, at 0932 hours, while performing a Humane Handling task, I, the CSI, observed the following noncompliance(s): While performing postmortem inspection on the slaughter floor, I observed establishment employees, calmly drive a heifer into the stun box from the holding pens. When the stun operator retrieved the 12-gauge shotgun, I vacated the slaughter floor for safety reasons. I heard the firearm discharge and came back on the floor and observed the heifer to be conscious. I observed the animal standing in the stun box with eyes tracking, without vocalizing. The stun operator immediately reloaded the 12-gauge shotgun and yelled to inform me that he would be applying another stun attempt. I vacated the slaughter floor once again and heard the second stun attempt. When I came back onto the slaughter floor, I observed that the heifer was rendered unconscious and remained unconscious throughout the shackling, hoisting, and bleeding process. I verbally notified establishment management of the forthcoming non-compliance. A regulatory control action was taken, and the stun box was placed under USDA Reject. Tag #B27292534 After inspecting the dressed head, I noticed two holes that had penetrated the skull; one was above the right eye, closer to the top of the head; and the second was in the designated target zone. One non-compliance record has been issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. The establishment does not operate under a robust systematic approach to humane handling of livestock. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels.

313.30(a)(3)

On June 14, 2023, at 0919 hours, while performing a Humane Handling task, I, the CSI observed the following noncompliance(s): While performing a postmortem inspection on the slaughter floor, I observed establishment employees, calmly drive a market swine into the stun box from the holding pens. While in the stun box, the market swine was calm while establishment employees were wetting it down. The stun operator attempted to stun the market swine with the electrical current device and the animal vocalized and turned around inside the stun box before the stun operator was able to apply the stun. The stun operator tried again to stun the animal and ineffectively stunned the market swine with the electrical current device closer to the should blades then the head. I observed the market swine remain standing, vocalizing and running around in the stun box and trying to climb out. At this time, the most senior employee on the slaughter floor took control of the electrical current device and rendered the market swine unconscious with a second stun application. A regulatory control action was taken and the stun box was placed under U.S. Reject Tag #B27292511. I verbally notified the slaughter floor manager of the forthcoming noncompliance record. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause in the past 90 days. This establishment has not implemented a robust systematic approach to the humane handling and slaughter of livestock.

313.16(a)(1)

On March 1, 2023, at 1558 hours, while performing a Humane Handling task, I, the CSI, observed the following noncompliance(s): While performing postmortem inspection on the slaughter floor, I observed establishment employees, calmly drive a steer into the stun box from the holding pens. This steer was agitated as it was foaming at the mouth, kicking the door to the stun box, and trying to escape the stun box. When the stun operator retrieved the 12-gauge shotgun, I vacated the slaughter floor due to safety reasons. I heard the firearm discharge and came back on the floor and observed the steer to be conscious. I observed the animal to be standing in the stun box with eyes tracking. The stun operator immediately reloaded the 12-gauge shotgun and yelled to inform me that he would be applying another stun attempt. I vacated the slaughter floor once again and heard the second stun attempt. When I came back onto the slaughter floor, I observed that the steer was rendered unconscious. A regulatory control action was not taken due to the observed immediate and effective corrective actions by the establishment. I immediately informed my supervisor, the SPHV, who was on-site, of the incident. The plant manager was notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. I observed one penetrating hole in the dressed head. Once the carcass was skinned, I observed an entrance wound at the chuck roast and the exit wound around the ribeye. When the establishment employees were trimming the carcass, all observed shell fragments were contained to the fat and trimmed out on the slaughter floor. Carcass was marked by the establishment and additional shell fragments will be looked for in the processing room. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause in the past 90 days.