HyLife Foods Windom, LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.5

At approximately 12:56pm while performing HATS Category IX, Check for Conscious Animals on the Rail, I observed the following noncompliance. While standing across from the hog sticker, I observed a market hog shackled and hanging on the rail between the shackling and the sticking areas. The hog quietly vocalized three times as it approached the sticking area. Once it reached the sticking area, the conscious hog loudly vocalized and began kicking all four limbs with coordinated movements. The hog sticker motioned to another employee and an employee arrived with a loaded handheld captive bolt (HHCB) gun. The employee grabbed the hog by the ear to turn it and the hog loudly squealed as it was turned. The employee applied an effective stun with the HHCB gun. The hog began to reflexively kick and vocalizations ceased. I applied U.S. Reject Tag B46568477 to the CO2 stunner. I notified Mr. REDACTED, Senior Manager of the Kill Floor and Yards of the noncompliance and regulatory control action. The establishment failed to meet the requirements of 9 CFR 313.5(a)(3).

313.2

On 04/25/2023 at approximately 0932 hours, while observing HATS Category V, handling of suspect and disabled activities, I observed a down hog in Pen 19. The hog was in lateral recumbency, perpendicular to the wall of the pen, and it’s skin was diffusely puce in color, had dull mentation, and was lethargic and reluctant to rise or move. The establishment made the decision to euthanize the animal. The establishment employees began to drive hogs back into the pen to clear the alley to bring the skid steer closer to the pen. The establishment did not take measures to protect the down animal from other animals in the pen. As the group of animals re-entered the pen, one hog was observed climbing over the down hog, and stepping on its shoulder. After this group had passed the down hog, an establishment employee stepped in with a sort board to protect the hog as the remaining hogs re-entered the pen. Following observation of the humane euthanizing of the down animal, I immediately went to the Scale Office and notified REDACTED, Barn Lead; and REDACTED, Animal Welfare Coordinator, of the incident. This incident is noncompliant with regulation 9 CFR 313.2. REDACTED, Animal Welfare Coordinator, was verbally informed of this noncompliance, and REDACTED, Quality Assurance Senior Manager, was informed in writing with the issuance of this Noncompliance Record.

313.15(a)(1)

At approximately 1122 hours on 03/18/2023 while in the barn verifying HATS Category VIII Stunning Effectiveness as part of a verification plan for Notice of Suspension dated 01/16/2023, an establishment employee was observed attempting to stun a hog by the resale pen. As the captive bolt stunner fired, the hog vocalized making a high-pitched squeal, the conscious hog was then observed moving forward on its feet behind the sort boards into the corner by the suspect pen, then went down in sternal recumbency. The employee immediately administered a second stun attempt with the other loaded hand-held captive bolt stunner. The hog righted itself, standing up, and made a conscious effort to walk forward with coordinated, purposeful movement, stumbling after a few steps. It turned around and went down on its front legs, still standing on its hind legs. Blood was observed running from the captive bolt wounds on its head. One of the employees immediately went to grab more charges from the captive bolt boxes nearby. One of the handheld captive bolt stunners was then immediately reloaded and the captive bolt stunner was readministered rendering the hog unconscious. Three captive bolt wounds were observed on this hog’s head. One was just to the left of the midline on the forehead approximately 2.5 cm dorsal to the level of the eyes. Another was just dorsal to this wound approximately 3 cm dorsal to the level of the eyes. The third wound was approximately 1.5 cm to the right of the midline and approximately 3 cm dorsal to the level of the eyes. This is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) in that the establishment failed to render this animal unconscious on the first attempt. Immediate regulatory control action was taken by verbally informing Animal Welfare Coordinator REDACTED to immediately stop using the captive bolt stunners and to bring them to the scale office, stopping production. She was informed of the noncompliance and that the district office would be contacted. After contacting the district office, Quality Assurance Manager REDACTED was also notified of the noncompliance and that the CO2 stunner would be tagged. The CO2 stunner was then tagged with U.S. Rejected tag NO. B-46 568472. After further discussion with the district office, Ms. REDACTED was verbally notified of the reinstatement of suspension and that a noncompliance record would be issued. Ms. REDACTED was also notified of the reinstatement of suspension and that a noncompliance record would be issued. This noncompliance record is being associated with a similar noncompliance that was documented on 01/16/2023 (ref. NR#OBD3515014716N). The establishment failed to implement the corrective actions, or the measures implemented were inadequate to prevent recurrence.

313.2

On 02/08/2022 at approximately 1513 hours, while observing HATS Category II, Truck Unloading activities, I observed a driver attempting to move a slow hog down the unloading ramp into Receiving Alley 3. On the last third of the ramp, the hog sat down on its hind end, up on its front legs, and refused to move. The hog was oriented perpendicular to the ramp, and slightly facing into the trailer. The driver approached with a plastic sort board and crowded the animal to prompt it to move, but it remained seated, making no attempt to rise. Another driver then used a plastic bat to make contact with the hog's shoulders, with similar results. The driver with the sort board then shoved the hog with force such that the animal flopped backwards onto its back and rolled/slid down the remaining third of the unloading ramp. Upon reaching the bottom, the hog rose and walked slowly into Receiving Alley 3, with no observed limping or external injuries. This animal was one of the last to be unloaded out of the trailer into the barns. I immediately went to the Scale Office and notified REDACTED, Barn Supervisor, and REDACTED, Animal Welfare Coordinator, of my observations, at which time the establishment reviewed security footage of the incident. Ms. REDACTED went to discuss this observation with the driver, who stated that he did apply pressure to the hog, but that the hog had attempted to climb up the side of the chute, resulting in the fall. Ms. REDACTED informed me that she would initiate an investigation into the incident, including forwarding the relevant security footage to the Animal Welfare Team. This finding is noncompliant with regulation 9 CFR 313.2. Ms. REDACTED and Ms. REDACTED were verbally informed of the noncompliance, and REDACTED, Quality Assurance Senior Manager, was informed in writing with the issuance of this Noncompliance Record.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category: VIII-Stunning Effectiveness; IV-Antemortem Inspection At approximately 0730 hours on 01/16/2023 while performing antemortem inspection as part of a routine Livestock Humane Handling task in the barn at establishment M45856, one of the hogs in pen 16 was non-ambulatory and observed open mouth breathing with generalized cutaneous hyperemia. The establishment immediately took action to euthanize the hog. The first stun attempt was administered with a hand-held captive bolt stunner. The stunning attempt was ineffective, and the hog was conscious, lifting its head, tracking movement with its eyes, vocalizing, and moving its head toward an employee as they reached toward it. The establishment employees took immediate corrective action administering the hand-held captive bolt stunner a second time, rendering the animal unconscious. Two holes approximately 1 cm apart were observed on the head of this hog. One wound was observed on the midline approximately 4 cm caudal to the level of the eyes. Approximately 1 cm rostral to this wound another wound was observed on the midline of the head. This is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) in that the establishment failed to render this animal unconscious on the first attempt. Regulatory control action was taken by stopping captive bolt stunning. Barn Supervisor REDACTED was immediately notified of the noncompliance and that a noncompliance record would be issued. After preventative measures were offered, stunning with the captive bolt continued.

313.15(a)(3)

On 01/16/2023 at approximately 1351 hours, while conducting HATS IV, antemortem inspection, in the livestock holding area, establishment employees segregated and isolated a hog with an actively bleeding prolapse. A skid steer was driven into the pen, near the animal and shut off. Two employees, each with their own loaded handheld captive bolt stunner set up folding sort boards between themselves and the hog, which was near the wall of the pen and the bucket of the skid steer. An initial stun attempt was applied to the animal’s forehead. I observed an employee lean over the sort board and move his hand over the animal’s face and eye to check for signs of consciousness. The animal was deemed unconscious, and the skid steer was turned on to load up the animal and transfer it to the carcass collection room. The animal returned to consciousness and stood on all four feet, under its own power, and with coordinated movement began to walk away from the skid steer. After a brief delay, a second stun attempt was applied with a second loaded handheld captive bolt gun and was effective, at which time the animal collapsed, and was observed to be unconscious. The animal was then loaded into the skid steer and transferred to the carcass collection room. I inspected the two stun wounds on the animal’s forehead and observed that they were approximately 1⁄2 cm apart on the midline of the forehead, broke the skin, and were bleeding. At approximately 1405 hours, I placed U.S. Rejected tag #B36837329 to the slatted gate of the REDACTED and informed Cut Floor Assistant Manager REDACTED, and Senior Director of Growth Operations REDACTED that slaughter was suspended, and that I would be contacting the district office through supervisory channels for further guidance. This observation is noncompliant with regulation 9 CFR 313.15(a)(3).

313.2

On 01/04/2022 at approximately 0830 hours, while performing antemortem inspection, HATS Category IV, in the Barns, the following noncompliance with HATS Category V: Handling of Suspect and Disabled Animals was observed in Pen 17: One disabled animal was observed in sternal recumbency against the wall of the pen. The animal was depressed and not alert compared to the other animals in the pen. When REDACTED, Barn Supervisor, attempted to rouse the animal, it stood on all four feet in a crouched position, not attempting to walk, and then returned to sternal recumbency. Ms. REDACTED left to notify a barn employee to captive bolt the animal. Two employees, each with a captive bolt gun, arrived and asked inspection which animal was the down animal. After identifying the correct animal, the employees used a sort board to block the animal and applied a single effective stun to euthanize the animal. The animals in Pen 17 arrived at the establishment at 0708 hours on 01/02/2023. They were then antemortem inspected on 01/03/2023 at 0625 hours. Due to weather, the animals were held over, and fed at 1210 hours on 01/03/2023. After discussing establishment procedures with REDACTED, Barn Lead, animals are supposed to be gotten up and observed when they are fed, however there is no recordkeeping component to this procedure, and animals are only fed if they are held for 24 hours or more. There was also a deceased animal in the pen, nearby the disabled animal. This observation is not consistent with the establishment's Voluntary Segregation Program, which states that REDACTED. The establishment's failure to follow their Voluntary Segregation Program has been discussed in Weekly Meetings with the establishment on 12/02, 12/09, and 12/30, and documented in a Humane Handling MOI from 12/07 in response to observations made on 12/05, and 12/07. This finding is noncompliant with regulation 9 CFR 313.2(d)(1), and the establishment's Voluntary Segregation Program. REDACTED, Supervisor, was verbally notified of the noncompliance, and REDACTED, QA Senior Manager, was notified in writing with the issuance of this Noncompliance Record.