Limit Bid Packing: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.15(b)(2)(i),313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 9:34am following an initial stunning attempt by a newly trained stun operator on an older adult beef cow, the SCSI heard loud bovine vocalization coming from the stun box followed by the sound of the pneumatic captive bolt device a second time. The SCSI observed the cow remain standing in the stun box, restrained by the head catch and vocalizing. The Plant Manager then immediately applied a third stun attempt using the pneumatic captive bolt device and the cow remained standing and vocalizing. A fourth stun attempt was applied using the readily available back-up hand-held captive bolt device and was ineffective as the cow continued to be standing and vocalizing. A fifth stun attempt by the Plant Manager using the readily available .380 caliber handgun rendered the cow unconscious at 9:37am. The cow remained unconscious and insensible to pain during shackling and sticking. The SCSI informed the Plant Manager of the egregious humane handling non-compliance and applied the US Rejected tag B36817010 to the stun box. Upon inspection of the dressed head, the three penetrating stun holes from the pneumatic captive bolt device along with the .380 caliber handgun were grouped slightly low and center on the head and the penetrating hole from the hand-held captive bolt device was about 1” higher and to the left of the cluster. These findings are non-compliant with 9CFR 313.15(a)(1), 9CFR 313.15(b)(1)(iv), and 9CFR 313.15(b)(2)(i). 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. The establishment does not operate under a robust systematic approach to humane handling of livestock.