Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.2

At approximately 2247 hours on 7/24/2023 while performing antemortem inspection, HATS Category IV, at pen 14, I observed the following non-compliance. I identified a conscious non-ambulatory hog in the South end of the pen that was showing signs of stress (moderate cyanosis and open mouth breathing with moderately labored respiration) when prompted to ambulate with the other pen mates. During my observations, I observed the hog rhythmically breathing and changing between positions from dog sitting stance, lateral recumbency, and sternal recumbency, but not able to ambulate. I requested to Livestock Coordinator REDACTED that the hog be removed from the pen and placed in the cripple pen. The skid steer driver and another establishment employee arrived at the area. Without checking the conscious state of the hog, the establishment employee grabbed the hog by the hind limb and rotated the animal in a clockwise quarter circle in attempt to reposition it for the skid steer to pick it up. I immediately took a verbal regulatory control action and told the employee to stop moving the hog. The employee stopped repositioning the hog and let go of the leg when he became aware of the conscious animal. Barn Manager REDACTED elected to euthanize the animal via hand-held captive bolt (HHCB). After the stun via HHCB was applied, the hog was immediately unconscious and began reflexively kicking. I informed Barn Manager REDACTED of the forthcoming non-compliance report and due to the seriousness of the violation that I would be placing a regulatory hold on slaughter activities while the Des Moines District Management team evaluates the incident. US reject tags B37084003 and B37084004 were placed across the two drive alleys leading to the REDACTED At 0010 hours, after communication with the Des Moines District Office Management, I received and verified corrective actions from establishment, and the regulatory control action was removed allowing for slaughter operations to resume. This is non-compliant with 9 CFR 313.2(d)(3).

313.2

HATS Category III – Water and Feed Availability; HATS Category IV – Ante-mortem Inspection At approximately 2305 hours while performing ante-mortem inspection on the North end of Pen 38 (Lot 105, 172 head) in the livestock yards, the following non-compliance was observed. While performing observations on the pigs in the North section of Pen 38, I observed that multiple pigs were laying on top of one another (1/2 to 3⁄4 of a pig laying directly on top of another pig) or pigs in a dog-sitting position with the front part of their body on top of an adjacent pig. There was no floors space available for these pigs to fully lie down as the entire floor space was filled with other pigs laying down. There was no floor space for a pig to walk without being forced to step or crawl onto another pig. This prohibited the pigs’ access to the two water stations in this section pen (one on each the East and West walls) for a majority of the pigs in this section of the pen. When observing the middle and South sections of Pen 38, sizable areas of open floor space was observed amongst the pigs laying down in those sections. I showed my observations to Night Shift Livestock Yard Manager REDACTED and informed him of the forthcoming noncompliance report. I took a regulatory control action by requesting a count on the number of pigs in the North section and for the establishment to provide the pigs with space in the pen for them to adequately access the water stations. The pigs from the North section were removed and evenly redistributed throughout other sections of the pen. A total of 61 pigs were counted when removed from the North section. The gate in between the North and middle sections was opened to allow the 61 pigs to be intermixed with the pigs in the middle section. Ante-mortem inspection was then completed on the entire Pen 38. Stocking pigs in a pen or section of a pen to the point pigs cannot move without stepping on one another impedes the pigs' accessibility to water. This is non-compliant with 9 CFR 313.2(e).