Swift Pork Company: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.2

On 09/21/2023 at approximately 2042 hours, after performing HATS Category IV – Antemortem Inspection, I walked up to the corner of the northeast butina holding pen. As I looked in the pen, a noncompliance was observed with HATS Category III – Water and Feed Availability. I observed the black boat used to transport downer hogs under both water nipple outlets mounted to the east wall of the pen. The looped shaped steel cable attached to the front of the black boat used to pull it was looped on the floor extending approximately 2’ away from the boat in front of the northeast nipple water outlet. There was also a sort board leaning from the wall adjacent to the southeast water nipple outlet to the side of the black boat facing the wall. I walked around to the southwest wall of the pen and observed the front of the boat in line with the northeast water nipple outlet. The black boat was approximately 4’ x 2.5’. Mr. REDACTED Stick Supervisor was already in the area hosing down the center alley. I showed him how the storage location of the boat, steel cable and sort board obstructed access to the nipple waterers as well as creating a trip hazard. I informed Mr. REDACTED a noncompliance record would be issued and requested an immediate corrective action. Mr. REDACTED had the boat and sort board removed. This fails to meet 9 CFR 313.2(e) in that access to water was obstructed, and if attempted gave opportunity for a trip hazard. At the time of this observation there were two animals in the pen.

313.1

On 07/31/2023 at approximately 1120 hours, I was conducting humane handling observations for HATS Category VII – Slips and Falls near holding pen 42. I stood near the unloading side of the pen to observe the hogs when they were moved to slaughter. As the exit gate was opened, I observed two establishment employees working in tandem inside the pen. One employee shook a rattle can on one side of the pen spreading the herd out while the other employee tapped a rattle paddle on the flooring moving groups of 25-30 hogs out of the pen around a sloped curve towards the center alley leading to the REDACTED alley. Many of the hogs lost footing on the sloped area and several hogs slipped and fell. As some of the hogs exited the pen their pace increased. The employee moved each group to the center alley gating most of them off at the REDACTED drive alley, while some of the hogs lost footing, slipped, and fell while moving back towards pen 42 around the slope. After the pen was unloaded, I informed Mr. REDACTED Stick Supervisor, that based on my observations a noncompliance record would be issued and requested an immediate corrective action. Mr. REDACTED radioed for Mr. REDACTED, Animal Welfare Manager. While waiting for Mr. REDACTED to arrive I observed excessive feces in the grooves of the sloped area. The area at the base of the slope had standing wet feces up to approximately one-half inch deep completely covering parts of the flooring. I noticed a large hole in the concrete near the base of the slope, approximately four feet long also with wet feces buildup. The flooring was comprised of slight linear grooves, smooth areas where concrete had been poured, bricks, and pebble stone. Mr. REDACTED arrived, I discussed and showed him my observations and that a noncompliance record was being issued and requested an immediate corrective action. Mr. REDACTED advised he would have the area hosed down, contact maintenance to fill in the hole, have the area scarified over the weekend, and that the pen will remain on hold until all corrective actions were implemented. This NR is associated with NR HEM4218074024 N / 1, dated 07/20/2023 in that both NRs demonstrate repetitive failures of the same aspect of floors and driveways not being maintained to provide good footing for the animals.

313.2

On 07/24/2023 at approximately 2200 hours, I was conducting humane handling observations for HATS Category II - Truck Unloading at hog unloading bay number three. I was outside the trailer for these observations, peering through the numerous trailer wall holes. I observed the driver in the front lower section using his plastic BB-bat to drive animals toward the trailer exit. I observed the driver strike the face of a hog twice, and when the hog reacted by stopping movement, he continued to strike the animal in the face three times in rapid succession. I went to the employee at the tattoo booth and, taking a regulatory control action, requested to have the driver stop unloading hogs and requested a supervisor. Mr. REDACTED, Livestock Supervisor arrived, and I informed him of the noncompliance I observed, and I reiterated that based on my observations the excessive frequency and placement of the bat strikes was not consistent with a minimum of excitement and discomfort. I informed Mr. REDACTED that a noncompliance record would be issued, and I requested corrective actions. Mr. REDACTED suspended the driver for 72 hours and would not permit the driver to continue unloading the current load of hogs. I removed my regulatory control action, and establishment employees unloaded the remaining hogs.

313.1,313.2

On 07/20/2023 at approximately 1922 hours, I went to do HATS Category VII – Slips and Falls, near the area where the center alley drive transitions to the butina drive. Upon my arrival an establishment employee was in the east half of pen 22 shaking their rattle can and tapping their rattle paddle on the flooring as a group of about 25-30 hogs were moving towards the north wall of the pen. As the group was moving away from her, I observed one hog fall on its ham and another slip. The employee continued to use both implements as the hogs moved towards the exit gates of pen 22 and into the center alley. I then observed a hog behind the employee in pen 22 slip as it was moving towards the south wall. The hog stopped parallel against the south wall. The southeast exit gate of pen 22 wasn’t fully shut so it swung into the pen towards the south wall coming to a stop after bumping the hog. The employee went back into the pen, opened the gate, and moved the hog to the center alley. No apparent injuries were observed. After the pen was emptied, the overall flooring was observed to have accumulated enough feces to fill up the spaces between the cobblestone grooves in the flooring. Given these observations, at approximately 1927 hours, I informed Mr. REDACTED Stick Supervisor of the excessive fecal buildup causing inadequate footing resulting in one animal to fall and two to slip, and that I was issuing a noncompliance record and requested an immediate corrective action. Mr. REDACTED advised he would hose the pen down. While Mr. REDACTED went to get a hose, I observed the same employee moving a group of hogs down the center alley towards the first butina drive gate. As the employee was closing the gate one hogs in the group stopped in the way of the gate from being closed so the employee pushed that gate into the hog eliciting a loud rapid squeal as it quickly moved forward. After the employee closed the gate, I informed Mr. REDACTED of the employee’s actions causing excitement and discomfort to the hog. At approximately 1935 hours, I placed U.S. Reject tag B36019873 across the center alley and requested an immediate corrective action. Mr. REDACTED radioed for Mr. REDACTED, Harvest General Foreman. Mr. REDACTED arrived, I informed him of my observations, and requested an immediate corrective action. Mr. REDACTED had the employee removed from the area. At approximately 1938 hours, I removed the U.S. Reject tag and allowed slaughter to resume. Mr. REDACTED, FSQA Hot Side Supervisor had arrived and inquired about the matter. While informing Mr. REDACTED what had taken place, I observed an employee moving a group of about 25-30 hogs down the center alley towards the REDACTED drive gate. Before the employee closed the gate several of the hogs went around both sides of the employee moving back up the center alley. Of these hogs, one slipped and fell on its belly alongside the gate of pen 22 and two other hogs slipped near the opposite side of the alley. The flooring where the hog fell had shallow linear scarification grooves overfilled with wet feces and the flooring where the slips occurred was waffled type with heavy feces buildup between some of the grooves. Given these observations, I verbally informed Mr. REDACTED to stop moving anymore hogs and requested corrective actions. Mr. REDACTED thoroughly hosed the center alley. I then allowed slaughter to resume. No further slips or falls were observed. Mr. REDACTED advised the flooring would be scarified this weekend and, in the interim, would be monitored every 30-60 minutes and hosed as necessary.

313.2

On 06/01/2023 at approximately 0027 hours, I was going to the northeast butina holding pen to perform HATS Category VII – Slips and Falls of the adjacent butina drive alley. Upon my arrival to one of the northeast side gates I noticed a hog in the pen resting up against the gate preventing me from entering. As I briefly looked in the pen, a noncompliance was observed with HATS Category III – Water and Feed Availability. I observed a blue sort board leaning up against and covering both water nipple outlets. I went around to the northwest gate, entered the pen and walked up to the sort board. I motioned to one of the butina drive employees to summon for a supervisor. Mr. REDACTED Stick Supervisor arrived, and I showed him the sort board and how it was blocking the hogs accessibility to the water and that I was issuing a noncompliance record and requested an immediate corrective action. Mr. REDACTED removed the sort board. The sort board was covering the only source of water in the pen. There were nine hogs in the pen at the time of this observation. I also informed Mr. REDACTED, Harvest General Foreman of my observations and that a noncompliance was being issued.

313.2

After checking subject pens and verifying deads with the stun tech, as I entered the door to livestock at approximately 11:05 hours to verify HATS Category III - Water and Feed Availability, I heard loud vocalizations coming from pen 40. I walked along the outside of pen 40 and observed a noncompliance with HATS Category – VI Electric Prod/Alternative Object Use. A center alley employee standing by the northeast wall on the inside of pen 40 was encircled by a bunched-up groups of hogs. She was looking at the other two center alley drivers, one by the end of the southwest gate of pen 40 and the other standing at the southeast end of pen 39. Then, she started paddling the animals in the back of the group and they began to pile and vocalize loudly. The employee continued to paddle the animals, until the group finally moved. During this movement I observed signs of excitement as there were increased loud vocalizations, piling, causing one hog twisting in the pile and falling. Then the employee near the southwest gate entered the pen and in the process of rattling his paddle to move animals towards the exit gate, animals behind him began to vocalize loudly, piling amongst one another causing another hog to twist and fall in the pile. Given these observations, at approximately 11:07 hours, I informed Mr. REDACTED Stick Supervisor, that I observed numerous hogs bunched together against the northwest corner of the pen and one of the employees began to paddle the hogs in the back of the group, and as the hogs started to pile and vocalize loudly, the employee continued to paddle the hogs causing more piling, loud vocalizations, and a hog vocalizing loudly losing balance in the pile and falling. I informed Mr. REDACTED I would be US rejecting the drive alley and requested corrective actions. Mr. REDACTED informed me that the employee was new, and he would do a coaching. I informed Mr. REDACTED a noncompliance record would be issued. I placed US reject tag B36019698 on the drive alley at approximately 11:10 hours. Mr. REDACTED Harvest General Superintendent, Ms. REDACTED, Regulatory Manager, and Mr. REDACTED Plant Manager arrived, and I discussed with them what had transpired. Mr. REDACTED gave further corrective actions to remove the employee from livestock. I removed my tag at approximately 11:13 hours and allowed operations to resume.

313.1

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at approximately 2124 hours, while performing Livestock Humane Handling verification, HATS IV, Antemortem Inspection, to verify that the establishment’s facilities meet 313.1(a), I observed the following noncompliance: on the south side of the south gate for pen 11A, I observed several sharp/jagged points of metal along the gate. The sharp points were all low enough that the hogs could be injured. This area is also a high traffic area for hogs being moved up to the stunning area. I notified the Yard Supervisor REDACTED of the deviation and discussed corrective actions. Mr. REDACTED informed me that the pen was to be emptied and then the establishment would reweld the gate. On March 15, 2023, I reexamined the gate and found that the sheet metal along the entire gate had been replaced and no sharp edges were present. I verbally notified Mr. REDACTED of the forthcoming noncompliance for failing to maintain pens and driveways as required in 9 CFR 313.1(a).

313.1

On 12/06/2022 at approximately 1925 hours, I went to the Livestock scales to perform HATS Category VII – Observation for Slips and Falls. While observing hogs as they were being moved off scales A and B, I observed the following noncompliance. The flooring of both scales had excessive amounts of feces material that overfilled the grooves in the flooring. I observed as the animals were being moved off the scales the livestock employee was using his rattle paddle by hovering and rattling it over the animals as they moved towards the exits of the scales. I noticed that even as the animals were already in motion the livestock employee continued to drive the hogs. I observed fourteen lose footing, four slips and two falls. This is a noncompliance with 313.1(b). No efforts at any time were made by the livestock employee to stop moving animals. No injuries or signs of distress were observed. I took a regulatory action by rejecting both scales with US Reject tag B34826036. At approximately 1935 hours, I informed Mr. REDACTED of my observations as the basis for my regulatory control action, and I notified him that a noncompliance record would be issued for failing to meet the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.1(b). At approximately 1938 hours, Mr. REDACTED advised me that the scales would not be utilized until maintenance scarified the flooring and instructed a livestock employee to wash the scales. As the scales were washed, I noted the unevenness in the grooved flooring. At approximately 1946 hours, I removed the US Reject tag so maintenance could scarify the flooring, which they completed at 2002 hours.