Western Heritage Meat Company: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.2

HATS Category III: Water and Feed Availability At approximately 0700 hours on March 29, 2023, IPP conducted a review of the livestock in the holding pens that were held overnight. The temperature was approximately 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The first pen contained four beef with a half of a barrel that contained water that was covered with ice. The second pen contained one beef with a half of a barrel that contained water that was covered with ice. The third pen contained one beef with a half of a barrel that contained water that was covered with ice. Due to the ice in the barrels, none of the animals had access to water. A regulatory control action was not taken as an establishment employee promptly followed IPP and broke the approximately one quarter of an inch thick ice on top of the water in each pen. All three pens of livestock had access to water by approximately 0710. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days.

313.2

Humane Handling Task, HATS Task Category III: Water and Feed Availability At approximately 1900 hours on November 8, 2022, Inspection Plant Personal conducted a review of the livestock in the holding pens that were to be held overnight. The temperature was approximately 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside in the pens. The first pen contained one beef; IPP observed one half of a barrel meant for water sideways inside the pen, leaving the beef with no water. The second pen contained two beef; IPP observed no water available for the livestock. The third pen had one beef; IPP observed a quarter of a barrel containing water covered with ice. The fourth pen contained two beef; IPP observed a quarter of a barrel that contained water what was covered with ice. IPP returned inside and located a plant employee. IPP informed the employee that the animals either had no water or frozen water and that the animals would need to be watered. The employee informed IPP that another employee was to return around 2100 hours and that employee would check on the animals upon his return. IPP stated that the animals must have access to water now and could not wait until the arrival of the other employee. The employee in plant discovered that the outside hoses were frozen and decided to use an igloo cooler to take water outside to the animals. The employee proceeded to fill the cooler multiple times and take it to the animals’ water barrels outside in the first and second pens and break up the ice on top of the water in the barrels in the third and fourth pens. All four pens of livestock had access to water by approximately 1930 hours, therefore a regulatory control action was not taken due to direct observation of immediate corrective actions. I verbally informed the employee that this event would constitute a non-compliance record. The Plant’s Manager arrived shortly after the animals were given access to water. IPP verbally informed him that a non-compliance record would be written for lack of water provided to animals in holding pens. There have been no noncompliance records issued in the past 90 days for the same root cause. The Denver DVMS’s were provided a record of this event.