Premium Minnesota Pork, LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)

313.2

At approximately 1:49 pm on Wednesday, 3/20/24, when I was watching unloading of the last truck for the day's kill, I observed the driver unloading tattoo 1519 hogs. He was attempting to rouse and drive the hogs out from the lower section of the truck, when I observed him hitting the hogs 4-5 times with the rattle paddle, using it as a bat and swinging it in a sideways motion with significant force. I immediately yelled at him to stop and started walking toward the truck. The barn personnel waiting to tattoo the hogs turned and yelled to get his attention. At the same time, Barn Manager REDACTED came out of the office. I informed him of what I had observed, and he provided immediate corrective action by motioning the driver to come out of the truck. He evaluated the driver's attitude and observed his gestures and speech towards IPP, and then instructed him to wait in his cab and instructed the barn personnel present to finish unloading the hogs. Two barn employees entered the truck and proceeded to use boards and rattle bats to drive the hogs at their own pace off of the truck. The hogs unloaded easily and without further incident. The truck had a dock time of 11:20 am but arrived at 1:34 pm. The barn manager was told that the hogs loaded "hard." After consideration of the incident, I informed Barn Manager REDACTED that a noncompliance report would be forthcoming.