The Pork Company: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)

313.1

At approximately 1000 I, Dr. REDACTED was at the establishment’s live receiving area observing a truck unloading hogs. At the side of the raised ramp connecting the upper floor of the trailer to the entrance to the hog barn, I observed a 6-inch gap between the floor of the trailer and the ramp. As plant employees started to unload the pigs, I twice observed pig’s feet slipping through the gap. I stopped the unloading process and informed Livestock Supervisor REDACTED who was nearby, what I had seen. At the end of the ramp are three metal plates designed to rotate on a metal pipe attached to the floor of the ramp to act as a “bridge” between the ramp and floor of the trailer when the plates are flipped over toward the trailer. The center plate can only flip over and cannot move from side to side. The two side plates can slide laterally as they overlap the center plate to adjust to the width of the trailer door opening. The side plate on the left side could not cover the opening to the trailer door. The plate was not wide enough and a metal piece covering the metal rod on which the plates pivoted prevented the plate, if it were wide enough, from moving far enough laterally. Because of this, there was a 3-inch gap in the bridge between the side of the trailer and the end of the metal plate. Additionally, there are pie-shaped pieces of metal attached to sides of the ramp which are rotated outward to cover gaps between the wall of the ramp and the side of the trailer. These were in place but were insufficient to cover the entire opening as the trailer did not meet the bottom of the ramp. There is a flexible sheet of material attached to the side of the ramp to fill in additional gaps, but it was in poor condition and was no longer functional which caused the 6-inch gap I originally observed. Mr. REDACTED notified maintenance to address the deficiencies. New material was attached to the ramp sides and the bridge is to be modified to accommodate variations in the size of trailer doors.

313.2

On 03/05/2024 at approximately 0750 while performing a Humane Handling Task and verifying Category II Truck Unloading and Category V-Suspect and Disabled, I (REDACTED, DVM SVMO) observed the following non-compliance. Viewing Pen A, which is the initial holding pen that hogs are driven into off the truck, I saw and heard a hog in distress. It was breathing open mouthed and loudly vocalizing, initially standing and shaking but after a few minutes it laid down and continued loudly vocalizing. The exit gate from Pen A was open and the hog became non-ambulatory in the immediate area near the gate where hogs pass through to the barn. While the hog was still standing, it’s lot-mates went out of the pen and loitered just outside of the gate. A barn employee, as he returned from driving previous hogs down to holding pens, drove these loitering hogs back into Pen A. There were roughly 8 hogs moved, and approximately 2 of the hogs directly ran over the down hog with another clipping the back end of the down hog. The down hog vocalized even more piercingly loudly when the hogs stepped on its non-ambulatory body. These hogs did not suddenly run over the hog, the hogs were run back into the pen at a moderate pace which could have allowed them to be stopped or re-directed. Immediately as I saw what was about to occur, I very loudly, repeatedly shouted out and waved my arms and pointed to the down hog. Yet the hogs were driven over the down hog. The distance from where I was standing at one end of Pen A and the plant employee driving the hogs at the other end of Pen A was approximately 60 feet. Another plant employee, who tattoos the incoming hogs, was standing near me during this event and went and successfully captive bolt euthanized the down hog after the other hogs had moved past the non-ambulatory hog. I notified Barn Manager REDACTED and Plant Manager REDACTED of the noncompliance with 9CFR 313.2(d)(1) Disabled animals unable to move shall be separated from normal ambulatory animals, and 9CFR 313.2(a) Driving of livestock from unloading to holding pens shall be done with a minimum of excitement and discomfort to the animals. I placed US Rejected tag #B-46553479 on the stunner gate and advised management no further truck unloading of livestock as well, while processing the animals already slaughtered was acceptable. I advised management that this event was going to be referred to the USDA FSIS Raleigh District Veterinary Medical Specialist Dr. REDACTED for further review. Corrective Actions: “Production was stopped, non-ambulatory animal was segregated and euthanized.” Preventive Measures: “In event to where have non-ambulatory hog(s) goes down, hogs will be segregated euthanized immediately to prevent any other animals walking over the non-ambulatory animal. Retraining proper technique handling non ambulatory animal by ending of shift 03-05-2024. Also, twice month for three months training will be held documented until June of 2024.” At 0958, DVMS Dr. REDACTED advised that he found these corrective actions and preventive measures acceptable and I removed the US Rejected tag from the stunner gate and released all regulatory control at 10:00 hrs.

313.1

At approximately 1000 on December 7, 2023, I, Dr. REDACTED, while performing a livestock humane handling task, was watching the last of a trailer of pigs being unloaded. As the top level of the trailer was finishing being unloaded, at the juncture between the trailer door and the end of the ramp, I observed twice in quick succession the feet of differed pigs slipping down in the gap between the trailer and the ramp. I notified Livestock Supervisor REDACTED, who was assisting in unloading the trailer. He made some adjustments at the junction, but when unloading commenced on the next trailer I observed the foot and approximately 6-inch potion of the leg slip out through a side gap at the start of the ramp. I notified Mr. REDACTED again, and we went up the ramp to examine the situation. I observed the following issues: (1) The three hinged metal plates attached to the ramp that are flipped over onto the edge of the trailer to create a “bridge” between the ramp and the trailer were not wide enough to cover the width of the trailer opening. If the plates were placed side by side to create a continuous surface, there was a gap of about 4 inches between the outer edge of the bridge and the edge of the trailer door and a smaller one on the other side. If the metal plates were spread apart to cover the side gap, it created 1-2 inch gaps in the middle which would a hazard where the pigs toes could slip through when crossing. (2) The pie shaped metal extension portion on the sides of the ramp (the point of the “pie” attaches to the bottom outer edge of the ramp and outer curve of the extension rotates to cover the side gap between the trailer and the ramp) on one side had been damaged, possibly by a trailer backing into it when it was extended. An 8-10 inch portion of the outer curve of the extension was bent severely and it could not be fully extended. This caused a side gap between the trailer and the ramp and with the metal plate floor gap made the overall gap even larger. (3) The metal weld lines made across one of the bridge plates to prevent the pig feet from slipping were worn down so were providing little traction. There was no cross-hatching to help prevent side slipping of the feet. This was on the side where I observed the feet slipping through the side gap. Regulations 313.1(a) and 313.1(b) require that “Livestock pen, driveways and ramps shall be maintained in good repair . . . Loose boards splintered or broken planking, and unnecessary openings where head, feet, or legs of an animal may be injured shall be repaired.” And “Floors of livestock pens, ramps and driveways shall be constructed and maintained so as to provide good footing for livestock. Slip resistant or wattled floor surfaces, cleated ramps, and the use of sand, as appropriate during winter month are examples of acceptable construction and maintenance.” Mr. REDACTED made some temporary adjustments such as putting a sorting board under the metal bridge crossing to make more continuous surface. I notified Plant Manager REDACTED, who informed me the side extension would be repaired/replaced. The metal bridge plates would be replaced with wider ones to accommodate the trailer door openings, and these would be modified to provide foot traction. These repairs would be started tonight. In the meantime, for each trailer unloading, a heavy bed of cedar chips would be placed between the supporting board and the metal bridge to fill in gaps and on top of the bridge to prevent the pigs from slipping.