Food Ranch Farms: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)

313.2

HATS Category III: Water and feed availability On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 1150 hours, upon returning from lunch, I observed a cow that was enclosed in the alleyway without access to water. The establishment employees went to lunch at 1110. The last cow was run into the alleyway at approximately 0810 hours. On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the establishment owner asked if more than one animal could be loaded into the alley leading to the knock box. We discussed that animals must have access to water while being held, which includes establishment breaks and breakdowns, and if the establishment is not actively stunning and moving livestock through the single file chute, then the single file chute is being utilized as a holding pen and would need water access. This is a noncompliance per 9 CFR 313.2. I verbally notified the owner of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Owner stated that he understood and had forgotten about the animal at lunch. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. This establishment has not implemented a robust systematic approach to the humane handling of livestock.

313.16(b)(2),313.16(b)(1)(iii),313.16(b)(1)(i),313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On March 11, 2025, at 0820 hours while performing Livestock Humane Handling Inspection for Stunning Effectiveness and Conscious Animals on The Rail, I observed the following noncompliance. The first heifer scheduled for Slaughter was in the stun box, the animal was moving its head from side to side. The stun operator waited for the animal to settle, and I observed the stun operator administer the first stun attempt with a 22-magnum pistol from the vantage point behind the stun operator and the wall of the slaughter floor. The bovine continued to remain standing in the stun box and continued to exhibit signs of consciousness, such as blinking, breathing, and moving her head from side to side. I heard no vocalization as the heifer remained standing on all 4 feet. Subsequent stun attempts with the same 22-magnum pistol equally were ineffective. The stun operator readily retrieved a 9mm pistol which was nearby, which successfully rendered the animal insensible. I observed the tongue of the animal hanging limp, there was no blinking of the eye, no breathing, nor vocalizing. The stun operator proceeded to bleed the animal. I immediately took a Regulatory Control Action by tagging the stun box with U.S. Rejected Tag#B10 557795. I verbally notified the Plant Manager that a noncompliance would be documented. I immediately contacted our Frontline Supervisor. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. During inspection of the dressed head, multiple non-penetrating contact points were identified clustered in the forehead region with compacted bullet fragments on the surface of the bone. Two penetrating points were identified in the frontal bone, one clearly made by the 9mm. There have been no humane handling noncompliance records issued in the past 30 days, since the start of slaughter operations, for the same root cause. This establishment has not implemented a robust systematic approach to humane handling of livestock.