Ohio Farms Packing Co. Ltd.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)
See the detail of the non-compliance of humane livestock handling that the USDA observed at the Ohio Farms Packing Co. Ltd. slaughterhouse establishment in 2025.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2025.
313.15(a)(1)
HATS Category VIII- Stunning Effectiveness On 04/15/2025 at 2:45 PM, SPHV REDACTED was performing a routine HATS task and observing stunning. A formula-fed veal calf (“nature calf”) was walked slowly into the knock box. The head gate was activated, and the belly plate was raised to ensure the animal was secure and properly restrained. A newly trained stunning operator grabbed the non-penetrating pneumatic captive bolt gun and applied it to the animal right above the eyes and activated it. Dust was seen flying from the entry point. The stunning attempt failed to render the animal unconscious, and the calf continued to blink normally, tracked movement in the room with its eyes, and then began trying to move its head around, however it was restrained. A trained establishment employee observed the movement and immediately walked three steps to the knocking area, took the same stunning device and knocked the animal a second time, rendering it insensible. The establishment then verified unconsciousness through a corneal reflex test before the animal was released from restraint, shackled, hoisted, and bled. On postmortem inspection, the skull showed two impact points in the frontal bone. One impact point was a centimeter above the eyes on the midline, the second impact point was three inches above that location. This is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) and 313.15(b)(1)(iv). QA REDACTED, who was present at the time, was informed of the noncompliance.
313.2
Today at 0645 while performing a routine HATS Category III task for feed and water FI REDACTED noticed the following noncompliance in the barn. In pen one a lamb was tied up and unable to freely move around. This prohibited the lamb’s access to water and prevented the lamb from accessing the water troughs inside the pen. This is noncompliant with 9 CFR 312.2 (e). Barn personnel was notified immediately and Quality Control Director REDACTED. The lamb was untied and allowed to freely move in the pen, thus enabling access to water.
