Schenk Packing Company, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On 08/09/2025 at approximately 1220 hours while performing a livestock humane handling verification task I, the DVMO, observed the following noncompliance: Establishment personnel had driven a black bull into the stun box and restrained it in the head catch. The bull was struggling in the head catch but the head was well-restrained. The stun operator applied a stun attempt to the bull with a hand-held captive bolt device (HHCB). The bull remained standing and struggling in the head catch in a controlled manner with the same amount of effort it had prior to the initial stun application. The bull's eyes remained open and tracking. There was no vocalization. The stun operator immediately applied another stun attempt with a readily-available backup HHCB. The stun attempt was effective and the bull was rendered insensible. The bull remained insensible during the shackling, hoisting, and bleeding process. Due to the immediate, effective corrective action, no regulatory control action was taken. Upon examination of the dressed head, two holes were observed. One with full penetration and one with partial penetration. The boning area supervisor was notified of the forthcoming noncompliance report as no other establishment management was available. The Denver District Management Team was contacted through supervisory channels. There have been no noncompliance reports issued for the same root cause in the past 90 days. This establishment operates under a robust systematic approach to livestock humane handling and slaughter.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On June 2, 2025, at 2:47 pm, while performing a Humane Handling review and observation task, I, the CSI, observed the following noncompliance in the stunning area. I observed the employee in the stunning area attempting to stun a bovine #233 in the head. As he attempted the first stun with a hand-held captive bolt (HHCB), the bovine tilted its head to the left causing the bolt to miss the target and graze its skull. The bovine did not vocalize and held its head low in the corner of the stun box in response to the first stun attempt. The employee immediately went to grab the second hand-held captive bolt to perform a second stun. The bovine held its head down for another 35 seconds before it brought its head up for a successful second stun. Due to the first ineffective stun, this was a noncompliance. Both employees in attendance were verbally notified of the noncompliance, as well as management. Regulatory control action was taken and U.S. Reject tag # B42 102312 was placed on the stun box stunning area. After consulting with the Denver District Management Team via supervisory channel, the U.S. Reject tag was removed at 3:05pm. There have been five (5) noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the last 90 days. This noncompliance is being associated with NR # ITE1313054116N-1 dated 05/16/2025. The establishment is operating under a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling of Livestock.

313.15(a)(1),313.15(b)(1)(iii)

HATS Category VIII – Stunning Effectiveness On 5/16/2025, at approximately 0950 hours, while performing a Humane Handling Activities Tracking System (HATS) verification task I, the DVMO, observed establishment personnel drive a beef cow into the stun box. The stun operator attempted to stun the beef cow with a handheld captive bolt (HHCB) device. After application of the first stun attempt, the cow shook its head and remained standing. There was no vocalization. The stun operator immediately applied a second stun using a readily available back-up HHCB device. The second stun attempt was effective. The beef cow remained unconscious during the shackling, hoisting, and bleeding process. A regulatory control action was taken by tagging the stun box with U.S. Reject Tag #B42102311. Establishment management was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Upon inspection of the dressed head, one penetrating hole was observed laterally to the target zone with poor penetration and one penetrating hole was observed within the target zone. There have been four (4) noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the last 90 days. This noncompliance is being associated with NR ITE0817051912N-1 dated 05/12/2025. The Denver District Management Team (DMT) was notified through supervisory channels. This establishment is operating under a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling of Livestock.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII—Stunning Effectiveness On 5/12/25, At approximately 1430 hours, while performing a Humane Handling Activities Tracking System (HATS) verification task, I, the DVMO, observed establishment personnel drive a dairy cow into the stun box. The trained and experienced stun operator attempted to stun the dairy cow with a hand-held captive bolt (HHBC) device. After application of the 1st stun attempt, the cow staggered and then regained her footing, maintaining a standing posture. There was no vocalization. The stun operator immediately applied a second stun using a readily available back-up hand-held captive bolt device. The second stun attempt was effective and rendered the animal unconscious. The dairy cow remained unconscious during the shackling, hoisting, and bleeding process. The DVMO took regulatory control action and applied a U.S. Rejected tag # B42102315 to the stun box at approximately 1433 hours. Establishment management was notified of the regulatory control action and was verbally informed of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Upon inspection of the dressed head, one penetrating hole was observed to the right of the target zone and one penetrating hole was observed within the target zone. The hole in the target zone had powder burn on the hair and had incomplete penetration, entering the frontal sinus. There have been three (3) noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. The establishment operates under a Robust Systematic Approach to Livestock Humane Handling.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1535 hours while performing HATS Verification task, I, the DVMO, observed a beef cow being driven into the stun box. The stun operator attempted to stun the cow using a compressed air captive bolt device. The stun was observed to penetrate the right lateral poll area. The cow staggered and then regained her footing. There was no vocalization. The stun operator immediately applied a second stun using a readily available back-up hand-held captive bolt device. The second stun attempt was effective. The beef cow remained unconscious during the shackling, hoisting, and bleeding process. No regulatory control action was taken. Establishment management was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Upon inspection of the dressed head, one penetrating hole was observed on the right lateral poll area and one penetrating hole was observed within the target zone. There has been two (2) noncompliance records (ITE1509041811N, ITE1312052708N) issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. This establishment maintains a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling of Livestock.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1000 hours while performing HATS Verification task, I, the DVMO, observed a dairy cow being driven into the stun box. The stun operator attempted to stun the cow using a compressed air captive bolt device. The stun was observed to penetrate the right lateral poll area. The cow staggered and then regained her footing. There was no vocalization. The stun operator immediately applied a second stun using a readily available back-up hand-held captive bolt device. The second stun attempt was effective. The dairy cow remained unconscious during the shackling, hoisting, and bleeding process. No regulatory control action was taken. Establishment management was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Upon inspection of the dressed head, one penetrating hole was observed on the right lateral poll area and one penetrating hole was observed within the target zone. There has been one (1) noncompliance record (ITE1509041811N) issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. This establishment maintains a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling of Livestock.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1530 hours while performing HATS Verification task, I, the DVMO, observed a dairy cow being driven into the stun box. The stun operator attempted to stun the cow using a compressed air captive bolt device. The stun was observed to glance off the right lateral skull. The cow staggered and then regained her footing. There was no vocalization. The stun operator immediately applied a second stun using a readily available back-up hand-held captive bolt device. The second stun attempt was effective. The dairy cow remained unconscious during the shackling, hoisting, and bleeding process. A regulatory control action was taken by tagging the stun box with U.S. Reject Tag #B42102170. Establishment management was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Upon inspection of the dressed head, one penetrating hole was observed within the target zone. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. This establishment maintains a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling of Livestock. The U.S. Reject tag was removed from the stun box at approximately 1540 hours.