Gentle Harvest: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.16(a)(1)

At approximately 1215 hours on 10/7/2022 I, (CSI REDACTED) and SCSI REDACTED witnessed the following Egregious Humane Handling Noncompliance, HATS Category VIII Stunning Effectiveness. REDACTED (Assistant Plant Manager); while stunning a sow in the beef knock box, fired twice with a .22 Magnum rifle. The first shot was ineffective and was followed up with an immediate second shot which was also ineffective. The sow remained standing and briefly vocalized after each shot and continued to show signs of consciousness including tracking with the head and eyes and rhythmic breathing. SCSI REDACTED retrieved REDACTED (Plant Manager) who was in the processing room, Mr. REDACTED then brought a .410 slug gun. Mr. REDACTED then shot the sow with the .410 twice, the first shot was ineffective, the sow remained standing and vocalized briefly and continued to show signs of consciousness including tracking with the head and eyes and rhythmic breathing, the second shot was effective and rendered the animal unconscious. Post-mortem examination of the head revealed the sow had a fat pad on the skull that was approximately 4-5" thick. There was one large entry wound in the center of the fat pad about 1.5"-2" above the eyes. When the head was skinned there were no signs of entry to the top of the skull, there was a small hole just above the left eye socket that had a bullet fragment wedged in it. I placed a US rejected tag #B45089411 on the knock box and took regulatory control. I notified Mr. REDACTED and Mr. REDACTED of the egregious humane handling noncompliance. The above observation is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1).