York Meats: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.2

On November 16, 2022, at approximately 0900 hours, I SPHV Dr. REDACTED observed the following noncompliance while conducting a Humane Animal Handling task. There was one black steer held in pen 8. Beside the water container for that black steer there was an oval-like shaped frozen layer of ice that had been scooped outside of the water container at an earlier time, the ice measured approximately 1 inch in thickness and about 12 inches in length. I could not see inside of the water container without startling the steer due to its position in the pen and at approximately 0905 hours, after the black steer was moved out and stunned, I entered its holding pen to take a closer look at the state of the water in the container that's when I palpated a solid layer of ice throughout the water container. Mr. REDACTED Sr. had walked outside to move the steer into the knock-box, and I soon informed him that I would be issuing the noncompliance for the frozen water in the only container in pen 8. As slaughter continued, I observed the following noncompliance of the same cause, at approximately 1100 hours between the transition of bovine slaughter to sheep slaughter, I observed an establishment employee in training asking if he could move some of the sheep in the holding pens into the knocking area. After receiving the approval from another employee, I followed him out to the pens and at 1107 hours there were 4 mature sheep that had been placed into the knock-box with the restraint in place. I asked him if he was going to be knocking and after he spoke with the other employees, he decided to have a more experienced employee knock the sheep, then he walked back inside the slaughter floor to continue helping, while the 4 sheep remained held in the restraint. At 1133 hours after noticing that the lambs were lying on top of one another in the knock box and still had not been moved from the restraint, I asked Plant Manager, REDACTED Jr. “Lawerance, are you guys going to knock the sheep in the knock-box they’ve been in there since 11:07 and its already 11:33?” Mr. REDACTED Jr. immediately informed the employees that they needed to stun the sheep. He reiterated to his staff, “Can someone go out there and shoot them? If you’re going to bring in animals only bring them in when you’re ready to kill them. don’t just keep them in there.” Immediately after an establishment employee walked outside to knock the sheep. The above scenarios are not in compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(e) or Humane Animal handling task category 3—water and feed availability. Per 313.2(e); Animals shall have access to water in all holding pens and, if held longer than 24 hours, access to feed. There shall be sufficient room in the holding pen for animals held overnight to lie down. A review of noncompliance notices issued within the last 90 days do not show a noncompliance of similar cause or circumstance. This noncompliance will not be linked.