USDA 

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United States Department of Agriculture 

Food Safety and 

Inspection Service 

Office of Field October 26, 2023 

Operations 

Denver District Office 

SENT VIA 

1 Denver Federal ELECTRONIC MAIL 

Center, Bldg. 45 

P.O. Box 25387 Kristopher Musgrave, Establishment Administrator/ Owner 

Denver, CO 80225 

Jessica Musgrave, Owner 

Voice (303) 236-9800 Stagecoach Meat Company, LLC 

Fax (303) 236-9794 Establishment Ml748 

600 West Third Ave 

Wiggins, CO 80654 

kmusgrave@stagecoachmeats.com 

jmusgrave@stagecoachmeats.com 

NOTICE OF INTENDED ENFORCEMENT (NOIE) 

Dear Kristopher & Jessica Musgrave, 

This letter serves as official notification by the Food Safety Inspection Service 

(FSIS) ofits intent to withhold the marks ofinspection and suspend the assignment 

of FSIS Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) at your establishment, Stagecoach 

Meat Co., LLC, Establishment Ml748, located in Wiggins, Colorado. Dr. Jessica 

VanHook, Deputy Disti·ict Manager (DDM), verbally notified you ofthe Notice of 

Intended Enforcement (NOIE) on October 25, 2023. The decision to issue this 

notification was made in accordance with 9 CFR 500.3(b) (Rules of Practice), 

based on your failure to meet regulato1y requirements regarding livestock humane 

slaughter at your establishment. 

Background Authority 

The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), 21 USC Section 603(b), provides for the 

purpose ofpreventing the inhumane slaughtering of livestock. The FMIA gives FSIS 

the authority, as designated by the Secretaiy of the Depaitment of Agriculture, to 

prescribe rnles and regulations describing examinations and inspections of the method 

by which cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines are slaughtered 

in the establishments inspected under the FMIA. The FMIA also provides FSIS 

Program personnel the authority to suspend operations at a slaughtering establishment 

ifFSIS finds that any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules or other equines have 

been slaughtered or handled in connection with slaughter at such establishments by any 

method not in accordance with the Humane Methods ofSlaughter Act (HMSA) of 

August 27, 1958 (72 Statute 862; Title 7 USC, Sections 1901-1906), until the 

establishment furnishes FSIS with satisfacto1y assurances that all slaughtering and 

handling in connection with the slaughter oflivestock shall be in accordance with such 

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stagecoach Meat Company, LLC, Establishment M1748 

methods. 

Under the authorities of these Acts, FSIS has prescribed rules and regulations required for the 

humane slaughtering of livestock, contained in Title 9 CFR Part 313. FSIS has also developed 

Rules of Practice regarding enforcement prescribed in 9 CFR Part 500. The Rules of Practice 

describe the types of enforcement actions that FSIS may take and include procedures for taking a 

withholding action and or suspension, with or without prior notification, as well as the procedures 

for filing a complaint to withdraw a Grant of Federal Inspection. 

Finding/Basis for Action 

On October 25, 2023, the FSIS inspection team documented in a Noncompliance Record (NR) the 

following event at Est. M1748: 

“HATS Category IX: Return to Consciousness 

At approximately 10:32am while performing a Livestock Humane Handling task, I the SPHV, 

accompanied by the CSI and establishment manager, observed stunning, sticking, and bleeding of a 

market swine. This was the 8th and final hog of the day. I observed the stunning operator apply the 

electrical current device to the head of the swine, and the swine immediately collapsed to the 

ground in right lateral position. The swine did not show any signs of consciousness at this time and 

was immediately stuck for bleeding while on the floor. As the animal was bleeding; the swine began 

vocalizing in increasingly rapid fashion and managed to right itself to a sternal position. The swine 

then moved back into lateral position and was observed to be rhythmically breathing. The eyes 

were not visualized due to safety precautions and the positioning of the swine. The stunning 

operator asked me, the SPHV, if he should stun again. I responded that stunning again should be up 

to his discretion, to which he again asked me what he should do. The SPHV instructed the stunning 

operator to deliver another electrical current stun to the rhythmically breathing and vocalizing 

right lateral positioned swine, to which complete unconsciousness was immediately observed as 

rhythmic breathing and vocalization ceased. The stun operator stuck the swine for bleeding again, 

but little to no bleeding was observed. 

The SPHV immediately contacted the District Veterinary Medical Specialist (DVMS) to report the 

observations, and then applied US Reject Tag #B41418880 to the stun box at approximately 

10:37am. Establishment manager was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance due to 

the swine returning to consciousness following an effective stun. 

The CSI inspected the carcass at the final rail inspection stand at approximately 10:55am and 

observed that the initial stick for bleeding angled into the shoulder, thereby incompletely lacerating 

the carotid artery and jugular vein, along with observing multiple blood clots within the neck and 

shoulder region. The SPHV also inspected the carcass and concurs with the observation that was 

reported by the CSI. 

There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause in the past 90 days. This 

establishment has implemented and maintained a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane 

Handling of Livestock.” 

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Stagecoach Meat Company, LLC, Establishment M1748 

Summary 

This event is a noncompliance of regulatory requirements in: 

• Title 9 CFR 313.30(a)(4): The stunned animal shall remain in a state of surgical anesthesia 

through shackling, sticking, and bleeding. 

• Title 9 CFR 313.30(b)(1): General requirements for operator. It is necessary that the 

operator of electric current application equipment be skilled, attentive, and aware of his or 

her responsibility. 

The decision to issue a NOIE in lieu of a Notice of Suspension (NOS) is based on your 

establishment implementing a robust systematic approach to humane handling of livestock. 

You are required to proffer the Denver District Office a written response of your analysis of the 

event, corrective actions and preventative measures within three (3) working days from the receipt 

of this letter, no later than the close of business, October 30, 2023. Your response should include: 

• A written description of the incident. 

• The root cause of the incident. 

• Your immediate corrective actions. 

• Your specific corrective actions to prevent reoccurrence of the noncompliance. 

• Any training or retraining of employees you plan to provide, including materials you’re 

planning to use. 

• Any monitoring procedures, including any documentation records. 

Based on your response, FSIS will determine further action, if any, is necessary. In addition, failure 

to respond to this NOIE and failure to assure that you handle and slaughter animals at your 

establishment humanely, in accordance with the statutory and regulatory requirements, may result 

in further administrative enforcement actions. 

In accordance with Title 9 CFR 500.5(b)(4), you may appeal this action by contacting: 

William Griffin 

Executive Associate for Regulatory Operations 

Office of Field Operations 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

United States Department of Agriculture 

SB, Room 3164 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, DC 20250 

Email: William.Griffin1@usda.gov 

Phone: (202) 961-7156 

If you have any questions regarding this matter, you may contact the Denver District Office at (303) 

236-9800. 

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Stagecoach Meat Company, LLC, Establishment Ml 748 

Sincerely, 

ROBERT REEDER ~:rsign9<1byROBERT 

Dat9: 2023.10.2610:20:38 -06'00 

Dr. Robert Reeder 

Disti·ict Manager 

USDA FSIS OFO 

Denver Disti·ict Office 

Robert.Reeder@usda.gov 

cc: FO/QER 

W. Griffin, EARO 

D. James, DDM 

J. Monteverde, DDM 

J. VanHook, DDM 

PHV 

SCSI 

CSI 

DVMS 

SEIAO 

S. Smith, RD/OIEA 

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