Took a couple to the slaughter house yesterday...

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jltrent

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What a cluster, as they were bombarded with cows. In front of me was a tractor trailer double deck load out of Kentucky of 37 Holsteins packed in like sardines. I counted them as they unloaded and they were nice young cows as it looked like one had just dropped a calf, hopefully not on the way. Apparently while they were up in price the guy just got out of the business, maybe low on feed. Behind me was another tractor trailer load double deck out of Knoxville TN and at least 5 in line like me as I got there early and the rest of the day I am sure a lot more came in. One of the guys working there said they were getting cattle from the drought areas in the west. You get more out of your cattle taking them direct, avoiding the sale bill, etc., but every time I go it sure tests my mental psychic. Every few minutes the gun shots, heads laying around, you name it.
 
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I've never been to one of the big ones, but some guys I know took some to a big one and said they've made two trips to one of those - their first and their last. He said you know how the process goes, but it's another thing being there with all that going on. Like you say, cows going in, and parts coming out. That's the nice thing about the smaller local processors, you can drop em off without wait most of the time and move on and pick em up later when they're ready.
 
They still use guns there or captive bolts? I guess sledge hammers aren't the done thing anymore but back in the day it was the main way.
Didn't see it this time or here the gun shots, but the last time there I picked up the old rusty .22 and saw the boxes of ammo laying close by. Also was there long enough to here at least three rounds (15 head a round) of cattle get put down and drug on back to be processed. Every few minutes a large loader full of guts came out the side and dumped them in a trailer. This is a family board as I maybe getting too graphic. I try to take care of my cattle and meet their needs and sometimes it is hard to send ole Sally on down the line.
 
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Didn't see it this time or here the gun shots, but the last time there I picked up the old rusty .22 and saw the boxes of ammo laying close by. Also was there long enough to here at least three rounds of cattle get put down and drug on back to be processed. Every few minutes a large loader full of guts came out the side and dumped them in a trailer. This is a family board as I maybe getting too graphic. I try to take care of my cattle and meet their needs and sometimes it is hard to send ole Sally on down the line.
This must still not be a "Big" plant. When I drop off cattle at Tyson you don't see or hear anything. It's usually eery quiet. No balling or yelling. There is a gun safe in the scale house, but I've never seen it open. There are cameras EVERYWHERE. Used to be able to watch them knock cattle from the scale house. There were nine cameras between the alley and where they get shackled. The shift supervisor told me he could watch the stun line, along with the main office and the overall plant manager could watch from his home office. Animal welfare concerns are very obvious.
When they are running full capacity that plant kills 3,200 cattle a day. Used to have to wait in line to unload. Now after an incident were cattle stood on a truck for five hours, you schedule a hour window to deliver in.
 
This must still not be a "Big" plant. When I drop off cattle at Tyson you don't see or hear anything. It's usually eery quiet. No balling or yelling. There is a gun safe in the scale house, but I've never seen it open. There are cameras EVERYWHERE. Used to be able to watch them knock cattle from the scale house. There were nine cameras between the alley and where they get shackled. The shift supervisor told me he could watch the stun line, along with the main office and the overall plant manager could watch from his home office. Animal welfare concerns are very obvious.
When they are running full capacity that plant kills 3,200 cattle a day. Used to have to wait in line to unload. Now after an incident were cattle stood on a truck for five hours, you schedule a hour window to deliver in.
I heard this place kills 200 cows a day and they are slowly upgrading. To unload you use to back inside right were the kill line was and now you circle around back and kind of avoid some of it. My wife has family that lives pretty close and they see large reefer trailers coming and going from there with tags all over the US.

When I use to back inside was when I picked up the ole rusty .22 and saw how their operation worked. The only sign I saw yesterday was you are not allow to help unload and cattle prods are not allow to be used.
 
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I heard this place kills 200 cows a day and they are slowly upgrading. To unload you use to back inside right were the kill line was and now you circle around back and kind of avoid some of it. My wife has family that lives pretty close and they see large reefer trailers coming and going from there with tags all over the US.

When I use to back inside was when I picked up the ole rusty .22 and saw how their operation worked. The only sign I saw yesterday was you are not allow to help unload and cattle prods are not allow to be used.
Tyson had a fat get out in the parking lot a couple years ago. So they got the bright idea to change the trailer unload to only be able to use the half door.
I was unloading ten strs one day. They just did not want to turn around on our 24' trailer. I went to the back of my truck grabbed a plan sorting stick. I nicely used the stock to get the cattle unloaded. Walked back to the truck, through the stock in the back and headed to the scale house to pick up my ticket. Half way there I was met by a very nice nervous lady who introduced herself and asked to speak with me in the scale house(in front of several other guys. She must have had problems in the past) she informed me that she watched me unload the cattle and that plan sticks were not allowed! I politely told her Tyson needed to put the unload back the way it was and if she didn't like my stick, I would be happy if Tyson would donate a flag stick or paddle to me.
 
This must still not be a "Big" plant. When I drop off cattle at Tyson you don't see or hear anything. It's usually eery quiet. No balling or yelling. There is a gun safe in the scale house, but I've never seen it open. There are cameras EVERYWHERE. Used to be able to watch them knock cattle from the scale house. There were nine cameras between the alley and where they get shackled. The shift supervisor told me he could watch the stun line, along with the main office and the overall plant manager could watch from his home office. Animal welfare concerns are very obvious.
When they are running full capacity that plant kills 3,200 cattle a day. Used to have to wait in line to unload. Now after an incident were cattle stood on a truck for five hours, you schedule a hour window to deliver in.
JBS in Green Bay is the same way. I was in awe of how efficient and clean everything was. The kill floor was quiet and the cows were calmly moving along single file. Everything was killed with an air powered captive bolt. I walked away feeling much better about the process than I expected. Cows that were extremely lame or unable to get up were shot in place and tanked. No lifting, dragging, or excessive attempts to goad cattle tolerated.
 
Did you take them to Southeastern Provisions in Grainger County?
Yes, as I called the day before to make sure they were taking cattle the next day. The lady said to have them there by noon. It cuts the sale bill out and the lower middleman. They pay by the dressed weight. The ones I have taken before I believe I came out a little better than running them through the stock yard sale. One guy in line had a cow in his trailer from Church Hill and I enjoyed talking with him while I waited which was maybe 30 minutes to unload.
 
You have to remember that they had all their workers taken away a couple years ago. They are still trying to hire Americans in their place. Most are too lazy
They also had an employee die, got killed or something there not long ago. One reason I called ahead, I did not want to make a dry run. I seen maybe 10 employees and none were Mexicans as they may have had plenty on the inside. With the cattle they are processing they must have help. All they do is block it out and gets shipped to the retailers in large boxes and triple their money.
 
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Tyson had a fat get out in the parking lot a couple years ago. So they got the bright idea to change the trailer unload to only be able to use the half door.
I was unloading ten strs one day. They just did not want to turn around on our 24' trailer. I went to the back of my truck grabbed a plan sorting stick. I nicely used the stock to get the cattle unloaded. Walked back to the truck, through the stock in the back and headed to the scale house to pick up my ticket. Half way there I was met by a very nice nervous lady who introduced herself and asked to speak with me in the scale house(in front of several other guys. She must have had problems in the past) she informed me that she watched me unload the cattle and that plan sticks were not allowed! I politely told her Tyson needed to put the unload back the way it was and if she didn't like my stick, I would be happy if Tyson would donate a flag stick or paddle to me.
Speaking of helping unload at the stock yards, a neighbor of my wife's family took a bull to the last sale at Greenville Tennessee (just happened). He said they had one girl helping unload in the whole barn, so he helped out. He got the bull unloaded and was helping get it down the ally. The Bull turned on him going down the ally and broke his leg and would have killed him if not for his son basically jumping on the bulls back distracting it so his dad could escape. He is 69 years old his leg crushed at his knee and in bad shape.
 
You have to remember that they had all their workers taken away a couple years ago. They are still trying to hire Americans in their place. Most are too lazy
Wow. I agree as our daughter works in commercial pig farm op and they are giving Americans .25 cent raises in hope they quit to hire "others". Touchy subject but truthful. Our daughter consistently broke the record for picking pigs for buyers: they cheated her anyways (and she wasn't alone)
 
Speaking of helping unload at the stock yards, a neighbor of my wife's family took a bull to the last sale at Greenville Tennessee (just happened). He said they had one girl helping unload in the whole barn, so he helped out. He got the bull unloaded and was helping get it down the ally. The Bull turned on him going down the ally and broke his leg and would have killed him if not for his son basically jumping on the bulls back distracting it so his dad could escape. He is 69 years old his leg crushed at his knee and in bad shape.
Honestly, I'm surprised stories like this don't happen more often. I see way too many people (especially old guys who aren't as quick as they used to be) take chances with cattle that could get them killed.
 
I
Honestly, I'm surprised stories like this don't happen more often. I see way too many people (especially old guys who aren't as quick as they used to be) take chances with cattle that could get them killed.
I have always said that with the number of cattle I deal with. It not if I get hurt someday, it's when and how bad. That sixth sent that you develop might fail one day.
 

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