THE poultry industry must respond to the growing requirements of proactively engaged consumers , or “ prosumers ”

Growth in poultry farming has been relentless and rising to meet that growth are digital technologies that can offer producers an enormous efficiency advantage . Aidan Connolly , chief innovation officer and vice president of corporate accounts at Alltech , presented “ Flocking to Digital : The Future of Poultry Technology ” to an audience of 250 people during the Alltech Annual Breakfast Meeting at the International Production & Processing Expo . Connolly ’ s presentation focused on innovation , the future of farming and disruptive digital technologies for the global poultry industry .

Despite the continued preference for pork in Asia , current growth means that global chicken meat consumption will exceed that of pork by 2022 .

Connolly discussed eight digital technologies that serve as a useful framework to describe novel technologies arriving in the marketplace that can help producers manage their flocks in a more efficient and sustainable way :

1 . 3D printing : Poultry operations could benefit from the on-site printing of plastic or metal parts when they require replacing . 3D printing also has life-saving applications , such as reproducing feet , legs and even beaks .

2 . Robots : Repetitive tasks such as cleaning and sanitizing facilities , collecting eggs and checking birds present opportunities for robots in the poultry industry . Robots are more precise and thorough about the work they do compared to their human counterparts . They could be used to prevent and control disease and infection in poultry houses and to evaluate environmental factors such as temperature , humidity , carbon dioxide , ammonia , sound and brightness .

3 . Drones : They may not have a place in chicken houses / barns , as the drone could make the flock nervous and cause undue stress . However , with free-range or yardkept chickens and turkeys that roam fields freely , there would be a better application for drone technology , which could herd , protect and monitor them .

4 . Sensors : The easiest of the eight technologies to implement , sensors have lower costs and immediate benefits . They have been designed to measure ammonia , regulate and control ventilation and temperature , monitor carbon dioxide and control lighting for an environment that stimulates better growth efficiencies in birds and reduces costs .

5 . Artificial intelligence ( AI ): AI technologies have become the backbone of many other technologies . Robots , for example , use AI in the processing plant to improve efficiencies . Automating procedures such as chicken deboning requires recognition of the shape and size of each chicken and individual adaptation . Artificial intelligence is the perfect

technology for this application . By combining technologies , robots perform the work that AI instructs them to do based on the data that sensors collect .

6 . Augmented reality ( AR ): Augmented , or enhanced , reality is the ability to see things that the human eye cannot , using the non-visible spectrums of light , or to overlay information , including

data interpretation , alongside what the person sees ..

7 . Virtual reality ( VR ): The most obvious application for VR in the poultry industry is training , particularly processing . It could teach line workers in the processing plant the ideal way to trim meat from birds . Applied to free-range layer houses , it could teach employees how to walk through the house without frightening the birds , find errant eggs and check on hens .

8 . Blockchain : The opportunity for blockchain in the poultry industry centres around its ability to resolve food safety and transparency issues . Large food retailers are working with IBM using blockchain technology to secure digital records and monitor supply chain management , ensuring the traceability of the poultry products sold in stores . Blockchain can be used to monitor all aspects of the food supply chain , from farmers and producers to processors and distributors .

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