MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of the Poultry Sense platform, which monitors broiler production in real-time.
The firm said the technology allowed farmers to “predict flock health, enhance performance and ultimately improve sustainability at a farm level”.
See also: How Devonshire Poultry used data monitoring to improve farm performance
Earlier this year MSD announced the acquisition of Poultry Sense from its founding partners as part of a broader strategy to move into livestock data analytics and monitoring.
The platform is based on sensors placed in sheds that capture metrics such as bird weight, air pressure, humidity, temperature and carbon dioxide levels.
That information is then fed into an analytics system that interprets the data and presents it on a straightforward dashboard available on mobile devices, tablets or desktop computers.
“This solution collects data 24 hours a day,” according to Alan Beynon, managing director of Poultry Sense.
Environmental performance
“This means that any shift in environmental or performance parameters, which could indicate a problem, can be identified quickly.
“Having the capability to react swiftly to any changes will minimise the impact this has on bird health and performance, and therefore the likelihood of it affecting the ‘end product’.”
The system splits a shed into different zones, meaning that cold or draughty spots that can hamper production can be identified.
Granular
Weighers are distributed across the shed allowing producers to monitor bird growth at a more granular level.
There are several options for farmers interested in purchasing the system, according to MSD’s Nick Munce. Producers can buy it upfront or pay in instalments.
There is also the option to add on consultancy services to help with the interpretation of data and resolve issues that it may uncover.
Mr Benyon added: “Having access to this level of data and using this to make informed decisions on-farm will allow producers to improve bird performance as well as help the sector as a whole to become more transparent.”
