VENCOMATIC GROUP has signed into a strategic partnership with Orbem, which is developing in-ovo egg sexing technology.
Orbem’s Genus Focus is an MRI-based high throughput non-invasive solution for in-ovo sexing of poultry eggs of any breed, the firm says.
See also: Europe decides vaccines should complement other avian influenza control measures
The combined modular solution based on Orbem’s Genus Focus technology and Prinzen’s automation equipment enables reliable and non-invasive real-time sex determination of poultry embryos between days 12 and 13 with a throughput of up to 24,000 eggs an hour.
The solution applies equally to brown and white eggs. Two installations with a capacity of 6,000 and 12,000 eggs per hour will be fully operational at two French locations in January 2023 in line with new French legislation.
The agreement includes financing facilitated by Vencomatic Group of up to €15m for equipment to be deployed at customer sites throughout Europe.
No upfront cost
Hatcheries will be able to use the combined Orbem/VMG solution without any upfront investment just based on a performance fee per egg, Vencomatic said.
Orbem’s team of twenty-five scientists and engineers have developed the proprietary imaging and AI technology behind the Genus Focus, including determining hardware specifications and software data flows required for high throughput analytics.
Vencomatic supplies a newly engineered handling and sorting system for moving, picking and transporting eggs.
Automation
Pedro Gómez, chief executive of Orbem, said: “We are very pleased to take our partnership with VMG to the next level after having worked successfully with them on the automation elements for our first two customer installations in order to reach throughput levels attractive for the industry.
“The joint approach to the market will allow our growing customer base even easier access to this novel technology.”
Lotte van de Ven, chief executive of Vencomatic Group, added: “We see the non-invasive Orbem solution as the best solution in the market and are very pleased to cooperate to bring this solution to the industry.
“This MRI-based non-invasive solution is fully in line with our vision to deliver solutions for successful poultry husbandry with the lowest possible environmental impact while achieving the highest animal welfare levels.”
