Poultry welfare robot could augment human labor

Automating the poultry welfare and environmental monitoring process could be a solution to labor shortages, but it won’t replace the need for human workers. Instead, it frees them up for other tasks. “We’re not trying to take any one out of the chicken house or make them spend less time in the chicken house, we’re just trying to make it more effective,” Scott Becker, director of North American sales for Cumberland, explained. “To me, it’s really about getting more data and more information to do a better job.”

Automating poultry welfare, environmental monitoring

The robot runs on a galvanized rail attached to the ceiling of the barn and features mobile sensors, artificial intelligence (AI) and on board cameras and sensors to monitor, record and analyze activity in the poultry house.

“We’re measuring free space to determine bird density and mortality and analyzing droppings and wet spots to create an animal welfare score that is measured a minimum of six times daily,” Becker said. “Every day, we can actually look to see if we’re improving or getting worse.” Read more