New technologies that harness the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) could result in more accurate, automated broiler weight predictions on the farm.
“The technology has a learning curve. With every month that passes, we see greater accuracy,” Silke Schantz, procurement manager, Exceldor, said at the 2022 Poultry Tech Summit.
IoT uses the data collected by sensors, software and other technologies to communicate with other networks. In this case, data collected at the poultry farm is fed into predictive models that use machine learning and algorithms.
In trials, the IoT solution had less than a +/- 50 g error margin seven days before the planned catching date.
Currently, many poultry operations predict future bird weighs manually. However, this is a complex process that requires the integration of a lot of data – from feed to management styles to weather.
Benefits of automated broiler weighing predictions
The ability to automate this process has several benefits.
The ability to better predict broiler weights can improve visibility when it comes to uniformity, size and total inventory of the birds. It also saves time for growers and staff because more accurate weight predictions help with live haul planning and can streamline and optimize operations throughout the entire poultry supply chain.
In addition, IoT is programmed to learn as it goes, so the results will improve over time.
“With this program, we are able to try and help our producers produce,” Shantz added. “It’s a tool to learn how to predict the weights.”
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Join an exclusive international gathering of industry-changing innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, technology experts, investors and leading poultry producers at the 2023 edition of Poultry Tech Summit on November 6-8 at the Hilton Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.
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