| Project Detail |
The EU poultry industry produces 6.6 BN chickens a year for meat and egg production. These chickens are hatched in specialized farms called hatcheries. However, 14% of the incubated eggs never hatches and 6.9% of the produced chickens is unmarketable due to deformities or health problems. Hatcheries are a crucial part in the poultry production chain and early days of a chickens’ live.
Nevertheless, the incubation of eggs and hatching of chickens is a poorly monitored process, especially in the light of current advances in sensor and internet technologies. In Ovo, a hightech Dutch startup - focusing on improving animal welfare and resource efficiency in the poultry industry - is developing a sensors platform for monitoring the hatching process.
With the new platform called Eve, it is for the first time possible to monitor and improve processes in hatcheries by measuring data related to biological processes. By real-time analysis of biological data, it becomes possible to detect flaws and potential problems that until now no one was aware of. Eve is outfitted with cameras and smart sensors for monitoring a large set of biological/microbiological parameters. Early awareness of potential hazards will give breeding specialists in hatcheries the possibility to intervene. This increases production, lowers mortality and morbidity rates and provides higher animal welfare.
Research shows a 50% reduction in nonmarketable chicks (improving profitability €375K per hatchery a year), improving resource efficiency (880,000 chicks per hatchery a year) and improving animal welfare (less unnecessary deaths) targeting multiple EU policies, consumer demands and business opportunities. The feasibility study will focus on creation of a business plan.
In Ovo was world news when they discovered a novel method to stop the culling of male chicks, won many prizes, has experience with running H2020 projects and is about to get venture capitalists on board (€2MM).
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