We Revolutionize Poultry

Nowadays, we navigate through the turbulent complexities of global food security and sustainability. Poultry serves as an essential dietary component for billions of people worldwide. With its relatively low cost and efficient production, poultry provides an affordable and sustainable source of animal protein. This being said, the industry is plagued with adversities, some of which fall under the umbrella of the mystery behind the eggshell. Not knowing if an egg is fertilized or its clear, female or male or the impact of its genetics during incubation has become a major obstacle for hatcheries and breeders alike. AI-powered imaging could revolutionize the poultry industry by overcoming this unyielding challenge.

Each year, billions of people rely on poultry products as an affordable, sustainable, and highly nutritious source of sustenance. Eggs, in addition to poultry meat, are a vital source of protein, nutrients, and essential amino acids. It is estimated that the worldwide egg production is over 87 million metric tons annually, which translates to billions of eggs being consumed each year. The consumption of poultry meat equaled 101.2 million metric tons in 2021, and it is forecasted to increase to 103.4 million metric tons in 2023. This makes eggs and poultry meat a dietary staple for people of all age groups. They are a versatile and accessible source of protein and a crucial contributor to micronutrient intake, providing essential vitamins like B12, riboflavin, and choline.

Egg and poultry meat consumption is particularly significant in developing countries, where affordability and accessibility are essential. In these regions, poultry products often serve as an affordable source of high-quality protein, contributing to overall nutrition and helping to address widespread issues like undernutrition and malnourishment. Moreover, eggs are a practical choice for infant and child nutrition due to their nutritional density. They are a vital part of early childhood diets, promoting healthy growth and development. As the global population continues to rise, eggs, as well as other poultry products, will remain a cornerstone of the world’s food supply, sustaining both the basic nutritional needs and the overall health of billions of people. Poultry, through egg production, truly exemplifies its role in feeding the world by providing a consistent source of essential nutrients to billions of people.

The poultry industry faces various challenges due to its intricate structure. Breeders produce two main types of chickens: layers for egg production and broilers for meat production. Female layers are bred to lay as many eggs as possible. Meanwhile, the males are culled since they do not lay eggs nor gain weight fast enough to compete against the broilers in the meat market. Broilers, on the other hand, gain weight easily so both females and males are well-suited for meat production. Nevertheless, their fertilization rate is alarmingly low. These issues present significant pain points that demand innovative solutions to meet the growing global demand for poultry products.

Poultry today has the need to sex chicks in an ethical way, address the unnecessary incubation of unfertilized eggs, and obtain comprehensive phenotypical information in a non-invasive way.

Sexing chicks ethically is of paramount concern. Traditionally, the sexing process involves sorting day-old chicks into males and females, a practice that has often been criticized for its ethical implications. The process includes rough transportation methods on conveyor belts, careless handling, and lack of access to food and water, which add stress to one-day-old chicks and sometimes even kill them. After sexing, male layer chicks are culled. This process has raised concerns regarding animal welfare and sustainability. For this reason, countries such as Germany, France, and Italy have banned chick culling. Moreover, consumer studies have revealed that across the US, Switzerland, and Germany, consumers would be willing to pay more for eggs that are produced by avoiding the male chick culling practice. There is no doubt that addressing these concerns while ensuring accurate sexing is a major challenge, prompting the industry to explore alternative and more humane sexing methods.

The incubation of unfertilized eggs represents another pressing issue as they lead to various inefficiencies in a hatchery’s production. Unfertilized incubated eggs cannot be further sold as eggs in the market. Moreover, these eggs occupy a substantial portion of the incubator space, often accounting for up to 20%. This results in a significant waste of resources, both in terms of the eggs themselves and the time and production capacity invested. Consequently, the inability to detect the fertilization status of an egg creates a hurdle when optimizing a hatchery’s production.

Obtaining comprehensive phenotypic information in a non-invasive manner is essential for breeding programs aimed at improving poultry production. Genetic selection plays a crucial role in enhancing traits such as growth rate, egg production, and disease resistance. However, traditional genetic testing often involves invasive procedures or is time-consuming and costly. Developing non-invasive methods for gathering phenotypic data can significantly streamline breeding efforts, boost productivity, increase sustainability, and reduce stress on the birds.

Orbem is committed to making a positive impact on poultry. By using AI-powered imaging, we aim to enhance hatchery productivity, all the while improving animal welfare and sustainability. Our clients obtain valuable insights into what is hidden behind the eggshell.

Fully automated contactless in-ovo solution on day 12 and before

Especially useful for layer breeds, the Genus Focus for in-ovo sexing is a solution offered by Orbem in partnership with the poultry automation expert Vencomatic Group. The solution can detect the sex of the embryo on day 12 of incubation and before, which means that the embryo has not developed pain perception yet. The early and contactless sexing ensures there is no impact on hatchability and contamination risks are avoided. Our high-accuracy solution has less than 2% error rate.

Fertilization status prior to incubation

Particularly helpful for low-fertility breeds, such as broilers. The fertilization status can be detected on day 0 of incubation, that is before the eggs are incubated. This allows hatcheries to sell unfertilized eggs in the market and increase their production without increasing their facilities, by simply filling their incubators with fully fertilized eggs.

Contactless egg phenotyping

AI-powered imaging offers a unique opportunity to analyze an egg without ending its incubation. Discovering valuable insights into what is hidden behind the shell can significantly impact breeding efforts, further optimizing a breed’s characteristics.

Poultry is an essential dietary component of the world’s population, feeding billions of people per year. While the poultry industry faces daunting challenges, AI-powered imaging offers the opportunity to see what is inside an egg without interrupting its incubation. Applications like in-ovo sexing, fertilization status detection, and phenotyping can help hatcheries increase sustainability, improve animal welfare, and optimize their production while using fewer resources.