Innovative Technology & Practices Transforming India’s Poultry Farming Sector
Sravani Balaga1 and Nutan Chauhan1
1PhD scholar, Rumen biotechnology Lab-104, Animal Nutrition Division, NDRI, Karnal
Introduction:
Poultry is a crucial component of India’s agricultural economy and supports rural population in a variety of ways. It is one of the fastest expanding agricultural sectors in India with an annual growth rate of about 8%. In addition to boosting the national and agricultural economies, the poultry industry also creates assets, jobs, coping strategies for crop failure, and social and financial stability. Globally, India ranks third in the egg production (Watt Executive Guide, 2015) and seventh in the production of white meat (chicken).As per statistica, 260 million layers generate around 3.4 million tonnes (74 billion) of eggs each year, while 3000 million broilers produce about 3.8 million tonnes of chicken meat in India. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu have the most concentrated poultry industries and the leading producers of egg and meat, followed by Maharashtra, Punjab, and West Bengal. Nearly 95% of all eggs produced in India are produced by chickens, with the remaining 5% coming from ducks and other fowl (DADF, 2014). About 57% of the eggs produced in the nation are produced in the southern area, 17% are produced in the eastern and central regions, and 26% are produced in the northern and western parts of India. The poultry industry and related industries are expanding in a variety of ways thanks to ongoing efforts to upgrade, modify, and use new technology. Along with size of the poultry sector, productivity, sophistication, and quality have all increased. Development of high yielding layer and broiler varieties together with standardized practices of nutrition, housing, management and disease control have contributed to spectacular growth rates in egg and broiler production in India during the last 40 years. Egg production has been increasing significantly, going from 95 billion in 2017–18 to 105 billion the next year, and then to 114 billion in 2019–20, according to official figures. The output of chicken meat has increased from 3.7 mmt (million metric ton) in 2017–18 to 4.1 mmt in 2018–19, and then to 4.3 mmt in 2019–20.
Modern methods for raising poultry:
Breeding farms, hatcheries, feed mills, broiler and layer farms, and processing facilities are all part of the poultry industry. Infrastructure includes various housing types, ranging from thatched sheds to automated, climate-controlled sheds, regular channel watering systems to automatic cups and nipples, automatic egg collection, refrigeration systems, nutraceutical and medicine manufacturing facilities, vaccine manufacturing facilities, manufacturing mechanical components, and manufacturing electronic devices needed for various tasks. Over the course of six decades from 1960 to 2020, all of these steadily expanded from backyard to industrial proportions owing to veterinarians, poultry scientists, technical and non-technical people, and committed farmers. To improve nutritional security, nutrient-rich poultry breeds are developed and promoted, such as chicken breeds that produce both meat and eggs. Khadaknath chickens, for instance, are prized largely for their flesh, which is regarded as having exceptional quality in terms of taste, softness, and flavour.
Digital revolution in Indian poultry industry:
Unaffected by competing goals, digital transformation has been a goal for many organisations in the poultry industry for a number of years, regardless of the size of their enterprises. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic and its effects on companies, technology-driven strategies have been implemented and developed and the adoption of the most recent trends in digital transformation is happening much faster.
Use of Machine learning and Artificial intelligence (AI)
Over the past ten years, AI has developed quickly, having a noticeable influence on a variety of economic sectors, including healthcare, communications, the automotive, financial, and technological services industries. By automating corporate operations, improving customer engagement, analysing data to give insights, organising billing and invoicing, and more, it has changed the way people conduct business. AI helps marketers cut down on the time they would have otherwise spent creating individualised content experiences. On the farm, human interference should be minimised to reduce the danger of illnesses. Additionally, robots and machines frequently do better than people in a variety of tasks, making them more effective.
Acoustic sensors:
Bioacoustics is a scientific subject that examines the noises made by living beings and their importance in biological environments. Birds are the living things that heavily rely on audio communication for social interactions and alert signalling. Acoustic analysis can range from simple comparisons of vocalisation frequency differences to more complex studies of sound properties. The study of noises has become a useful tool for determining if the thermal environment is appropriate. This research demonstrates how sound analysis can provide insights into the well-being and behavior of broiler chicks in varying thermal conditions.
Environmental sensors: The relative humidity, temperature, and length of exposure to these conditions are the main environmental parameters that have a significant impact on the health, survival, and production of broiler chickens. Furthermore, hazardous gases like ammonia and carbon dioxide might have a negative impact on these hens’ immune system, development, and feed conversion. According to studies, day-old chicks exposed for even a brief period to elevated carbon dioxide levels experience greater death rates and altered cardiac features (Olanrewaju et al., 2008). Therefore, it will be essential to carefully monitor and control environmental factors in order to ensure the welfare of the birds. Despite the fact that commercial poultry farms have not yet implemented real-time multi-sensor monitoring and control of environmental parameters beyond temperature, improvements in sensing technology have now made it possible to develop accessible systems for accurate environmental management. For instance, these multi-sensing systems may monitor a variety of factors within grill flocks, such as interior temperature, differential atmospheric pressure, and air velocity (Bustamante et al., 2017). These devices make sure that chickens are kept in a pleasant environment by automatically assessing the design and functioning of the ventilation system.
Machine Learning: Through the whole poultry supply chain, it enables quicker and more precise identification of possible changes in factors that affect food safety or production results.
Remote sensing
Through remote sensing, different aspects of the poultry house, such as the wellbeing and health of the birds, may be seen. It also helps the farmer keep an eye on the condition of the sheds and the birds. These sensors may be programmed to send “alerts” to management if any parameter deviates from the agreed-upon needs of the birds around-the-clock. Precision poultry farming can benefit from remote sensing. These sensors may be used to determine the weight of the birds in the farm and assess crop uniformity. Additionally, sensors assist to streamline the data collecting process by keeping track of environmental variables including temperature, humidity, ammonia gas, and water level.
Automation and Robotics:
Any repetitive duty is handled by a robot, freeing up the human employee to handle more difficult, complex activities. Climate control, automated feeding and watering systems, and even robot-assisted egg collecting have all helped to save labour costs and increase productivity. The process of gathering, classifying, and packing eggs is simplified by automated egg collection and grading devices. Robotics motivates the birds to become more active and build muscle, which leads to superior advancements. Robots can be programmed to continually scrape the litter to remove caking and moist patches, while others can scan and record the temperature, humidity, and ammonia levels around the house. GohBot, a specialised robot with image sensors and machine learning skills, is skilled at navigating the floors of chicken houses, collecting eggs from the floor, and keeping track of environmental variables like temperatures, gases, and light levels.
Collaborative robots, or cobots, are built to operate securely next to human employees. The robot can identify and pick up floor eggs, monitor ambient temperatures, gases, and light levels, and explore poultry house floors using image sensors and machine learning. The autonomous robot Chicken Boy, hanging from the ceiling and equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence, evaluates environmental factors, human health and wellbeing, and equipment breakdowns.
Artificial Vision:
Artificial vision technology provides workers with fast feedback so they may correct any deficiencies. Intelligent automation and artificial vision may also be used together to maximise efficiency; one example is the automated sorting of broiler parts following inspection. For processors, AI enables faster processing and precise packaging of high-value items, which results in increased earnings and less customer complaints.
Little Bird Feed Cast System
This calculates the amount of feed in on-farm bins using sensors, software, and a tiny gadget that vibrates the surface of the bin. To farmers, feed mills, and integrators, the solar-powered machines wirelessly communicate feed levels via online portals and a mobile app. The website gateway shows historical feed levels for a residence as well as forecasts. Less feed is recovered at the conclusion of a flock, and feed outages are decreased or eliminated.
Audio -Analytic -Software to detect respiratory diseases:
The diseases IB & ILT are primarily detected by a farmer present in the house who hears the coughing of the birds. With the use of new analytical tools, laryngotracheitis and infectious bronchitis symptoms may be identified, speeding up diagnosis and treatment. Among the cacophony of the poultry house, develop a hardware and software system to identify and recognise the distinctive sounds of an avian cough diagnostic of the conditions.
Effective packaging: It is crucial to maintaining the quality, safety, and shelf life of chicken products.
Vacuum packing: By removing air from the container, vacuum packaging creates a vacuum seal that keeps poultry items fresher longer. Additionally, it lessens the chance of bacterial development.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP): To prevent product spoiling and preserve quality, MAP includes changing the gas composition inside the packaging. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide are often utilised gases. Various chicken items, including whole birds and pieces, are packaged using this technique.
Polystyrene trays: These are a common packaging choice with stretch film for pieces or chops of chicken. To keep the chicken fresh, it is put on a polystyrene tray, wrapped in stretch film, and sealed.
Egg cartons: Eggs are packaged in egg cartons to prevent breaking during storage and transit. Usually, paper pulp is moulded to create them.
Corrugated Cardboard Boxes: For distribution to stores and restaurants, sturdy corrugated cardboard boxes are used to package large quantities of chicken items. These crates offer transportation protection.
Tin Ties: Tin ties are used to offer a resealable feature in the packaging of poultry items like frozen chicken packs, ensuring the product stays airtight after opening.
Tamper-Evident Packaging: Consumers are given confidence in the reliability and safety of chicken products thanks to tamper-evident packaging. It has elements like seals, bands, or labels that display signs of tampering.
Block Chain Technology (Value Chain Management)
Uses deep learning research and predictive analytics to visualise and project future performance across the supply chain. A final product may be tracked back through the value chain in great detail thanks to an integrated view of operational data. The cloud-based software employs deep learning neural networks and blockchain technologies to monitor large-scale and regional poultry farms. The possibility for blockchain in the chicken sector is its capacity to address food safety and transparency challenges. Working with IBM, Walmart, Unilever, Nestlé, and other food giants are securing digital records and monitoring supply chain management to ensure traceability of the chicken items sold in shops. The whole food supply chain, from farmers and producers to processors and distributors, may be monitored using block chain technology.
Transport Genie
When live poultry is transported, Transport Genie keeps track of the microclimate conditions and keeps real-time contact with the driver and important parties. An alert is automatically delivered when a threshold is reached. The sensor may be utilised by processors to increase the wellbeing of birds during loadout, transit, and in plant holding sheds.
Gene Editing Technology
Creates an optical signal in embryos that may be detected during the breeding/hatching operation by inserting a biomarker into the DNA of male chicks at the parent stock level. Upon inspection, eggs are redirected to food production if they contain male embryos. Developers are reportedly in talks to include the technology in the stock of a significant breeding business.
Microbiome and Life sciences
The management of flocks is improved to grow healthier birds thanks to developments in genetics, microbiology, poultry health management, nutrition, and other fields. A room-temperature stable vaccine can be dosed in the feed for both mucosal (in the stomach) and systemic (intracellular) protection against coccidiosis thanks to edible vaccines. Probiotics that can detect infections and secrete antibiotics to combat them, secrete several antibiotics to reduce the establishment of resistance, and/or produce designed antimicrobial lysins are known as antimicrobial probiotics and are used in the feed or water of chickens. There are now prototypes for fighting Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Clostridia. Within three years, the business anticipates completing all regulatory processes and launching the items.
Precision livestock farming:
Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) is a management approach for raising livestock that draws on cutting-edge technology and ideas from process engineering. Smart sensors are used for automatic data collecting, access, and processing to combine several data sources into a single database. An automated management system for the monitoring and control of animal health, performance, and welfare is created using the acquired data after it has been thoroughly examined. The market for poultry housing and equipment is always developing, bringing in fresh innovations that complement contemporary communication and ventilation systems. However, the bulk of poultry farmers in many underdeveloped nations are unable to acquire such technology because to budgetary limitations. Various solutions are available that have shown promising outcomes and can be effectively adopted on commercial poultry farms, even if some technologies are still being tested.
Conclusion:
Numerous poultry producers are interested in the application of science in poultry production since it is quickly approaching in every industry. Even if automation and digital transformation are becoming more prevalent, many businesses are still hesitant to accept new technology. This could be the result of scarce resources, ignorance, or fear of an unsettling shift. Organisations must reconsider their strategy and accept the changes that might have a big influence on customer experience and staff engagement if they want to stay competitive in this quickly changing environment. There is broad agreement that artificial intelligence will have a big influence on the poultry sector. In the near future, Digital intervention is anticipated to revolutionise the poultry business and make a beneficial impact by increasing accuracy and efficiency across the board. Initiating disruption and generating better revenues are two benefits of digital transformation. On poultry farms, automation can take the role of physical labour for routine jobs like managing litters, administering vaccinations, and monitoring the welfare of the birds. If the aforementioned cutting-edge technologies are appropriately applied while considering the financial effects of adopting newer technology, they will alter future chicken farming systems.
References:
Bustamante E, Calvet S, Estelles F, Torres AG, Hospitaler A. Measurement and numerical simulation of single-sided mechanical ventilation in broiler houses. Biosystems Engineering. 2017;160:55-68.
Olanrewaju HA, Thaxton JP, Dozier Iii WA, Purswell J, Collier SD, Branton SL. Interactive effects of ammonia and light intensity on hematochemical variables in broiler chickens. Poultry Science. 2008;87(7):1407-1414.
Innovative Technologies and Practices Transforming India’s Poultry Sector
