Incorporating Smart Sensing Technologies into the Poultry Industry

Increases in production input costs are driving innovation in the poultry industry in Ireland and worldwide. Integration of so called ‘Precision Livestock Farming’ techniques into the poultry industry supply chain will help producers to optimize management systems. This manuscript provides an overview of monitoring and performance sensor technologies within poultry production. It outlines traditional sensing methods and looks at the potential of novel performance related systems that could be incorporated into production facilities. Critical environmental parameters which are relevant to poultry production include inter alia air temperature, relative humidity, light, air speed and air quality (in particular CO2 and NH3 concentrations). Current industry practice with regard to the measurement of these parameters in addition of the effect of these parameters on bird welfare is reviewed, and improvements underpinned by novel technologies and processes are also investigated. Finally, the integration of such systems is also discussed.