{"id":737,"date":"2020-03-31T16:57:17","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T16:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/news\/?p=737"},"modified":"2020-04-17T19:38:48","modified_gmt":"2020-04-17T19:38:48","slug":"healthier-chickens-happier-consumers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/news\/healthier-chickens-happier-consumers\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthier Chickens, Happier Consumers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New Research to Enhance Chicken-Raising Practices<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. \u2014 Smile, chickens. You\u2019re soon to be on candid camera.

Hao Gan, a biosystems engineer with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, is working to develop a system of multi-angle and multi-range cameras to monitor commercial broilers at both the individual and flock levels to help producers monitor the chickens\u2019 level of activity. Using vision software and training, farmers should be able to generate a specific and meaningful animal-based measurement that allows them to enhance raising practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The metric should also serve as a common assessment tool for food retailers and consumers seeking to support practices that enhance animal welfare.

Gan is among six recipients of a Phase I grant from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) SMART Broiler<\/a> Initiative, which in partnership with McDonald\u2019s, is awarding more than $4 million in grants and technical support to develop automated monitoring tools that precisely assess broiler chicken welfare. The idea is to enhance the welfare of the approximately 9 billion birds raised annually in the U.S. Increased efficiency for producers is also a goal. Current methods for assessing broiler chicken welfare on farm rely on human observation and subjective scoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur design approach is to incorporate vision\nsoftware training with input from professional welfare assessors to produce an\nassessment system that solves the expense and labor shortages associated with current\nmanual welfare assessments,\u201d says Gan. \u201cBut the system also needs to maintain\nthe accuracy and integrity of manual assessments.\u201d The continuous operation of\nthe automated system would reduce the number of hours of manual labor\nassociated with welfare assessment while increasing the monitoring of bird\nhealth and activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researcher further notes that improved farmer efficiency must go hand-in-hand with enhanced animal welfare. \u201cConsumers worldwide are justifiably concerned with food animal welfare and seek to make purchasing decisions that result in improved raising practices. A challenge in addressing this concern is the need to develop tools that quantify food animal behavior, the ultimate welfare indicator,\u201d Gan says.

Gan, and his research partners from Mississippi State University, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and BioRICS NV, intend for the system output to be a flock benchmark score for use by the farmer, food retailer, and ultimately the consumer. For the first time the poultry industry and consumers may have a tool that works to improve raising practices and that provides an animal-based metric to help purchasing decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nSMART Broiler Initiative is\ndivided into two phases. Phase I provides funds for early development and\ntesting of technologies and Phase\nII will refine and validate the most promising technologies from Phase I. Gan\u2019s\nresearch team received a Phase I award of $350,000, with additional contributions provided by UT\nAgResearch and Peco Foods, for a total of more than $513,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five other projects were also funded as part of\nthe SMART\nBroiler Initiative<\/a>. FFAR anticipates the announcement of Phase II\nawards in late 2021.
\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n

###

Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
<\/strong>The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization originally established by bipartisan Congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, builds unique partnerships to support innovative and actionable science addressing today’s food and agriculture challenges. FFAR\u202fleverages public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation, and partnerships critical to enhancing sustainable production of nutritious food for a growing global population. The\u202fFFAR Board of Directors is chaired by Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum, Ph.D., and includes ex officio representation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation. Connect: @FoundationFAR<\/a> | @RockTalking\u200b<\/a>

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
<\/strong>Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia-dev.tennessee.edu\u200b<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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