Georgia Researchers Turn to Smart Tech to Improve Poultry House Conditions

The Farm Monitor takes us along to see how they’re leaning on technology to improve poultry production.

TIFTON, Ga. (Farm Monitor) — Keeping a poultry house comfortable is key to a happy flock.

Dr. Brian Fairchild, a professor with the University of Georgia’s Department of Poultry Science, says tools like thermal cameras, pressure gauges, and airflow monitors help producers keep conditions in check.

Fairchild says thermal cameras allow producers to quickly spot temperature differences inside a poultry house. Birds naturally give off heat, showing up brighter on the screen, while cooler areas appear darker. That can be especially important when birds are young and more sensitive to colder temperatures.

He says pressure gauges are another tool, helping producers identify potential air leaks inside the house.

Those measurements can be used with Poultry411, an app Fairchild developed to help producers calculate and manage different environmental factors.

“We developed the Poultry411 app about five or six years ago. It’s got five calculators in it. Probably the two that you use the most are the minimum ventilation calculator and the poultry house leakage calculator.”

The Poultry411 app is available on both iOS and Android and includes tools for English and Spanish users.

LEARN MORE: Poultry 411

Related Stories
New treatments offer hope, but challenges remain for beekeepers.
Georgia Grown Marketing Coordinator Happy Wyatt has spent the past 20 years teaching young students about agriculture and its connection to their everyday lives.
March cold storage data showed generally tighter year-over-year stock levels across several key meat and dairy categories.
NAAA’s Andrew Moore joins us to discuss the role of ag aircraft in crop protection and emerging concerns surrounding stolen agricultural drones.
Feed demand and premiums drive growth for the crop
Rising poultry supply is pressuring prices despite steady demand.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Global nitrogen and phosphate prices remain high despite improved supply fundamentals, with limited Chinese exports and stronger fall applications tightening availability.
The Court may limit emergency tariff powers, complicating a key bargaining tool; ag could see shifts in input costs and export dynamics as China, Brazil, and India talks evolve.
David Klein with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) shares an end-of-harvest update and a peek at the farmland market in Central Illinois.
Host of RealAg Radio Shaun Haney discusses how the proposed reductions to agriculture programs in Canada’s new budget could affect research and support programs that farmers need.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI) cases are rising. In the last week, seven commercial turkey, duck, and egg layer flocks were culled across five Midwest states and California.
A SCOTUS ruling on Trump’s tariffs could have long-term implications on the authority of future administrations to control U.S. trade policy, according to RFD-TV legal expert Roger McEowen.