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Three cutting-edge technologies used in egg farming

This is the time of big data and big tech—and in those departments, egg farming is embracing innovation. You won’t believe some of the fascinating technologies farmers are using every day on their farms. Here are just three examples of some of the innovative technologies our farmers use to supply Canada with fresh, nutritious, locally-produced eggs.

Advanced analytics

The success of an egg farm depends on a harmony of factors in the barn. Every day, barn lighting is carefully timed. Temperature is tightly regulated to ensure hens’ comfort. Fresh food and water are always readily available. You can imagine that this symphony demands the maestro’s constant attention. And that’s true—farmers work hard every day to ensure their barns are operating smoothly, and their hens are safe and healthy.

Farmers use systems like this to control the barn’s lighting and temperature, track feed consumption and more.
These systems also connect to a smartphone app, so farmers can monitor their barn remotely.

Some barns have installed sensors and other technology connected to smartphone apps. These apps allow farmers to remotely alter settings and solve potential problems early on. For example, the system can flag that a barn’s internal temperature needs to be increased as outside temperatures decrease. Technology like this can allow the farmer to do so with the click of a button on their screen, even if they are away from their farm.

Video technology

There’s another way smartphones are helping farmers run their operations—through app-linked cameras.

Thanks to cameras linked to their smartphones, farmers can check in on their hens while they’re away from the farm.

You might recognize these apps—they’re like the smart doorbells common on front and back porches which connect to homeowners’ phones. Farmers use similar technology to monitor their flocks.

Transforming nature into a power source

Some egg farmers have turned to wind and solar energy as a way to reduce their environmental impact.1 The Jennings family of Nova Scotia live in Cobequid Bay, where they’ve installed a 30-kilowatt solar energy system on the roof of one of their barns. This system powers both of their egg barns completely!

Are you fascinated by agriculture technologies? Then you’ve got to check out the Innovation section of our website. There you’ll find more about the latest and greatest advancements in the industry, featuring researchers, interviews and more.

1 Pelletier, N., Doyon, M., Muirhead, B., Widowski. T., Nurse, J., and Hunniford, M. (2018). Sustainability in the Canadian Egg Industry — Learning from the Past, Navigating the Present, Planning for the Future. Sustainability. 10(10), 3524. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103524