The behaviour of commercial broilers in response to a mobile robot

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Animal Science
• Robotics

Background:

• Modern broiler production relies on fixed indoor climate sensors, often poorly positioned, leading to suboptimal conditions.
• High-density sensor grids are cost-prohibitive, limiting real-time climate optimization.
• Robotic platforms offer a potential solution for granular, bird-level climate data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of operating a mobile robotic platform within a broiler chicken flock throughout a 6-week production cycle.
• To assess broiler chicken behavior and stress responses to the robot's presence.
• To evaluate the potential of robotic data collection for real-time climate control optimization.

Main Methods:

• A mobile robot was operated manually three times daily (Mon-Fri) in a commercial-like environment housing 1597 Ross 308 broiler chicks.
• The robot followed a fixed route for the entire 6-week cycle, from day 3 to 37.
• Bird behavior was monitored using camera footage to analyze responses to the robot.

Main Results:

• Broiler chickens exhibited minimal startled behavior and quickly adapted to the robot's movement.
• Activity levels increased during robot runs, but less so than during human stockman presence.
• Despite physical contact later in the cycle, birds generally moved aside, and mortality/production parameters remained acceptable.

Conclusions:

• Operating a mobile robot among broiler chickens is feasible between days 3 and 37 of the production cycle with limited behavioral disruption.
• The study demonstrates the potential for robots to collect crucial bird-level climate data in commercial settings.
• Further trials with multiple flocks are needed to confirm commercial viability and consistent minimal disruption.