Monitoring animal behaviour
Ethometer
What behaviours do your chickens display? Do they take care of themselves enough, do they eat and drink as usual and do they get enough exercise? With a camera system and the Ethometer app you can always see how the animals in your stables are doing.
Combining data using smart technology to generate valuable information is important. And that is precisely the focus of one of our innovative projects, called the ‘Ethometer’. A behavioural study can help us determine whether an animal is feeling good. Cameras monitor the behaviour of the animals. We convert this data into a dynamic behavioural overview, which you can view at any time. This way you have 24/7 insight into the behaviour of your animals and you can take action in case of deviations.
Willem Dekkers
Researcher and poultry veterinarian
“If you want to be able to say something about the welfare of an animal, you need to look at the animal itself. Anyone working with animals already actually does so on a daily basis. For example, do the chickens preen themselves sufficiently, get enough exercise and eat well? If you then score their behaviour in a table, the result is a so-called ethogram. Using a camera to do so offers so many advantages. You can score many more animals simultaneously, which makes it much less labour intensive."
Eyes in the barn 24/7
The Ethometer provides poultry farmers with a greater volume of more comprehensive, accurate and ready information, which they can then submit. It gives them eyes in the barn as it were, 24/7. The system notices any changes in behaviour, which are communicated immediately via an app. This system can also support the poultry chain in a more general sense, by proving that chickens are behaving in a natural manner, for example.
We make use of smart technology for the Ethometer, and are collaborating closely with a software company for that purpose. An advanced algorithm recognises the individual chickens and another algorithm assesses their behaviour. The system is already functioning very well and the first prototype, including the app, will be up and running by the end of this year.
Please contact us for more information.