Published on March 24, 2021
Raising the bar in sustainable turkey breeding
As the first link in the turkey value chain, Hybrid aims to lead the way in applying innovative technology for a better tomorrow. As such, we are pleased to announce we have recently implemented RFID technology at our pedigree facilities.
What is RFID?
RFID (Radio-frequency identification) is technology used to track and identify objects. This technology automatically identifies objects (in our case, turkeys), collects data about them, and enters that data directly into a computer system. It has been used for many years in cattle identification. For turkeys it has been designed in the form of a wingband tag.
RFID is like the commonly used barcode technology, however, it offers advantages in the short and long term. One such advantage is that the tags can be read outside of the line-of-sight of a reader such as a hand scanner. This allows a more natural and continual capture of data from pedigree turkeys with minimal human intervention.
Application within Hybrid Turkeys
2021 marks the first placement of Hybrid poults that are equipped with RFID wingband technology. This first placement is within the Hybrid Turkeys pedigree system in Canada. This technology means significantly reduced labor, leading to improved process efficiency and less stress for turkeys during selection. RFID technology paves the way for even more innovative data capture opportunities in the future such as automated weighing.
The application of RFID technology is a significant step towards utilizing more people and animal-friendly technologies in the industry and supports the vision of Hendrix Genetics to set the standard for sustainable animal breeding.
