VIDEO: How AI-powered feather sexing transformed a Canadian hatchery
From the moment chicks hatch, the production race is on, and every step – sorting, sexing, and transporting – needs to be executed with precision. Hatcheries must move quickly, precisely balancing efficiency with animal welfare whilst navigating industry challenges such as labour shortages and operational inconsistencies.
For Boire & Frères, a leader in the North American poultry industry with 160 barns across 59 sites, these challenges were well understood. Manually sexing tens of thousands of chicks per hour requires a highly skilled workforce and precise coordination – conditions that can make it difficult to scale and which make it increasingly complex to find and retain the right talent.
Determined to enhance its operations, Boire & Frères sought a solution that would not only improve efficiency but also maintain the high standards its customers rely on. That solution came in the form of automation, specifically Targan’s WingScan system, an automated feather-sexing solution adopted in October 2024.
In this case study, Jean-Guy Robillard, general manager at Boire & Frères, shares how WingScan transformed their hatchery operations and set a new standard for the industry.
A valuable process held back by manual challenges
While feather-sexing – and ultimately raising birds separately on the farm – offers clear advantages in improving feed conversion, flock uniformity, and processing yields, traditional manual methods come with significant challenges.
Boire & Frères relied on manual sexing, processing up to 70,000 birds per hour – a labour-intensive and time-consuming task. Manual sexing is prone to variability in accuracy, which can disrupt downstream processes. Delays in sorting can extend the holding time for day-old chicks, impacting welfare and early performance.
The solution: fully automated chick sexing
Through automation, Boire & Frères is now able to accurately sort 36% more chicks through its partnership with Targan. Just as importantly, the system significantly reduces manual handling, which supports animal welfare and improves consistency throughout the hatchery process.
Targan’s WingScan system – having processed over half a billion birds to date – is the first fully automated feather-sexing solution in the industry. It offers a compact, modular design that easily integrates into a range of hatchery layouts, delivering unmatched processing speeds of up to 160,000 chicks per hour.
The system is powered by advanced vision technology and artificial intelligence, which work together to capture and analyse high-resolution images of each bird’s feather pattern. The system’s proprietary algorithms are trained on a wide range of flock characteristics, including age, breed, and feather quality, to accurately identify and sort male and female chicks in real time.
As more data is processed, these algorithms continue to evolve, making WingScan increasingly precise, adaptive, and effective across a wide range of production environments.
Automation at work
Boire & Frères’ implementation of Targan’s WingScan system significantly increased its capacity and efficiency. “We’re sexing 110,000 birds per hour now, and we’re not even using the full capacity of the machine,” said Robillard.
This boost in capacity not only enhanced operational reliability but also helped mitigate labour challenges, which are 2 key issues the company faced before automation, and an industry-wide problem many are still navigating.
WingScan also brought greater consistency to the sexing process, increasing speed and boosting accuracy to 98%. Faster chick delivery means birds reach farms sooner where they can eat and drink, reducing stress and setting and industry standard for better welfare in poultry production.
Robillard further highlighted the impact of this change: “We’ve gained about a 2-hour delivery time.” This earlier arrival at the farm has further benefited chick well-being, as they now have faster access to feed and water, allowing chicks quicker access to feed and water.
Seamless integration and measurable impact
As with any system rollout, implementing Targan’s WingScan system required a few internal adjustments at Boire & Frères to align with existing processes. Thanks to strong support from the team, the transition was smooth. Robillard described the machines as “plug-and-play” and with the company’s guidance throughout installation and optimisation, the team quickly adapted.
By integrating Targan’s WingScan system, Boire & Frères has strengthened its reliability, efficiency, and service – setting a new standard for hatchery operations.
Since its installation in October 2024, the impact has been transformative, delivering several key benefits:
- Increased efficiency: Automating the sexing process has significantly expanded capacity while accelerating chick delivery to farms.
- Enhanced quality: WingScan ensures greater consistency in sexing, improving the overall quality of chicks provided to customers.
- Reduced labour challenges: Automation has helped alleviate workforce concerns, streamlining operations.
- Faster delivery: With a 2-hour reduction in delivery times, Boire & Frères can better meet customer needs while ensuring chicks reach farms sooner.
Predictions for hatcheries of the future
With growing demand for sexed birds, processing plants are increasingly seeking ways to optimise weight targets and improve production efficiency. Robillard foresees this shift: “I suspect it will be a general trend within the industry. Sexing will become more and more important for processing plants.”
By adopting Targan’s WingScan system early, Boire & Frères has positioned itself ahead of the curve, ready to meet future demands with cutting-edge technology.
As automation becomes more widespread, hatcheries that embrace innovation will set new benchmarks for quality, reliability, and operational excellence. Boire & Frères’ success story is a testament to how strategic technology adoption can drive industry-wide progress, paving the way for a future where efficiency and animal welfare go hand in hand.
For more information about WingScan, click here.
Watch the video below where Jean-Guy Robillard at Boire & Frères shares how WingScan has streamlined their operations and helped them better serve their customers.
