David Brass, owner of The Lakes Free Range Egg Company, had a problem.

He needed a farm management system providing advanced data management to improve productivity and welfare for his free-range birds held over multiple sites. Adding to the complexity, most of his egg production is being carried out by local farmers.

A management system to suit all farmers

Brass required a novel system that was robust, resistant, intuitive and immediate. Something that would be easy to use for a range of farmers with varying degrees of technical ability and that would make it possible for the farmers to meet the heightened flock management practices required in free-range farming.

“The egg business is unpredictable and risky, and mistakes are costly,” Brass said. “Our farmers are proud of what they do. They care for their birds. They want to optimize performance and be able to anticipate problems. They want to know how their flock is faring compared to others. They also want less day-to-day stress and need an uncomplicated system to manage that stress.”

Using integrated technology to replace error-prone paper trails

Many farms rely on paper trails or simple spreadsheets to keep track of their houses and birds. This adds significant burden, slows down interventions and is prone to errors. Central to the solution for Brass was replacing pen and paper with an integrated hardware and software system and digital flock book to track bird health.

BirdBox is a management system combining in-house sensors to track flock conditions and bird health, with a digital flock book optimized for farm work and harsh environments that is used to enter and manage data. Its real-time data monitoring and communication is translated into bespoke reports with insights into flock productivity, health and welfare.

Easy setup made new management system a quick success

“The setup was easy,” said Brass. “We now have a system that meets the demands of the most technically savvy agricultural consultants as well some of our farmers who have never used anything more advanced than a cell phone.”

“BirdBox has given us visibility to rectify hidden challenges, preventing any potential downstream impacts to the birds and offsetting significant financial losses as a result,” said Roger Gill, Agriculture Director at The Lakes Free Range Egg Co.

After successfully piloting BirdBox, The Lakes is expanding its use of the innovative management system across its network.

“BirdBox is loaded with functionality, but what makes it so valuable is that it was designed with and for farmers. This ensures producers get the insights and alerts they need to manage their farms better,” says Oistein Thorsen, FAI CEO. “It’s as simple as that.”

To find out more about BirdBox and how it can support your farm and business, visit https://www.birdbox.farm.