Poultry processing plants require careful monitoring throughout the poultry production cycle. It is critical that suitable temperature conditions are maintained all the way, from the point that the egg is incubated and then hatches, and during the first 6-7 weeks of the chick’s life until it is transported to the production plant and becomes a saleable product.
The most risky part is during the transportation process, as outdoor temperatures vary widely and the birds can perish during their journey. This represents a real financial loss for the company. In their attempt to prevent yield loss and poultry DOA (Death On Arrival), poultry plants seek a solution that will assist in controlling the process and knowing what actions must be taken to minimise these losses.
About the Customer:
Agri Star, located in the Midwestern United States, processes and distributes a full line of fresh poultry, beef, deli and prepared food provisions for wholesalers, retailers and food service providers, all under the strictest certification standards. Agri Star owns its production facility, with the entire process, from start to finish, controlled and monitored exclusively by Agri Star personnel. This results in products that are consistently more wholesome and superior tasting.
Key Customer Challenges:
- The live poultry needs to be transported around 275 miles from the farm to the production facility, a long journey spanning 5-6 hours. Temperatures range widely during the winter and summer seasons. These extreme temperatures changes can cause tremendous harm to the poultry. Potential losses can be minimized by monitoring the temperatures during the transportation phase and making adjustments to the procedures accordingly.
- In the absence of a temperature data logging system, meeting the desired temperature conditions of the live poultry transportation entails significant guess work. Agri Star searched for a solution that will enable them to reduce the guess work and maintain full control the situation.
- Agri Star required a reliable, yet simple and easy-to -use system to monitor the live poultry temperatures and provide them with valuable information on the transportation process.
DataNet Wireless Data Logger Implementation:
A DataNet wireless data logger system, including a DataNet DNL910 data logger and 3 external temperature sensors, was placed inside each of 12 separate trucks transporting live poultry from the farm to the production facility. Each system is used to monitor the poultry transportation life cycle. The data loggers keep recording the temperatures to their built in memory throughout each journey, regardless of whether the trucks are out on the road or parked at the facilities.
When the truck arrives at the processing facility, the data is automatically downloaded to the computer, by virtue of the wireless receivers set up at the facility. Each wireless data logger detects when the receiver is nearby and automatically downloads the data. The information is captured into a PC and can be viewed and analyzed via the DataSuite software at any time by the relevant onsite personnel. Typically this reveals key insights such as:
- Maximum and minimum temperature throughout the journey
- Amount of time the live poultry was exposed to excessive temperatures
- Exact times when the temperature extremes occurred, which can be used to infer the causes of the temperature extremes, such as truck locations / prevailing weather, and whether they were stopped or moving, etc.
Measurable Results:
- The monitored data enabled Agri Star to reduce the guess work by 70%-80% at the first stage, thus preventing chicken DOA (Death on Arrival) in addition to controlling and reducing yield loss during transport from the farm to the production facility and thereby increasing revenues.
- The scope of Agri Star’s activity is extremely large, so they could realize a great impact on results with the DataNet system. Each Agri Star truck carries 5,200 chicks per trip, multiplied by 5 days per week (26,000 chicks), multiply by 50 weeks per year = over a million birds being transported in every trailer every year. So with 12 trucks this is over 15 million chicks transported per year!
- Based on the monitored data and the analysis performed by the DataSuite software, Agri Star is able to make constant adjustments to the process and design a continuously-improved program, with the goal to reach 99% certainty in the transport life cycle.
Customer’s Last Word:
“In the poultry industry, information is power and can be critical to success. We are excited to have found a solution combining reliability with ease- of- use under the same roof, which is rarely found. The DataNet solution enables us to control the transport life cycle and reduce DOA in our production facility”
Chaim Abrahams, Facility ManagerAgri Star, Iowa, USA
(Case study courtesy of Fourtec)
