An apparatus for delivering digestible products to hatchling fowl includes a controller and a metered delivery mechanism, the metered delivery mechanism electrically coupled to the controller and configured to deliver a pre-defined quantity of digestible products to the container. The digestible product includes an edible and digestible semisolid material.

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for stimulating a desired response, such as ovulation and egg laying, fertility, hunger, growth, mood and sexual maturity in birds or ayes, by controlling the pulsing of two or more different wavelength bands, duty cycle, and frequency of photon bursts within a photon signal to a bird, where the photon modulation and duty cycle is based upon the specific needs of the bird.

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for stimulating a desired response, such as ovulation and egg laying, fertility, hunger, growth, mood and sexual maturity in birds or ayes, by controlling the pulsing of two or more different wavelength bands, duty cycle, and frequency of photon bursts within a photon signal to a bird, where the photon modulation and duty cycle is based upon the specific needs of the bird.

A brooder assembly for warming chicks in a simulated natural environment includes a pad, which is heated and thus can heat chicks positioned on a top of the pad. A figurine is engaged to and extends from the top of the pad. The figurine is substantially centrally positioned on the pad. The figurine is shaped to mimic a hen standing upon the pad and thus can comfort the chicks positioned on the pad. The figurine also reflects heat emanating from the pad downwardly upon the chicks.

A brooder assembly for warming chicks in a simulated natural environment includes a pad, which is heated and thus can heat chicks positioned on a top of the pad. A figurine is engaged to and extends from the top of the pad. The figurine is substantially centrally positioned on the pad. The figurine is shaped to mimic a hen standing upon the pad and thus can comfort the chicks positioned on the pad. The figurine also reflects heat emanating from the pad downwardly upon the chicks.

An egg grasp device is provided. Such a device includes a body and a plurality of elongated members extending from the body. The elongated members are interlaced to form a sheath capable of retaining an egg. The sheath has a distal end and a proximal end at which the elongated members are operably engaged with the body. The elongated members cooperate to define an opening at the distal end through which an egg is received when the elongated members engage and deflect about an egg such that the egg is seated within the sheath. Associated systems and methods are also provided.

A method for limiting the volume of a crow of a rooster includes providing a collar that includes a strip of flexible material. The collar includes a securing element disposed on the strip and configured to secure the collar at the neck of the rooster. The method includes placing the collar around the neck of the rooster such that the strip encircles the neck of the rooster. After placing the collar around the neck of the rooster, securing the collar at the neck of the rooster via the securing element at a position and at a tightness around the neck of the rooster such that expansion of the neck of the rooster for breathing is allowed and further expansion of the neck of the rooster for crowing is restricted by the collar.

A method for limiting the volume of a crow of a rooster includes providing a collar that includes a strip of flexible material. The collar includes a securing element disposed on the strip and configured to secure the collar at the neck of the rooster. The method includes placing the collar around the neck of the rooster such that the strip encircles the neck of the rooster. After placing the collar around the neck of the rooster, securing the collar at the neck of the rooster via the securing element at a position and at a tightness around the neck of the rooster such that expansion of the neck of the rooster for breathing is allowed and further expansion of the neck of the rooster for crowing is restricted by the collar.

A livestock house monitoring method includes: capturing a moving image of an inside of a poultry house; converting a plurality of images included in the moving image captured into black-and-white images; and generating an image for monitoring purposes showing a distribution of chickens inside the poultry house by performing statistical processing on the plurality of images converted into the black-and-white images. The poultry house is an example of a livestock house, and chickens are an example of livestock.

The present disclosure relates to a system for measuring changes in the vital signs of poultry and a method for predicting whether poultry is infected with pathogens using the same. The present disclosure can be helpfully used to determine an overall health condition including the outbreak of various poultry diseases by measuring quantitative changes in vital signs of poultry in real time. In particular, the present disclosure provides reliable real-time information about changes in vital signs through comparison of body temperature and noise measurement values of poultry for each time period reflecting circadian changes of the poultry, rather than simple comparison of the body temperature and noise measurement values with simple reference values, and thus can be used for early diagnosis of highly infectious pathogens such as avian influenza virus and early isolation of confirmed cases, and ultimately for effective prevention of the spread of diseases.