TARGAN’s WingScan system has significantly improved operations at Boire & Frères, a leading Quebec-based company operating three hatcheries and managing 160 barns across 59 sites. The company’s primary focus is delivering high-quality chicks and exceptional service to independent producers.
Boire & Frères has been using TARGAN’s automated chick sexing systems since October 2024. In the case study below, Jean-Guy Robillard, General Manager at Boire & Frères, shares how TARGAN’s WingScan systems have transformed their operations.
Challenge
Before adopting TARGAN’s WingScan, Boire & Frères was manually sexing 70,000 birds per hour, a process that was labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Manual sexing offered many benefits but was susceptible to human error and therefore variability in results, affecting overall operational consistency.
Delays in the sexing process could also occasionally result in longer holding times for day-old chicks, impacting welfare.
Solution
With more than half a billion birds processed to date, TARGAN’s WingScan System offers an unprecedented throughput of up to 160,000 chicks per hour, depending on configuration. This speed means birds can reach the farm, food, and water faster. The AI recognition and identification means birds are handled less – offering hatcheries enhanced animal care.
Implementation
Boire & Frères adopted TARGAN’s WingScan system, significantly boosting their capacity and efficiency. Jean-Guy explains: “Now with the TARGAN machines, we’re sexing 110,000 birds per hour, and we’re not even using the full capacity of the TARGAN machine.”
This increase in capacity not only improved operational reliability but also helped address labor concerns, addressing two key challenges the company faced before integrating automation.
The WingScan systems brought consistency to the sexing process, improving both the quality and speed of service provided to their customers.
Beyond increasing efficiency, WingScan has introduced consistency to the sexing process, enhancing both accuracy and throughput. Additionally, delivering chicks earlier allows them to access feed and water sooner, promoting animal care.
Jean-Guy emphasized the impact of this improvement, stating, “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 to “eat and drink faster.”
Integration
The installation of the TARGAN WingScan systems was a significant project for Boire & Frères, but the process went smoothly thanks to the support from the TARGAN team, according to the company.
The only adjustments required were internal, ensuring the efficiency of the system’s integration into their existing processes.
Jean-Guy notes that the systems are “plug-and-play,” and with TARGAN’s strong support throughout the installation and adjustment period, the company quickly adapted to the new machinery.
Impact
The adoption of TARGAN’s automated chick feather sexing systems has brought numerous benefits to Boire & Frères in comparison to manual sexing including:
- Increased efficiency: Automating the sexing process has boosted Boire & Frères’ capacity and sped up chick delivery to farms.
- Improved quality: The WingScan system provides greater consistency in sexing, enhancing the quality of the chicks delivered to customers.
- Reduced labor issues: Automation has reduced labor challenges, helping the company streamline operations.
- Faster delivery: With a two-hour improvement in delivery times, Boire & Frères can meet customer demands more effectively.
Future Outlook
As the poultry industry continues to evolve, the demand for sexed birds is expected to grow, particularly as processing plants seek to achieve more precise weight targets.
Jean-Guy believes that sexing will become increasingly important for the industry and sees TARGAN’s WingScan system as a critical tool to meet this demand: “I suspect it will be a general trend within the industry. Sexing will become more and more important for processing plants.”
As one of the earliest adopters of the technology, Boire & Frères is now in an excellent position to continue leading in their market.
For more information about WingScan, head to www.TARGAN.com/WingScan
