Baiada Poultry takes a crack at automation

Leading egg and poultry meat producer Baiada Poultry is going automated as it expands its presence in the Riverina area of New South Wales. 

The company, which incorporates the notable Lilydale Free Range and Steggles brands, is set to develop with the construction of two completely automated new breeding farms in the district in progress to be commissioned in mid-2024. 

Baiada took to social media and said the improvement of the farms was an essential move that lines up with its vision for development and sustainability. 

“The new farms will not only contribute to the region’s economy but also meet the increasing demands for high-quality produce. 

“These farms are designed with a view to focus on continuous improvement when it comes to automation and animal welfare by utilising state-of-the-art ventilation technology – whereby the heat recovery system recaptures the heat produced from the farms and utilises it to offset the use of natural gas,” said Baiada. 

The company operates a breeder farm including in the Riverina and Tamworth districts of New South Wales, the Barossa locale in South Australia, southeast Queensland, and northeast and south of Perth. 

“Furthermore, the heat recovery system significantly improves litter condition and air quality within the sheds, improving the conditions for our livestock,” Baiada added. 

To guarantee overall welfare and the exhibition of the breeders, feeding, temperature, body weight control, ventilation, lighting and well-being are checked closely from one day to 22 weeks old age. 

When the hens arrive at 22 weeks, the egg production stage starts, with eggs laid continually and gathered either the hard way or in a mechanised collection system. 

The lab’s new innovations incorporate creating an autogenous immunisation for salmonella, creating tests to recognise infections and strategies to separate between infections in poultry, creating tests for hereditarily adjusted organic entities, and making techniques to screen out microorganisms in 24 hours or less. 

Fundamental to this approach is the organisation’s Birling Avian Laboratory, which performs in excess of 250,000 tests every year across the value chain. 

“By assessing all segments of the business harnessing the latest technologies and equipment, we are able to maintain hygiene and quality assurance levels,” Baiada added.