A major Canadian agricultural cooperative has partnered with prefabricated construction specialist Lida Group to pilot next-generation automated broiler housing integrating steel building platforms, environmental controls and robotics aimed at revolutionizing poultry production efficiencies.

Fraser Valley Premium Meats will construct the test facility – consisting of two 30,000 square foot steel-framed broiler barns and a central utility building – at its research farm in Abbotsford, BC over the next year.

Lida’s proprietary bolted-together modular steel structural system arrives as prefabricated building panels assembled like 3D construction toys. The non-combustible enclosed structure provides a safe test environment for integrated technologies.

Research priorities include evaluating high-capacity conveyor systems able transport feed and remove litter robotically with minimal labor disruption compared to manual scoops. Prototype chain feeders may eliminate traditional pan/auger delivery slowing growth cycles.

Precise climate controls integrating LED lighting, robotic ventilation curtains, water softeners and temperature/humidity sensors will finely manage growing conditions without expensive retrofits to traditional wooden barns fluctuating unevenly.

The controlled micro-environment aims optimizing bird health, feed conversion and growth rates year-round. Data collection evaluates energy/water footprints versus industry averages to benchmark economic and environmental performance gains from advanced farm automation.

Camera monitoring and computer vision technologies integrating with warehouse management software track real-time flock behaviors, mortality events and resource usage supporting predictive maintenance and health protocol refinements benefiting entire cooperative operations.

The synergistic testbed represents a watershed for automated, technology-driven agricultural advances according to some experts. Success validating integrated robotics/controls may influence rapid adoption reshaping global poultry industries grappling inefficiencies from tight labor markets and shifting consumer expectations.

Lida’s scalable modular steel construction additionally enables reconfiguring entire housing structures between applications testing future farming innovations. The reusable bolted framework requires limited demolition versus replacing entire barns between cycles.

Potential applications may include converting poultry barns seasonally for egg production, pullet rearing or indoor horticulture diversifying farm incomes. Modular flexibility aligns with cooperatives adapting operations to fill multiple regional supply chain needs.

If promising, the project could drive broader precision livestock farming integrating reliable prefabricated building platforms supporting emerging technologies at commercial scales. Standardized systems promise transforming efficiency and sustainability enhancing supply security resilience.

Collaborative innovation centers like this envision a brighter future for farming by responsibly maximizing outputs from smaller ecological footprints. Agricultural robotics pioneered through scalable enabling infrastructure may optimize global food security for coming decades amid interconnected challenges.

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