Tech minister Peter Kyle vows AI will keep hens healthy and laying more eggs

Artificial intelligence technology will help keep hens fit and healthy - allowing them to lay more eggs and keeping food cheaper for everyone, ministers have promised.

A project backed with £2.6 million of government money, will see a ‘Birdbox’ system watch the behaviour of flocks of free range hens, alerting farmers if they’re at risk.

Everything from pecking, to feeding, to how the birds sound is analysed by carefully trained AI, which can work out when the fowl might be at risk - alerting the farmer to step in and help.

Experts from Oxford-based FAI Farms, and Cumbria’s The Lakes Free Range Egg Company, plus Newcastle University and the UK Agri-Tech Centre are 6 months into a 3-year project to bring this system to industry.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “So much of the talk around AI can leave you feeling scrambled, but I firmly believe in the sunny side up of this tech.

“Especially for our farmers. With smart algorithms monitoring hen health and optimising feeding schedules, British farmers could soon be saying ‘egg-cellent’ to higher yields and seeing ‘egg-stra’ profits.

“And helping British businesses is what the Government’s Plan for Change is all about.”

According to Labour ’s analysis, the widespread adoption of this and similar AI tech could hand the UK’s poultry farmers a boost worth over £100,000 per flock – potentially reducing egg prices for British shoppers.

If rolled out nationwide that could make for up to 1.7 billion more eggs laid a year, and a £280 million increase to UK farmers’ income.

Mr Kyle added: “Not only is this work putting British farming at the cutting edge-it’s ensuring our morning fry-ups remain proudly homegrown. Now that’s what I call a cracking use of technology.”

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed, said: “Government support for cutting-edge technology is making a real-world difference to British farmers and boosting their profits.

“But we are not putting all our eggs in one basket.

“As a part of our £5bn support for British farmers, more grants will open this spring, supporting the industry to trial fresh innovations and supercharge rural economic growth.”