From 70,000 to 110,000 Birds per Hour: Scaling with TARGAN Automation
In poultry production, efficiency and resilience are critical. In this fiercely competitive landscape producers must meet rising global demand while navigating biosecurity risks, operational inconsistencies and labor shortages. Stakeholders throughout the value chain, from integrated operations to independent producers, are increasingly on the lookout for solutions that can improve productivity and reduce risk.
Boire & Frères
From the moment chicks hatch, precision is critical. Sorting, sexing, and transport must be executed efficiently while balancing animal welfare and operational performance. Hatcheries today face mounting pressure from labour shortages, workforce instability, and the need for greater consistency at scale.
For Boire & Frères — a leader in the North American poultry industry operating 160 barns across 59 sites — these challenges were well understood. Manually sexing tens of thousands of chicks per hour requires a highly skilled workforce and tight coordination. Scaling such operations while maintaining performance and retaining talent has become increasingly complex.
Seeking to strengthen efficiency without compromising standards, Boire & Frères adopted automation. In October 2024, the hatchery implemented TARGAN’s WingScan™, the industry’s first fully automated feather-sexing solution.
In this case study, Jean-Guy Robillard, General Manager at Boire & Frères, shares how WingScan transformed hatchery performance and established a new operational benchmark.
Overcoming the Limitations of Manual Sexing
Feather-sexing provides clear production advantages. Raising birds separately on farm improves feed conversion, enhances flock uniformity, and optimizes processing yields. However, traditional manual methods introduce operational constraints.
Prior to automation, Boire & Frères manually sexed up to 70,000 birds per hour — a labour-intensive and time-sensitive process. Manual accuracy can vary depending on operator fatigue and team stability. Delays in sorting may extend the holding time of day-old chicks, affecting welfare and early-stage performance.
As labour challenges intensified across the industry, maintaining consistent performance became increasingly difficult.
The Automated Solution
Through its partnership with TARGAN, Boire & Frères transitioned to fully automated chick sexing using WingScan™. The system has processed more than half a billion birds globally and offers unmatched speeds of up to 160,000 chicks per hour through its modular, scalable design.
Powered by advanced vision technology and artificial intelligence, WingScan captures high-resolution images of each chick’s feather pattern and analyses them in real time. Proprietary algorithms trained across diverse flock characteristics — including breed, age, and feather quality — enable accurate identification and sorting of male and female chicks.
As additional data is processed, the system continuously refines its precision, ensuring adaptability across a range of production environments.
Automation in Action
The implementation of WingScan significantly expanded Boire & Frères’ operational capacity.
“We’re sexing 110,000 birds per hour now, and we’re not even using the full capacity of the machine,” said Robillard.
This represents a 36% increase in throughput compared to manual operations. The boost in capacity strengthened operational reliability and helped mitigate labour instability — a persistent challenge both locally and industry-wide.
WingScan also improved consistency, increasing accuracy to 98% while accelerating chick delivery.
Robillard highlighted another measurable benefit:
“We’ve gained about a 2-hour delivery time.”
Faster delivery ensures chicks reach farms earlier, providing quicker access to feed and water. This reduces stress, supports early performance, and reinforces welfare standards across the production chain.
Seamless Integration and Measurable Impact
Although implementing a new system requires alignment with existing workflows, the transition was smooth. Robillard described WingScan as “plug-and-play,” noting that only minor adjustments were required to optimize pre- and post-processing stages.
Since installation in October 2024, WingScan has delivered measurable results:
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Increased efficiency: Expanded throughput capacity from 70,000 to 110,000 birds per hour.
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Enhanced quality: 98% sexing accuracy with greater process consistency.
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Reduced labour pressure: Automation alleviates workforce instability and simplifies staffing requirements.
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Faster delivery: A two-hour reduction in delivery time improves welfare and customer responsiveness.
By integrating WingScan, Boire & Frères strengthened its operational reliability and service performance while positioning itself for continued growth.
Looking Ahead
As demand for sexed birds grows, processing plants increasingly require precise weight management and uniform production flows. Robillard anticipates this shift:
“I suspect it will be a general trend within the industry. Sexing will become more and more important for processing plants.”
By adopting automation early, Boire & Frères has positioned itself ahead of industry trends, equipped with scalable technology capable of meeting evolving market demands.
As automation becomes standard practice, hatcheries embracing intelligent systems will define the next era of operational excellence. Boire & Frères’ experience demonstrates how strategic technology adoption enhances efficiency, strengthens reliability, and advances animal welfare — proving that productivity and precision can move forward together.
About TARGAN
TARGAN is an innovative animal AgTech systems company focused on transforming animal protein production industries worldwide. Founded in 2015 and based in Raleigh, North Carolina, the company's mission is to provide affordable, individualized technologies that will improve speed, accuracy and animal welfare. For more information, visit TARGAN.com
TARGAN is a registered trademark of TARGAN in the United States and other countries.
Media Contacts:
Charlotte Baker
+44 (0)20 8647 4467
charlotte.baker@garnettkeeler.com
Carlos Bautista
Carlos.bautista@targan.com