How Trouw Nutrition’s Québec hatchery transformed operations through automation

Sorting birds by gender is common practice in broiler production, helping producers optimize feed strategies, improve flock uniformity, and increase overall efficiency. With recent technological advances, the once manual, labor-intensive task can now be automated – delivering far greater speed, accuracy, and consistency.

Breaking the bottlenecks

Ramsay Hatchery, which hatches and delivers around 34 million chicks each year, has seen a wide range of improvements: more birds processed per hour, reduced logistics time and cost, and a 49% reduction in chick rejection rates.

Since adopting WingScan, the hatchery processes roughly 40,000 chicks per hour and has shortened lead times, bringing new consistency to daily operations.

Logistics have also benefited: reduced driver waiting times have cut working hours by nearly a third, creating a smoother, more predictable flow across the supply chain.

Faster, more precise classification means fewer misidentified chicks, while the automated system reduces handling, meaning shorter waits for the chicks to reach feed and water. This can lower chick stress and help to improve resource utilization.

At the same time, employee health and safety have benefited from reduced repetitive movements and improved workstations, addressing long-standing risks of musculoskeletal disorders among staff who had been manually sexing over prolonged periods of time.

Processing time at the hatchery has been reduced by around 50%, enabling more reliable throughput and greater scalability.

Overall, the adoption of WingScan marks a major step forward for Trouw Nutrition Canada. Ramsay Hatchery now operates with greater speed, consistency, and predictability - supporting tailored feeding strategies, healthier flocks, and stronger outcomes from hatchery to farm to processing plant. The company has positioned itself as an adaptable leader in modern hatchery practice, demonstrating how AI-powered automation can strengthen performance, protect workers, and enhance welfare.

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. 

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Charlotte Baker
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Carlos Bautista
Carlos.bautista@targan.com