Eggs | Ag Week 2023 Digital Learning Kit

Learn about Dr McCarthy’s impactful contributions to the Australian egg industry. Hear about her role in developing technologies integrating cameras and machine vision to enhance sustainability and create on-farm solutions to agricultural problems. 

These technologies monitor the well-being of chicken flocks and identify potential issues at an early stage. Automated cameras installed on free range egg farms monitor flock health and behaviour to identify potential health concerns, enabling early intervention. This approach minimises the need for manual inspections and reduces stress on the chickens while improving overall farm efficiency. 

Learn about Janine Price’s research into Black Soldier Fly farming to convert manure generated on egg farms into fertiliser or soil conditioner. 

Hear how these insects convert waste into a valuable by-product, providing a low-cost and sustainable waste management solution for the agricultural industry and an alternate source of profit. 

This closed-loop system has the potential to counteract the high cost of treatment and disposal of wastes (both solid and liquid) produced by on-farm intensive production in the poultry industry. It is a sustainable way of managing large volumes of manure, decreasing waste by up to 80%, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and generating less nutrient leaching potential. 

This resource was produced as part of PIEFA’s Ag Week 2023 Activities but can be used at any point and incorporated into your lesson plans throughout the year.