Year Awarded 2017
FFAR award amount $800,000
Total award amount $1,600,292
Location Raleigh, NC
Matching Funders Merck Animal Health
Grantee Institution Applied LifeSciences & Systems (ALS-S)
Commercial hatcheries often spray vaccines on chicks to prevent disease. This method is imprecise and leaves about 5-20 percent of chicks vulnerable to disease. When disease breaks out, producers must then use antibiotics to treat secondary infections, which reduces overall productivity. By using imaging and robotics technology, Applied Lifesciences & Systems Poultry Inc. is developing a device for vaccinating newly hatched chickens, enhancing bird health, increasing poultry production and reducing the need for antibiotics.