Determining the gender of the chick using MRI method
In collaboration with Orben, Hendrix Genetics reports the launch of equipment for determining the gender of chicks while still in the egg using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and artificial intelligence. The method is effective for commercial-scale operations and has been implemented in the Mûr-de-Bretagne hatchery in France. Hendrix Genetics is the breeder of the Dekalb breed marketed in Israel, while Orben is a German company. The real-time sorting method can sort 24,000 eggs per hour and is based on sorting at day 12 of incubation using the Genus Focus machine, which is necessary for regulation in France and Germany promoting the prohibition of male chick culling at day-old. The method is planned to promote additional capabilities such as fertility determination and identifying phenotypic differences requiring specific care. According to the developers, the margin of error is less than 2%.
