1. Background and Benefits
by
David Filmer MA (Cantab)
1

2. David Filmer’s history
Developer of FLOCKMAN
 Son of a Chicken Farmer
 Raised on poultry farm then Farm Institute
 London/Cambridge Universities
 Nutrition, Poultry Husbandry, Statistics
 Experiments and Computer modelling
 Technical Director, Dalgety-Agriculture
 Unilever Nutritionist, Poultry Marketing
 26 years MD of FLOCKMAN company
2

3. Chicken’s Digestive system
We have forgotten that broilers have crops and gizzards
So did some Dinosaurs 66 Million years ago: and birds evolved from them!
They improve the efficiency of the birds’ digestive system
So, evolution has had plenty of time to perfect bird’s crops and gizzards
3

4. Study chicken ancestor -Indian Jungle Fowl
Then learn and apply to modern Broilers
4

5. Behaviour of the Jungle Fowl (Gallus Gallus)
 Lives in Tropical Rain Forest a dim hot humid environment
 Forages rapidly as dawn breaks, before the temperature
rises and fills its crop with berries, seeds, small insects
 During the heat of the day, shelters in undergrowth and
seeks damp wet patches to preen and assist cooling
 Lives on the feed stored in the crop during this time
 When the sun goes down, forages rapidly in the cool and
fills its crop for the second time in 24 hours
 Finds night roost, safe from predators and sleeps
 Crop again empties and bird awakes slowly but hungry!
 We can learn from above and our elders’ ideas TODAY!!
5

6. Poultry Feeding in the UK (1940-1950)
 Kept in Night Arks or small sheds (50 - 100 max) at night
 Feed was put out in troughs close to unit soon after dawn
 All pop holes then opened quickly
 Birds rush out and feed rapidly to fill crops
 Stockman observed how quickly feed is eaten
 Cut back next day if feed left or increased if eaten quickly
 A scratch cereal feed (barley, wheat, etc) was fed 4-5 pm
 All birds herded into housing at dark and pop holes closed
 So, birds had full crops and active gizzards to digest feed
6

7. Industry changes in the late 1950’s
 .
 Large numbers of birds kept in intensive houses with no access
to pasture including seeds, grains, grit, etc
 Mechanisation of feeding systems
Tube & Chain Feeders, Cable and Flight, now Feed Pans
 Feed started to be fed ad-lib (new system)
 All feed components (including cereals) were hammer milled
 23 hours of light/day common. So poor immune defence
 So, no full crops and inactive gizzards. Poorer digestion
7

8. Problems caused by Industry Changes
 Higher Mortality due to poor Immune Defence system
 Ascites & Heart Attacks in some birds who eat too much
 Higher variability from small birds not eating enough
 Poorer LW & FCR due to digestive system not optimised
 Bad litter from protein excretion. Crops & gizzards inactive
 Higher coccidiosis risk, (Gizzards not destroying oocysts)
 Poor Health & Welfare from poor life-style. From long light
periods & ad-lib feeding. No stimulating events in the day
8

9. FLOCKMAN
 Aim was to reverse these trends
 Controls Meal-Time Feeding and Lighting
 Birds’ crops / gizzards work properly (If wheat is fed)
 Improves bird welfare and cuts mortality
 Feed and light programs are scheduled and then carried
out on the due days. Flock feedback optimises feed fed
 Lights / feed start is preset before the start of the crop
 16 Preset Profiles included to choose from
 Daily entries by farm staff are zero
 Repays it’s cost in 2 – 3 crops of broilers
9

10. Benefits of FLOCKMAN
 Less Feed Used (several tonnes per house)
 Better Feed Conversion
 Lower Mortality, Less Leg Culls = more birds to factory
 Heavier Birds
 Improved Health and Welfare
 More Profit
 FLOCKMAN = Improved Productivity and more Profit10

11. Why FLOCKMAN is different
 Developed by a poultry expert not an supply company
 Understands poultry husbandry and bird management
 Understands bird behaviour and response to nutrition
 Gets automatic feedback from each flock of chicken
 Works in collaboration with skilled poultry stockmen
 Developed in liaison with world best broiler farmers
 Provides evidence of worldwide success 11

12. Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture
David Filmer MA (Cantab)
March 2015

14. Executive Summary
 Population increase – more food needed
 Middle classes looking for a safe, healthy diet
 Chicken meat used more than ALL other meats
 60 billion chicken grown in 2014: = 8 per person
 Produces more chicken meat from less feed
 Increases grower profit by 5 US cents per bird
 Potential: 5 cents x 60 billion = 3 billion US $
 Equivalent to10 million tonnes less chicken feed
 Better lifestyle, health and welfare for the birds

15. FLOCKMAN R&D (1989 to 2014)
 1989 WPSA paper – Computers for Poultry Production
 1998 Integrated Management Systems for broilers
Silsoe Research Institute 3 year study – see final report
Verification trial showed £10,562 extra profit/house/year
 2012 Bristol University – Intermittent dark periods and
new lighting programs gave better health, less mortality
 2014 WPSA paper – A new more welfare friendly and
feed efficient way to grow intensive broilers. Chester UK.
 Continuous trialing to observe bird response + feedback
from innovative growers to fine tune the system

16. Current FLOCKMAN System
 Simple retrofit to existing feed augers, lights
 No feed/bird weighers, computers, modems
 Continuous feedback changes birds daily feed intake
 Active crops: better digestion, so less feed needed
 Better lighting programs – dawn/dusk dimming
 Improves immune defence system and welfare
 Low cost – quick return on investment

17. The FLOCKMAN box
 FLOCKMAN has 5 ON/OFF/AUTO switches. For FLOCKMAN
Control, ALL must be in ‘AUTO’, Green light ‘ON’. The Keypad
enters flock details. The LCD display shows data. Status bar LED
lights show what’s happening inside the house.

18. FLOCKMAN Forster trial- Liveweight per bird (grams)
Control (H 13, 12, 10, 4, 5, 8): FLOCKMAN (H 14, 7, 11, 3, 6, 9)
20952140
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
1 2 3 4 5
grams
Weeks of Age
Control Liveweight
FLOCKMAN Liveweight

19. FLOCKMAN Forster trial - Feed Conversion Ratio
Control (H 13, 12, 10, 4, 5, 8): FLOCKMAN (H 14, 7, 11, 3, 6, 9)
1.596
1.554
0.80
0.90
1.00
1.10
1.20
1.30
1.40
1.50
1.60
1.70
1 2 3 4 5
RatioFeed/LW
Weeks of Age
Control FCR
FLOCKMAN FCR

20. FLOCKMAN trial - European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF)
Control (H 13, 12, 10, 4, 5, 8): FLOCKMAN (H 14, 7, 11, 3, 6, 9)
370
389
200
250
300
350
400
450
1 2 3 4 5
Weeks of Age
Control EPEF
FLOCKMAN EPEF

21. FLOCKMAN trial – Margin (Bird value minus Feed costs) (per bird)
Control (H 13, 12, 10, 4, 5, 8): FLOCKMAN (H 14, 7, 11, 3, 6, 9)
-$0.01
$0.00
$0.01
$0.02
$0.03
$0.04
$0.05
$0.06
$0.07
$0.08
1 2 3 4 5
ExtraMargin$/bird
Weeks of Age
FLOCKMAN Target
FLOCKMAN minus Control

22. 9 FLOCKMAN field trials (minimum 8 houses per trial)
Statistical analysis of benefit in Feed Conversion Ratio
0.062
0.090
0.069
0.033
0.041
0.100
0.056 0.054 0.053
0.062
0.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
Average
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Trial 9 p value =
0.00001
FCR
FLOCKMAN Benefit

23. 9.7
21.6
3.7
15.4
13.3
35.0
18.7 20.2 20.5
17.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Average
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Trial 9 p value =
0.0002
EPEF
FLOCKMAN Benefit
9 FLOCKMAN field trials (minimum 8 houses per trial)
Statistical analysis of benefit in EPEF

24. 9 FLOCKMAN field trials (minimum 8 houses per trial)
Statistical analysis of benefit in margin over feed cost per bird
6.62
13.67
4.41
8.49
6.87 6.96
5.04
7.56
6.44
7.34
-2.00
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
14.00
16.00
Average
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Trial 9 p value =
0.00002
UScentsperbird
FLOCKMAN Benefit

25. 9 International trials 2.2 million birds
Results 36-46 day old A/H flocks
ITEM Average
BENEFIT
Minimum
BENEFIT
Mortality 1.01% 0.28%
Liveweight (g) 40 10
FCR 0.062 0.046
EPEF 17.6 11.0
Margin/bird UK pence 4.32 3.14
Margin/house £ £1,463 £1,053
Margin/house/year
6.5 crop cycles/year
£9,510
(35K birds/house)
£6,845
(35K birds/house)

26. Latest UK Results: Harry Shepherd
Dec 2014
Age (days) Final Liveweight Ross Target % Target
33 (Females) 2.000kg (4.41lb) 1.838kg 108.8%
41 (Females) 2.668kg (5.88lb) 2.512kg 106.2%
47 (Males) 3.874kg (8.52lb) 3.546kg 109.2%
Average 42.46 3.134kg (6.91lb) 2.856kg 108.3%
Days Weight Dead FCR EPEF
42.46 3.134 kg 3.81% 1.651 430

27. FLOCKMAN Benefits
 Better results, profits and sustainability
 Better chicken lifestyle, health and welfare
 Return on investment in under 6 months
 Helps feed the world; Low carbon footprint
Welcome to:
 Governments, integrators, investors
 Do visit us on stand D262 for business talks and to meet
Harry Shepherd, successful UK FLOCKMAN user and
FLOCKMAN client consultant