The user-friendly Fortica® system controls four broiler houses, with a total of 110,000 animals, at the Mekkes farm in Geesbrug, located in the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands. Controlling all barn processes from one reliable system is ideal, according to the broiler farmer Mekkes. The Fortica® system controls the climate, feed, water, animal weighing and lighting in all the houses. Good climate control really makes a difference, says Mekkes. This is reflected in the health and growth of the animals.
Perfect ventilation
The ventilation is based on negative pressure in the house, with fresh air from the outside entering through inlets in the side walls. The house air is exhausted through ventilation stacks on the roof. It is also possible to switch to tunnel ventilation with pad cooling on very hot days. The heating is controlled through the use of heating pipes on the side of the house. All the ventilation and heating systems are centrally controlled and monitored via the user-friendly Fortica® system.
Animal weighing
The house is equipped with an animal scale from Hotraco Agri that is connected to the Fortica®. The animal weighing system provides the boiler farmer with accurate data on the average weight, uniformity and distribution among the animals in the flock. This gives him perfect insight into the growth performance of his chicks.
Novus Farm Management & remote control
The Fortica® system is linked to the Novus Farm Management program, which allows him to easily and quickly view and compare results of animal weight, climate, feed and water intake and more from all the houses. Mekkes can also compare these data with those from previous flocks. He also uses the handy Syslinq Remote app, with which he can view and change all data from his smartphone. Even when he’s not at home, he can still keep an eye on his barns and respond immediately and accurately to any changes