New £3m project to address health and welfare issues in poultry production

Funded by Innovate UK as part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, the FeedFlow project brings together a consortium of industry leaders and academic institutions to investigate the use of advanced technologies and black soldier fly (BSF) larvae in improve poultry welfare and promote sustainability in the poultry industry.

Led by modular insect farm company Flybox, the project harnesses the computer vision platform FLOX360 to deliver real-time data on flock welfare and early warnings of potential issues. Meanwhile, BSF larvae provide a nutrient-rich, high-quality protein source enhanced with antimicrobial peptides.

Assessing global warming potential

Additionally, the project incorporates life cycle analysis – led by Jess Callaghan from the University of Chester – to assess global warming potential and prevent a race to the bottom in emissions.

Emily Burton, professor in sustainable food production in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences said: “Insects are an essential part of our transition from linear to circular resource use, and projects like this are accelerating insect production to commercial viability by thinking outside the box about how we can harness them to improve poultry production.”​

Despite significant advancements in production sustainability through genetic selection, the poultry industry faces persistent issues – including poor leg health, high mortality rates, and variable feed conversion ratios.

Continuous evolution

To address these issues and stay competitive against low-cost imports, UK production systems must evolve continuously. Black soldier fly farming and artificial intelligence are emerging as solutions for improving poultry welfare and performance, while also supporting sustainability.

Flybox’s collaboration with NTU’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences further strengthens the project, utilising fortified BSF larvae to deliver a rapid nutrient boost that addresses health challenges more effectively than traditional feed interventions.

This latest study followed research by Flybox and the NTU last year into feeding BSF larvae nutritionally enhanced food waste before they are added into poultry feed. The work was part of a feasibility study which aimed to increase the nutritional value of chickens and significantly reduce the carbon footprint of ingredients.