Hosted on a working free-range farm in East Yorkshire, the project will test out a new acoustic welfare monitoring system designed specifically for laying hens – the first application of its kind within the UK egg sector.
The technology, nicknamed the ‘Happy-o-Meter’, has been developed in collaboration with Agrisound and Aviasenze. This is the second time Noble Foods has worked with AgriSound, following an earlier pilot that saw Noble become the first UK egg producer to trial bioacoustic pollinator monitoring on farm.
Insights from that project helped inform how sound‑based data could be applied more broadly within agricultural systems, including its potential to support animal welfare.
Now the team is looking at how the technology can be used to improve laying hen welfare with real-time insights into behaviour.
Traditionally, animal welfare in egg production has been measured through a combination of standards, audits and assurance schemes. While this provides confidence and accountability, it generally only offers a periodic snapshot.
The Happy-o-Meter would instead give a longer-term view, analysing the soundscape within poultry houses and using machine learning to identify patterns in flock vocalisations and activity that may indicate changes in behaviour, health or environmental conditions.
The hope is this will enable farmers to make proactive decisions around environment, management or health based on real-time data before issues occur.
Alongside the free-range trial, Noble Foods is also testing the technology within one of its barn laying facilities to gain an understanding of how the tech works in different settings. The aim is to ensure the learning generated by the project is relevant to a broad cross-section of UK egg production.
“By listening to hens and understanding how changes in sound and behaviour might indicate shifts in welfare or environment, we can support farmers with earlier, more confident decision‑making,” commented agriculture sustainability manager, Emily Marshall.
“This is not about replacing good stockmanship but complementing it with better data. We see this as a learning project for the wider sector. If we are going to build trust and move the welfare conversation forward, we need to be open to testing new approaches, sharing the evidence and being honest about what works – and what still needs to improve.”
The two-year project is a result of a successful funding bid to Innovate UK led by Marshall.
Findings will be shared with producers and industry stakeholders, helping identify where acoustic monitoring can add value and where further development is needed.
