Fortica: The automated farm system for poultry farmers

This all-in-one system is suitable for all types of broilers, layers, breeders and pullets. It regulates, controls and monitors all your poultry house processes, such as climate, feed, water, lighting, animal weight, egg count and egg flow optimisation. The system can also be linked to a remote app and innovative Farm Management software.

Poultry management with an easy touchscreen operation

The full touchscreen operation makes this system extremely user friendly and clear. A 3D overview of the barn can be produced using clear symbols. All text is configurable, and the computer can be configured for any preferred language. It supports both the metric and imperial units of measurement.

Specialist in aviary and cage-free poultry houses

We have years of experience with broilers and layers in all kinds of housing systems – from cages and group housing to floor and cage-free houses. Hotraco Agri is specialised in the automation of poultry houses with aviary and cage-free systems. This is more complicated than for cage and group housing. In particular, ventilation, nest control and egg counting require a different approach in free-range and cage-free houses. Our automation systems ensure that these processes run smoothly and optimally, too.

Poultry ventilation and climate control

An optimum barn climate improves the performance and health of your animals. Having the right measuring instruments in the barn is crucial for creating the right climate. The Fortica system perfectly balance ventilation, heating and cooling. This is done on the basis of temperature, relative humidity and negative pressure in your barn. When configuring the right climate, the Fortica can also take into account the age and weight of your animals. Whether you use lengthwise ventilation, combi ventilation or tunnel ventilation system. Any poultry ventilation approach works fine with system. The system has different settings any poultry ventilation type or housing system, which guarantees perfect air distribution in your barn.

The Fortica system balances ventilation, cooling and heating perfectly. Photo: Hotraco Agri

Improve feed conversion rate with automatic feed control

With Fortica’s feed control, you can be sure your animals are getting the right amount of feed and that you gain insight into feed consumption and feed costs. Drinking water is just as important for your animals as feed. You can keep a close eye on the feed and water consumption and you are warned about any deviations. This helps you to improve feed conversion and gives you a better indication of the health of your animals.

Feed registration with silo weighing

The system contains silo weighing. It automatically sends the right amount of feed from the silo to the hoppers in the house. The amount of feed is determined based on the number of grams per animal per day. Weighing cells under the silo are used to accurately determine the amount of feed in the silo.

Feed registration with electronic feed weigher

Fortica in combination with a feed weigher is the most accurate method of feed control. It is also the perfect solution if you want to mix several types of feed and if you want to dose small quantities for pullets or breeders. Before the feed goes into the barn, it is first sent from the silo to an electronic feed weigher. The feed weigher weighs the portions precisely and maintains the correct mixing ratio of several types of feed.

Special feed control maximise animal performance

With the system it is possible to control the feed chains or feed pans in multiple groups. This system is particularly helpful for sending the animals to the right floor and getting them back into the systems on time, especially in cage-free and aviary barns. In this way the system helps poultry farmers train their animals and maximise their performance.

The system can help control feed chains or pans in multiple groups. Photo: Hotraco Agri

Poultry light control

House lighting is an important part of the total house design; it has a major impact on the behaviour and welfare of your animals. For example, light promotes feed & water intake and influences day and night rhythms, which improves animal welfare. Correct light distribution and light intensity are important in this respect.The Fortica automation system can control this for you.

Animal weighing scales

As a poultry farmer, it is important for you to be able to monitor your animals weight closely. The system contains registration of animal weight and shows you the average weight, uniformity and distribution among the animals in the flock. Hotraco’s animal weighing scales are suitable for all types of poultry and different types of housing. The principle behind the animal weighing solution is differential weighing, which is detected by the poultry scale in the house. This enables the system to accurately determine the average weight of the animals.

Egg Flow Control

The Hotraco Egg Flow Control is unique system that saves productions costs by providing a smooth egg flow from the hen house to the packing point. With this user-friendly control system, the egg flow rarely needs to stop, leading to reduce shell damage. To run egg collection with an egg packer as optimally as possible, it is important to have a constant supply of eggs. Hotraco Egg Flow Control regulates and optimises egg conveyor speed and provides a smooth flow of eggs to the packing point. The Egg Flow Control system gives you better quality eggs while also reducing collection time. This helps save on packing costs because less staffing is needed at the egg packer.

Automatic egg count with reliable egg counter

The Fortica system also offers layer farmers the option of egg counting. Hotraco Agri egg counters can be used in many different types of houses: in houses with group housing or in cage-free and aviary housing systems for nest, system and cross belts. The fully automatic counting of system eggs is unique and highly innovative in this sector. Counting eggs accurately means that deviations per barn and per group are now immediately visible. The system provides poultry farmers with important information about animal performance, such as an insight into the laying percentage and the number of eggs.

Hotraco Agri egg counters can be used in many different types of houses. Photo: Hotraco Agri