Biotech for Chickens — Robert Yaman

Industrial animal agriculture faces significant welfare challenges that require innovation to align producer profitability with animal health. Robert Yaman, CEO of Innovate Animal Ag, argues that because chicken production is highly consolidated and operates on thin margins, welfare improvements must be scalable and economically viable. Key interventions include in-ovo sexing to eliminate the culling of male layer chicks, electron beam technology for targeted, low-cost vaccines, and surrogate technologies like "layers laying broilers" to reduce the physical strain on broiler breeder flocks. By treating poultry health with the same rigorous, data-driven approach as human medicine—and leveraging economies of scale from human pharmaceutical advancements—the industry can transition from flock-level management to individualized care. These technological advancements, tested in upcoming accelerator farms, aim to create a more transparent, efficient, and humane production system.