Automated poultry or livestock welfare tracking

Abstract

Various proxies can be used to qualitatively or quantitatively assess welfare of a poultry flock. For example, as shown and described herein, one or more of a video-based monitoring technique or audio-based monitoring technique can be used. Such monitoring can include a video-based (e.g., image based) technique where indicia of movement of individual members of the flock are automatically tracked. In addition, or instead, an audio-based technique can be used, such as for classification of vocalization. Various metrics can be stored or reported using such techniques and one or more alerts can be generated, such as indicative of flock welfare or a change in flock welfare. Techniques described herein can include identifying paths traversed by respective members of a flock (e.g., individual animals), and then extracting indications such as corresponding to a distribution of such paths. Such paths can be defined by corresponding movement trajectories associated with individual members.