Good eggs depend on healthy ducks and chickens. I am currently at the largest egg-duck farming base in the country. You might notice the duck house is dimly lit because strong light can cause stress in ducks, affecting their health and reducing egg production, which is why today’s coverage must take place in this low-light environment.

While traditional duck farming often involves raising ducks by riversides, this facility employs a locally pioneered modern farming model where egg ducks live in multi-story housing systems resembling buildings. This vertical duck house has eight levels, each with multiple “rooms,” capable of housing 50,000 egg ducks.

Staff explain that traditional duck farming relies on water, typically involving free-range farming on water surfaces. However, duck feces directly discharged into water can cause pollution. Additionally, free-range ducks may contact migratory birds, potentially contracting or carrying viruses that affect flock health. This “moving ducks indoors” approach solves both problems.

However, new challenges emerged as ducks require substantial water. How is this addressed in multi-story housing? Look here – each cage features nipple drinkers that provide water 24/7. To prevent contamination, conveyor belts beneath the equipment collect wastewater and feces, transporting them through pipes for treatment.

Not only do egg ducks live in apartment-style housing, but laying hens are also raised similarly. The most labor-intensive aspect of traditional poultry farming has been egg collection. Since each bird lays eggs at different times, delayed collection can lead to reduced freshness and breakage. Now, the bottom of these farming cages is designed with a slight incline.

After hens and ducks lay eggs, the eggs automatically roll onto conveyor belts in front. Simply turning on a switch collects eggs from all cages uniformly. Additionally, this farming equipment enables automated feeding, meaning daily management of egg poultry has achieved full automation.

Beyond modern “apartments,” there are also automated “caretakers” – the egg poultry farming robot. Just one such “caretaker” can manage an entire housing unit. It not only patrols chicken and duck houses but also monitors environmental factors like temperature and wind speed.

The robot captures images where a chicken’s beak is marked with a blue box. Staff explain that chickens, like dogs, pant with open beaks when temperatures are high. The robot detects this behavior and issues alerts when too many chickens are panting, allowing staff to promptly assess whether indoor temperature adjustments are needed.

Through robots and sensors, data on each housing unit’s

Fuzhou

Fuzhou is the capital of China’s Fujian province, a coastal city with a history dating back over 2,200 years. It is historically renowned as a hub for the Chinese tea trade and for its role as a starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. The city is also famous for its historic “Three Lanes and Seven Alleys” district, a well-preserved neighborhood of ancient residences that showcase traditional Minjiang architecture.

Fujian Province

Fujian Province is a coastal region in southeastern China with a rich maritime history, renowned as a starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. It is famous for its unique Tulou, the large, fortified earth buildings constructed by the Hakka people, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. The province is also the ancestral homeland for many overseas Chinese, particularly in Southeast Asia, and is known for its distinctive Minnan culture and tea production, including oolong tea varieties like Tieguanyin.

European Union

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 European countries. It was established in its modern form in 1993 with the Maastricht Treaty, building upon earlier post-World War II communities created to foster economic cooperation and secure lasting peace. The EU is distinguished by its single market and a unique system of supranational institutions that make shared decisions on behalf of its member states.

North America

North America is a vast continent with a rich human history spanning over 15,000 years, originally inhabited by diverse Indigenous peoples and civilizations. Following the arrival of European explorers in the late 15th century, it became a site of extensive colonization, leading to the creation of modern nations like Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Today, it is a dynamic region known for its blend of Indigenous, European, African, and Asian cultural influences.