Innovations: The ROVA Self-Moving Barn

ROVA Self-Moving Barn

Sector
Pasture-raised brooders, broilers and layers

Location
Winnipeg, Man.

Production
Founded by Manitoba poultry farmer Daniel Badiou and Katrina Jean-Laflamme, UKKO Robotics is an agricultural technology company that has been developing farm equipment since 2016. ROVA, its patented self-moving barn, will be on the market in 2019.

Equipment specs
ROVA is a GPS-controlled, fully solar powered, autonomous, self-moving barn. It is equipped with a five-day backup battery. It comes in four sizes ranging from ROVA12 to ROVA200. The number corresponds with the number of birds it holds. The unit includes an automated feed and water unit with a seven-day capacity. Air and temperature are controlled automatically via a side-flap feature. A skirt protects the barn from predators, and real-time video surveillance allows producers to monitor their flocks.

Innovation factor
ROVA provides the benefits of pasture farming, but the productivity of high-tech barns, Badiou explains. It gives farmers more time and flexibility by reducing manual labour. It also reduces the risks that come with pasture-raising chickens, particularly the risk of predation. ROVA is modular, built for scalability and versatility of use, and designed for ease of assembly and transport.

Top: ROVA is a GPS-controlled, solar powered, self-moving barn. Below: It comes in four sizes ranging from a 12 to 200-bird unit.