Quick Takeaways:
- Merck Animal Health has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a privately held company developing biodevice technologies for the poultry industry. Merck Animal Health has been an investor in TARGAN since 2017 and one of its largest shareholders. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed.
- The acquisition will add WingScan, TARGAN’s automated chick sex-sorting platform that uses vision technology and proprietary algorithms to identify and sort chicks by gender at speeds of up to 160,000 chicks per hour. Merck Animal Health will also gain access to TARGAN’s high-speed precision ocular spray technology, designed to administer vaccines, including respiratory and coccidiosis vaccines, to day-old chicks in commercial hatcheries.
- Beyond expanding its poultry portfolio, the acquisition is expected to enhance Merck Animal Health’s biodevice and device-development capabilities. TARGAN’s technology platform has potential applications across poultry and other livestock species, supporting the development of next-generation animal health solutions while complementing Merck Animal Health’s growing biopharmaceutical presence in poultry production.
Why It Matters?
Merck Animal Health is doubling down on biodevices and automation in poultry by buying TARGAN, turning from a strategic investor into full owner of high-speed sexing and precision vaccination tech
Source: Businesswire
