The Optimist's Barn

No, Bird Flu Isn't Over

Cases are about to spike again

Oct 17 • 

Robert Yaman

9

A Year of The Optimist's Barn

Some reflections on writing on Substack

Oct 15 • 

Robert Yaman

9

2

September 2025

The Gene-Editing Platform that Will Change How We Raise Chickens

A spotlight on NextHen's Layers Laying Broilers technology

Sep 21 • 

Robert Yaman

18

3

August 2025

The Climate Cost of Pre-Slaughter Mortality

Let’s at least eat the livestock that we raise

Aug 20 • 

Robert Yaman

19

7

July 2025

You Can Now Buy Eggs From In-Ovo Sexed Hens!

Consumers now can vote with their wallets to support this new tech.

Jul 17 • 

Robert Yaman

57

12

Don't Demonize Efficiency in Animal Agriculture

A review of We Are Eating the Earth, by Michael Grunwald

Jul 1 • 

Robert Yaman

19

8

June 2025

3 Research Questions in Animal Welfare Technology

Can someone please tackle these questions?

Jun 11 • 

Robert Yaman

7

2

May 2025

Individuation is a Key Challenge in Animal Welfare Technology

A single animal needs husbandry, a million animals need technology

May 25 • 

Robert Yaman

13

1

Progress Studies and Animal Welfare

We have the intellectual tools needed to make progress on animal welfare

May 4

11

April 2025

Innovations in Animal Agriculture (April 2025)

Some updates from my think tank, Innovate Animal Ag

Apr 27 • 

Robert Yaman

8

Imagining the Chicken Farm of the Future, Part 2: Automate Everything

Animal husbandry will be transformed by AI, just like everything else

Apr 17 • 

Robert Yaman

6

4

March 2025

Why is the US Chicken Meat Industry Getting Less Efficient?

One of the big mysteries in animal agriculture is yet unexplained

Mar 30 • 

Robert Yaman

6

1