06:55 AM EDT, 06/11/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Merck ( MRK ) said on Thursday that its Merck Animal Health division has agreed to acquire privately held Targan, a developer of biodevice technology for the poultry industry, in a deal with undisclosed financial terms.

The company said the deal, expected to close in Q3, will expand its poultry operations with technologies such as WingScan, which uses imaging and AI to sort chicks by sex at high speed, and a precision spray system that delivers vaccines to day-old chicks.

Merck ( MRK ) said the acquisition strengthens its animal health business by combining its vaccine expertise with automated delivery systems used in commercial hatcheries.