Layered Feed System for Chicken Growth Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for promoting the growth and welfare of young chickens are inefficient, as they fail to provide an attractive and nutritionally balanced feed system that adapts to the chicken's size and requires frequent intervention, leading to waste and suboptimal growth conditions.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a layered feed system with increasing pellet sizes, controlled lighting, and a specific group size of 50 chickens, along with a climate chamber and heat exchanger system, ensures continuous feed attractiveness, reduces waste, and promotes growth by providing optimal nutrition and environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If feed is offered in a single size throughout the brooding cycle, then feeding management is simple, but feed becomes unattractive as chickens grow, leading to reduced intake
Solution Approach 1:
The feed is segmented into multiple layers within the trough, with each layer containing pellets of different sizes. The smallest pellets are at the bottom and larger pellets are stacked above, allowing chickens to access appropriately sized feed as they grow without requiring manual intervention to change feed sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-dimensional approach (one feed size) to a multi-dimensional approach by stacking feed layers vertically in the trough. This vertical arrangement allows multiple pellet sizes to coexist in a single feeding station, maintaining both operational simplicity and growth-appropriate feed attraction.
2Productivity
If the trough is filled frequently to maintain feed attractiveness, then feed intake is optimized, but labor intervention increases and waste occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The trough is pre-filled with multiple layers of feed in decreasing pellet size order from top to bottom before the brooding cycle begins. This preliminary arrangement ensures that as chickens grow and consume feed, smaller pellets remain available at the bottom, maintaining feed attractiveness throughout the entire brooding cycle without requiring intermediate refilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The layered feed structure ensures continuous feed attractiveness throughout the brooding cycle. As chickens peck at the top layers, smaller pellets gradually become accessible, providing a continuous supply of appropriately sized feed without interruption or manual intervention, thereby optimizing intake while minimizing labor.
3Productivity
If larger group sizes are used in crates, then economic efficiency increases, but individual chicken welfare and growth optimization decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the group size parameter to approximately 50 chickens per crate, which balances economic efficiency with individual chicken welfare and growth optimization. This specific parameter value allows sufficient space for each chicken to access the layered feed and move comfortably, preventing competition-related stress while maintaining economical crate utilization.
4Use of energy by moving object
If standard lighting intensity is used, then energy consumption is lower, but chicken growth promotion is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting intensity parameter is optimized to approximately 90 lux, which is higher than standard lighting but specifically tailored to promote chicken growth and activity. This parameter optimization balances increased energy consumption with significant improvements in chicken welfare, feed intake, and growth rates, creating a more productive brooding environment.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a method for promoting growth of young chicken comprising the step;offering feed in a layered manner in subsequent order of pellet-size for adjusting the pellet-size to the size of the young chicken during a whole brooding cycle for the feed being attractive during the whole brooding cycle as perceived by the young chicken.