Development of a Precision Feeding System with Hierarchical Control for Gestation Units Using Stalls

Abstract

To obtain good productive performance, sows have different nutrition requirements at different gestation periods. However, in gestation stalls, conventional feeders have large relative errors, management is difficult because of the large numbers of sows, and there are shortcomings in feeding precision and data management. In order to achieve precision feeding and enhance the control of multiple feeders for gestating sows housed in stalls, this study was carried out to investigate a precision feeding system that could be controlled at multiple levels. This system consisted of an electronic sow feeder (ESF), controller area network (CAN), personal digital assistant (PDA), central controller, and Internet of Things platform (IoTP). The results of the experiment showed that relative errors of 60 ESFs delivering feed were within ±2.94%, and the coefficient of variation was less than 1.84%. When the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) ranged from −80 dbm to −70 dbm, the packet loss rate of the PDA was 3.425%. When the RSSI was greater than −70 dbm, no packet loss was observed, and the average response time was 556.05 ms. The IoTP was at the performance bottleneck when the number of concurrent threads was greater than 1700. These experimental results indicated that the system was not only highly accurate in delivering feed, but was also highly reliable in the transmission of information, and therefore met the production requirements of an intensive gestation house.