An ACCU-FEED system with Quadra Directional Twin Screw (QDTS Technology) for Poultry Feeding

Background of the invention

The present invention relates an accu-feed system with Quadra Directional twin screw (QDTS) technology for poultry feeding. More particularly it relates to a uniquely designed mechanism controlled by a microprocessor and proprietary software for poultry feeding. More particularly it relates to the said system used in the poultry industry for mass feeding of the poultry birds held in large poultry farm with precisions and accuracy of fees to the level of single case in thousands and thousands of cages arranged in rows and columns in large poultry farms.

Presently in poultry three types of systems are used.

1. Conveyor Type.

2. Rotating Auger/centre less spiral.

3. Feed cart/Trolley type feeding system.

Conveyor Type: In this type a conveyor is placed in the feeding trough and rotated with a stationary feed hopper placed in between the circuit. The commonly used conveyors are drag chain, flat chain, rope with disc or auger. These conveyor type feeding is used in both cage batteries and floor rearing of birds.

Rotating Auger / centre less screw or spiral: This is basically and spiral type feeder fitted in a pipe with openings at regular intervals. These openings are fitted with feed pans. The spiral operates as and when the feed is required in the pans. This system is predominately used for birds reared on the floor.

Feed cart / Trolley type feeding system: This system is well explained by its other generic name "travelling feed hoppers". This system is used for birds reared in cages. Normally rails are mounted on cage frames and a trolley with hoppers travel along the cage length to distribute the feed in the feed troughs fixed in front of the cages. Normally it is pulled by a horizontal motorized rope loop. The hopper openings open up in a smaller receiver which acts as a leveler. This feed receiver is independent of the hopper and rests in the feed trough. The receiver is dragged along the hopper while travelling from one end of the cage to another end.

The entire prior art systems mentioned above are limited to replenishing or distributing and leveling the feed in the pan or feed trough. These systems cannot quantify or measure the feed dispensed in the pan or feed trough. These systems are not automated to feed the requisite quantity of the feed as needed by the functions of the poultry birds. For example these feeding systems cannot precisely control and monitor the dispensed feed quantity required by every individual bird as per their changing performance parameters. The existing feeding system cannot separately feed every individual male and female of the entire breeding stock hosed in one single building.

The breeding stock or commonly known as Broiler Parents are genetically engineered to produce very high meat yielding birds. Hence genetically they have a tendency to put on weight faster than their contemporaries. A healthy & vigorous parent (Males & Females) can only produce optimum quality and quantity of chicks/hatching eggs. To ensure this it is very important to control the body weight of these parent stocks. To achieve this every Male and female has to be given separately a specially formulated rationed/controlled feed as per the bird's sex, age and performance. The number of these Broiler Parents in one building can be around 10000 to 25,000, and on single premises there can be multiple such buildings with total population of 50,000 to 250,000 birds or even more. At present world over it is a common practice to theoretically calculate the required daily feed for males and females of each building and try to distribute the same separately throughout the building assuming that all birds will eat equally. During the entire life cycle of the flock there is periodic depletion (mortality). In the existing feeding systems it is not possible to reduce the feeding space accurately in proportion to the flock mortality on daily basis. This adds to the problem of uneven feeding as this additional feed and space is unnecessarily accessible to all the balance number of birds in the pen or building. This method is practiced for birds raised either on floor or cage batteries. The feeding is done manually or is mechanized using any one of the above mentioned feeding systems. On floor type rearing it is difficult to observe and recognize the problems associated to the unequal feeding as all the birds are freely moving and mixed on the floor. But in cage batteries each bird is confined in a designated area. Any problem associated to uneven-distribution of feed is thus immediately identified. Due to his problem majority of the Breeding companies with cage batteries are unable to use any of the above mentioned mechanized feeding systems. They have to rely on manual feeding method of individual bird or accept the poor bird performance due to uneven feed distribution with existing mechanized feeding system. With the growing population and competition for breeding companies it is humanly becoming impossible to feed these birds manually and accurately or accept the problems associated with the presently available mechanized feeding systems.

Therefore there is a need for an intelligent system for feeding poultry depending upon the nature of the birds and their ultimate utility. The system should be capable of delivering the exact quantity of feed at the level of single cage in the poultry farm.

Objects of the invention

The main object of the present invention is to provide a mechanized accu- feed feeding system with QDTS technology for poultry that is capable of feeding the birds accurately as per predetermined parameters like sex and quantity.

Another object is to feed differently formulated feed as per predetermined quantities but separately to each Male and female bird in the breeding operations. Another object is to provide the automated system which can cater to a large population of birds without manual intervention so as to eliminate human errors in the feed quantity.

Summary of the invention

The mechanized accu-feed system of the present invention with QDTS technology provides an unique and intelligent feed dispensing system which is superbly user friendly and the farm supervisor has to just key-in on the touch screen the required feed in grams/day/bird for males and females separately. The entire system travels along the length of the building feeding automatically & accurately each male & female separately as programmed. A separate hopper is designated for each line of the cage which travels over a rail running throughout the battery of cages wherein the birds are housed. Each such hopper is fitted with a uniquely designed mechanism having Quadra Directional Twin Screw technology (QDTS) for accurately dispensing, feeding and calibrating the feed. The motor of this mechanism with QDTS technology of each hopper is controlled by a Microprocessor. These Microprocessors are embedded with a proprietary software especially developed having logical flow chart as given in figure (4). The said mechanism having QDTS technology along with especially developed software is the heart of the system and is capable of accurately controlling & monitoring the feeding system. Each hopper can also be programmed to stop or proportionately reduce feeding in front of the boxes with no or less birds.

The table 1 given hereinbelow describes the reference numbers used for detailing the components in the drawings accompanying this specification. Table-1

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 describes the vertical lateral view of the system

Fig. 2 describes the hopper system

Fig. 3 describes the poultry feed dispensing mechanism.

Fig. 4 shows the logical flow chart of the software embedded in the system

Figs. 5 to 8 show various snapshots of the displays shown by the software.

Detailed descriptions of the Drawing

Referring to Drawings (1) to (3), the mechanized Accu-Feed with QDTS mechanism for poultry feeding comprises cages (1) arranged in rows and columns held on vertical 'C channels (3) connected to each other by trolley horizontal channel (8), the said channels (3) standing on the legs (6) and holding parallel feed hoppers (2) held on top trolley wheel rails (9) on trolley wheels (10), the said trolley wheel rails (9) running on both sides of the length of the battery of cages (1) for carrying the feed hoppers (2) holding the bulk poultry feed to be dispensed to the birds, the said vertical C channels (3) having guide roller brackets (4) on both the sides of the channels, the said roller brackets (4), the feed through brackets (5) running the entire length of the cages for holding the dispensed feed, the said feed hoppers (2), the top rail (16) for running the feed hopper (2), the said hoppers (2) having an outlet (17) at the bottom of the said hopper (2) for dispensing the feed at on the holders running longitudinally the entire length of the battery of the cages, a motor drive (15) connected to and controlled by a Microprocessor placed in the control room (not shown in the drawings), the said motor drive-(15) controlling the feed dispensing the poultry feed in accordance with the programmed quantity of by the said Microprocessor using upper feed screws ( 1) and the lower feed screws (12) placed above the outlet (17) of the feed hoppers (2).

In one of the embodiments of the present invention is the said QDTS mechanism comprises the microprocessor, the motor drive (15) which controls the speed of upper feed screws (11) and lower feed screws ( 2) placed at the outlet (17) of the feed hoppers (2) in accordance with the programming with software having logical flow chart as shown in Drawing 4 which accurately controls, monitors and feeds e feeding system as per given instruction.

In yet another embodiment the microprocessor is equipped with the software for controlling the system, the said software having logical flow chart as shown in figure (4).

In another feature of the present invention the figures 5 to 9 show the snapshots obtained on the Microprocessor of the screen. These are for information only and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any manner.

WORKING OF FEEDING MECHANISM:

1. The feeding mechanism in tandem with the controller and software, calibrates the feed dispensing capacity of the Accu-Feed system based on its characteristics, flowing pattern, average particle size etc. of the feed. This is done in the test mode once before starting the system or after change of feed formulation or feed type during the entire laying cycle. In this test mode the system calibrates the quantum of feed dispensed per revolution based on the feeds specific gravity and also in tandem with the travelling speed of the hopper. The system identifies and generates a code number for each feed type. This generated code is entered to the corresponding feed type for males and females. The user now has to only key-in the feed requirement per male and female and the entire system is set to feed all the birds as specified.

2. As and when the need arises the feed requirement per bird can be easily changed for the entire flock in the building.

3. The Accu-Feed system can also be programmed to dispense different quantities of feed form each and every hopper or even entirely stop feeding a certain cage line.

4. The Accu-Feed system can also be programmed to reduce in proportion or stop dispensing feed in front of the cage boxes with less or no birds.

5. Factory settings: The system can be programmed to seamlessly operate for variety of cage and building configurations. The necessary cage specifications like cages box size, number of birds/cage box etc. needs to be entered in to the Accu-feed controller before starting the system. These input parameters done once under the factory settings menu.

ADVANTAGES:

• Accurately & separately feeds each male and female with prescribed & designated, feed & quantity.

• Superbly user-friendly. Specially designed software integrated with touch screen and easy to understand and operate menu & options is well integrated with entire mechanism for easy and precise day to day operations.

• Ensures optimum bird performance in respect to feed distribution. Eliminates not only feed wastage while distribution but can also avoid unwanted feeding to the dead birds.

This feed saving can only be achieved precisely by our feeding system which in turn will not only save tons of feed wastage, but also improve the birds performance.

The system is boom in terms of man power saving and can achieve accurate feed distribution on large farms which otherwise was humanly impossible.

The system is capable of collecting and processing on-line data essential for monitoring the performance of birds in terms of feed consumption mortality and egg production.