We use cookies on our website. Some are necessary for the operation of the website. You can also allow cookies for statistical purposes. You can adjust the data protection settings or agree to all cookies directly.
Data Protection Declaration
Imprint
Collaborative project Sow-Welfare-Optimized-Feeding: Ad libitum liquid feeding of gestating sows housed in groups based on fully automated body condition scoring (BCS) and backfat thickness assessment by a sorting system for sow-individual adjustment of the energy uptake - Subproject
Project
Project code: 28RZ372064
Contract period: 09.04.2015
- 31.03.2018
Budget: 200,876 Euro
Purpose of research: Experimental development
Development of a fully automated sorting-system for sows in groups using a 3D-camera to generate the individual body condition score value (BCS) and the backfat-thickness (RSD). Based on these values the system guides the sow in the feeding area A with low energy feed or in the feeding area B with high energy feed. Both feeding areas are providing the feed ad libitum. Based on this concept all sows will be assessed several times a day and the individual energy uptake will be controlled automatically with the intention to keep each individual sow in the most favorable condition. To reduce the feed-costs and to support the local sustainable sourcing of feed a typical liquid feeding system will be adapted to be able to process high crude fiber contents from maize-silage or wholeplantsilage of wheat, etc. necessary for this concept. On the one hand this concept allows each sow a free ad libitum feed uptake in parallel with other sows (group feeding) which will reduce aggressive sow interaction and on the other hand it allows the farmer to control the energy uptake of each sow and therefore optimizing the performance by managing the condition of each sow. The assumed beneficial effects regarding 'animal health/nutrition', 'animal welfare/behavior', 'emissions/environmental effects', the enhanced 'performance' and the impacts on 'breed strategy' will be evaluated by the involved universities and will be compared to results with conventional sow feeding systems. Currently there is no system in the market which is able to combine these positive aspects.
Section overview
Subjects
- Agricultural Technology Animal Production
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Funding institution
Project management agencies
Associated projects: Sow-Welfare-Optimized-Feeding: Ad libitum liquid feeding of gestating sows housed in groups based on fully automated body condition scoring (BCS) and backfat thickness assessment by a sorting system for sow-individual adjustment of the energy uptake
- Collaborative project Sow-Welfare-Optimized-Feeding: Ad libitum liquid feeding of gestating sows housed in groups based on fully automated body condition scoring (BCS) and backfat thickness assessment by a sorting system for sow-individual adjustment of the energy uptake - Subproject 2
- Collaborative project Sow-Welfare-Optimized-Feeding: Ad libitum liquid feeding of gestating sows housed in groups based on fully automated body condition scoring (BCS) and backfat thickness assessment by a sorting system for sow-individual adjustment of the energy uptake - Subproject 1
- Collaborative project Sow-Welfare-Optimized-Feeding: Ad libitum liquid feeding of gestating sows housed in groups based on fully automated body condition scoring (BCS) and backfat thickness assessment by a sorting system for sow-individual adjustment of the energy uptake - Subproject 3
- Collaborative project Sow-Welfare-Optimized-Feeding: Ad libitum liquid feeding of gestating sows housed in groups based on fully automated body condition scoring (BCS) and backfat thickness assessment by a sorting system for sow-individual adjustment of the energy uptake - Subproject 5
