Implementación de un comedero automatizado para aves productoras de carne en la etapa de cría y de engorde en la Finca Experimental "La María", UTEQ.

Abstract

A system of automated food dispenser was implemented for meat producer poultries in growth and fattening phase in the experimental farm "La María" of the Universidad Técnica Estatal of Quevedo. It consists of a storage hopper with capacity for 50 kg of poultry’s food, manages eight poultry’s food dispensers, and it is controlled by a three stages module: food detection module through the use of a capacitive sensor which is placed in the hopper. The second stage of control and automation, controlled by an Arduino Mega 2560 which is in charge of turning on and off the engine with the help of a relay and a contractor, it has a sensor to detect the temperature levels that there is within the chicken coop and visualise them in a liquid crystal display (LCD) situated in the main panel. The notification stage sends an alert to the poultries keeper who is in charge of the chicken coop when of poultries food shows low levels of product. Of the realized tests it was determined that the time it takes to distribute the poultry’s food in the chicken coop is of 8.6% less than the time used with the manual method. Additionally, the weight of eight poultry’s food dispensers was taken, keeping a uniform distribution with a difference of 2.13% in weight between the poultry’s food dispensers. Of the tests it was determined that 4.64% of the distributed food is on standby within of the system. It is concluded that the system is much more efficient in poultry farm due to a 10% of weight increment is obtained when the production ends, and comparing with the obtained weights with the traditional system. The system allows the poultry’s food distribution in a fast way and it evades the direct contact with the poultries. It is recommended to add a bunker which allows a constant food provision to the system.