FLOCKMAN Advanced Poultry Technology

FLOCKMAN
Advanced Poultry Technology

How does FLOCKMAN Work?

6. How the Software works:

The software has evolved over 15 years from older environment and feed control systems. It is now fully automated, proven in use, simple to use and needs little day to day input at the farm.

Feeding and Management Control

The system is based on Target files which can be selected by the operator. There is a seperate file for each breed and strain of chicken or turkey. These files contain the growth curves, feed intakes and other performance standards provided by the Breed companies. Because the individual grower or integrator's target for weight for age may not be the same as the breed targets, you can select the weight for age that you require. Provided this target is within the genetic ability of the birds and that the feeds, housing, environment and management skills are adequate, these targets can be achieved.

Nutrition

Selection of a particular weight for age sets up a profile of the protein or amino acid intakes required (day by day) in order to achieve the set target.

A description of the feeds to be used is set up in advance within the program, this will normally be the feeds as supplied from the usual supplier, plus local cheap whole cereal.

The basis of the system is to blend each day between a high protein feed located in one silo and a lower protein feed in the other. This low protein feed is normally unground whole cereal. FLOCKMAN calculates in real time (and then feeds), the mix ratio needed so as to deliver to the birds, the required amounts of protein (or amino acids) as set out in the profile of daily intakes. It does this by taking into account, the actual quantity of feed fed as well as the analysis of the feeds in Silo A and Silo B.

Feed and Light control is fully integrated with Nutrition control. How this is set up is dealt with in How the Feed/Light Panel works

Environment Control

This has evolved to a fully automated integrated system needing little or no daily intervention on the farm.

1) Temperature and Humidity profiles are set up for the whole crop cycle.

2) A minimum ventilation rate is set up which changes daily. This can be based on the work of Dr David Charles or your own ideas can be implemented. Adjustments to the minimum ventilation rate can be made if litter conditions deteriorate.

3) Control of Fans and Air Inlet mechanisms is set up at commissioning to obtain the correct air flow patterns in the house.

4) Control of Heaters is integrated with that of fans and air inlets to provide stable environment conditions close to the Temperature and Humidity profiles.

5) Temporary adjustments to the profiles can be made if required.

6) Diurnal adjustments to Temperature can be implemented if required.

Much of the software developments recently made have been in response to customers, whose main concerns have been :-

a) To produce bird weights into the factory close to targets.

b) To do this at the best feed conversion.

c) To have high bird welfare and low mortality.

d) To have a simple on farm system which is easy to operate and which can be set up in advance by skilled supervisors and advisors.

Large Integrator Requirements

In addition to the above, FLOCKMAN incorporates systems for automatic reporting back to Head Office the status of birds in all houses on all farms. This is in the form of an "Overview for Yesterday" report as shown below :-

The main production parameters for weight, FCR, Mortality, feed consumed, etc. are shown. Any parameters that are outside agreed limits are shown in red. This enables supervisors to identify which houses on which sites may need their attention. So sites where everthing is on target need not be visited and limited supervisor time can be spent where it will be most useful.

All data from FLOCKMAN are automatically collected by modem overnight so that the data are available for inspection and action first thing the following morning as explained above.

In addition, other data such as medicines/vaccinations etc. can be entered in special screens on the farm. These data are then automatically picked up and fed into the integrators database for analysis, reporting and decision making. Such analysis can identify those breeds, medicines, vaccinations, nutritional, environmental and other farm practices etc. which are most effective and lead to improvement in the overall eficiency and profitability of the integration.