An ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification system for studying individual feeding and drinking behaviors of group-housed broilers

Abstract

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology offers a real-time solution to monitor behavioral responses of individual animals to various stimuli, which provides crucial implications on farm management and animal well-being. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop and describe an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF-RFID) system for continuously monitoring feeding and drinking behaviors of individual broilers in group settings; and (2) validate the performance of the UHF-RFID system against video analysis in determining the instantaneous bird number (IBN) and time spent (TS) at feeder and drinker. The UHF-RFID system consisted of cable-tie tags, antennas, a reader and a data acquisition (DAQ) system. The antennas generated electromagnetic fields where tags were detected and registered by the DAQ system. Electromagnetic fields of the antennas were modified to cover areas of concern (i.e. tube feeders and nipple drinkers) through a series of system evaluations and customizations including tag sensitivity test, power adjustment, radio wave shielding, and assessment of interference by add-ons (e.g. plastic wraps for protecting antennas and an empty carton box for zoning out broilers) and feed/feeder. System validation was performed in two experimental rooms, each with 60 tagged broilers. The results showed that the max reading distances of tags with an identical manufacturer’s specification were markedly different, indicating large variations in sensitivity among the tags. Desired electromagnetic fields could be achieved by adjusting the power supplied to antennas and by partially shielding antennas with customized stainless steel sheets. The protection materials and fully loaded feeder had little effect on electromagnetic fields of the antennas. The accuracies of the UHF-RFID system for determining IBN and TS were, respectively, 92.5±4.2% and 99.0±1.2% by the feeder antennas and 94.7±4.2% and 93.7±6.9% by the drinker antennas. It is concluded that the UHF-RIFD system can accurately detect and record feeding and drinking behaviors of individual broilers in group settings and thus is a useful tool for investigating impacts of resource allocations and management practices on these behaviors.

Evaluation of nesting behavior of individual laying hens in an enriched colony housing by using RFID technology

“…Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system has been used to study animal behaviors [22][23][24][25] . It consists of a reader with a decoder to interpret the acquired data, scanning antenna, and pre-programmed transponders.…”

The potential of non-movement behavior observation method for detection of sick broiler chickens

“…It has been investigated that there are many types of behaviors in poultry rearing, such as sitting, lying, standing, feeding, drinking, walking, and preening [44][45][46][47]. Among them, the sitting behavior is a state in which the poultry's ventral part and the fibula and tibia of the leg are in contact with the floor, and it is a behavior that occurs frequently in broilers and laying hens [47][48][49].…”

Biomarkers and De Novo Protein Design Can Improve Precise Amino Acid Nutrition in Broilers

“…For instance, in poultry, individual monitoring is complex, and it has only been implemented in broiler breeders using feeding cubicles, based on using bird radio frequency identification (RFID), weighing in the cubicle, and a target growth curve updated in real-time [ 66 ]. Although RFID systems can accurately detect and record the feeding behaviors of individual broilers in group settings automatically [ 67 ], their field implementation is challenging, costly and complex. Furthermore, the estimation of individual nutritional requirements in real-time is not entirely feasible, and must be based on mathematical models and theoretical estimations.…”