Visitors from all over the world made the trip to Germany for what is regarded as the world's leading trade fair for the latest technologies in livestock production. Held every two years in Hanover, EuroTier is organized by the German Agricultural Society, DLG, and is home to the latest technology, services and genetics surrounding modern animal husbandry. Smart farming was centerfold to the big show, and farmers were keen to learn about the new products designed to help them run their businesses more efficiently with hopefully more profit. The pig halls were filled to the brim with innovation and new ideas, some of which even won the coveted gold or silver medals awarded by the show.
1. Pig weighing software
Winning gold was a new tool that helps pig producers decide when their animals are at the optimum weight for sending to slaughter, without the need to handle them or weigh them on scales. The PiggyCheck application developed by Meier-Brakenberg is an artificial intelligence-based software that uses a 3D camera to allow the weight and body of fattening pigs to be determined directly, without contact. Farmers simply hold their tablet or phone over the pig and the software does the rest. This substantially facilitates the process of grading fattening pigs prior to slaughter. Users can also have the system calculate additional information on the weights of particular pig sections.
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The software can be run on conventional smartphones or tablets with 3D cameras. It creates single images or video sequences of pigs from the camera, from which it then generates depth images. Images can be taken from above, the side or diagonally, and information on an animal’s weight is displayed on users’ smartphones or tablets as soon as pictures have been taken.
The Meier-Brakenberg PiggyCheck application is an artificial intelligence-based software that uses a 3D camera to allow the weight and body of fattening pigs to be determined directly, without contact.
2. New chain feed hopper
Taking a silver medal was the new chain feed hopper system developed by Tewe-Electronic from Germany. Tewe has developed its Chainfeed Hopper Rotodos, which is a dispenser hopper for silos and buffer tanks that is equipped with a rotor for dispensing feed onto chain conveyors. The motor-operated rotor is made of low-wear plastic and provides eight chambers at the bottom of the dispenser hopper. As the rotor rotates around its horizontal axis, feed is evenly dispensed onto the chain conveyor across the full width of the dispenser hopper.
This design ensures that the dispenser hopper is emptied completely and therefore also allows CCM to be used in batch mixers. The design of the rotor unit allows it to be used as a secure hatch between the filled silo and the chain conveyor, where it dispenses feed evenly onto the conveyor and therefore protects the conveyor system against unnecessarily high loads and wear.
The Tewe Chainfeed Hopper Rotodos is a dispenser hopper for silos and buffer tanks that is equipped with a rotor for dispensing feed onto chain conveyors.
3. Hygiene valve for piglet feeding
It wouldn’t be a EuroTier without an impressive exhibit from Big Dutchman, and this time around the company went all-out to stamp on their competition with a wide portfolio of products. Taking a silver medal was CulinaFlex, which is a new hygiene valve for the company’s suckling piglet feeding system. The novel CulinaFlex valve acts like a pinch valve on the main feed pipe, which contains a hose with an air-tight seal to the top and bottom of the external pipe wall. Feed is then supplied through the hose, and after feeding is completed, compressed air is delivered into the cavity between the pipe and hose via an air valve. The resulting positive pressure compresses the hose and pushes feed residue down towards the trough.
The CulinaFlex hygiene valve then remains closed until the next feed to prevent any external air from entering the drainage hose. As a result, the hose does not dry out and preserves an anaerobic environment. At the time of the next feed, air is released from the cavity, and feed can once again pass into the trough through the hose, which is no longer compressed.
Big Dutchman CulinaFlex is a new hygiene valve for the company’s suckling piglet feeding system.
4. Monitoring ammonia concentration in the house
The new Dräger Polytron C300 is the first electrochemical sensor for the continuous measurement of ammonia concentrations in animal housing that delivers both reliable function and long-term stability. As sample gas is supplied to the sensors via diffusors, the sampling process requires no pumps or hoses. The measuring range covers the full range of concentrations relevant for animal housing. The sensor is sufficiently robust to withstand environmental conditions in animal housing and allows ammonia concentrations to be monitored during practical operation. Its data can be fed into animal facility software as control parameters for maintaining good environmental quality and promoting animal welfare.
The new sensor also won a silver medal award at the show.
The Dräger Polytron C300 is the first electrochemical sensor for the continuous measurement of ammonia concentrations in animal housing that delivers both reliable function and long-term stability.
5. Big plans for new scraper system
French pig specialist company Cooperl launched a new scraper system concept for new and existing pig houses at EuroTier. This new scraper sits under the slats in a predesigned concrete slab with gradient sides that aid the flow of feces and urine. The scraper itself is a self-driven unit which can scrape out each underground floor itself before moving on to the next pen. A master scraper operates along the main thoroughfare pushing the material to an outside store. On the show concept the scraper was 2.35m wide and was designed for a new house. Widths can be made bespoke if installing the scraper into an existing unit.
The Cooperl scraper system concept for new and existing pig houses sits under the slats in a predesigned concrete slab with gradient sides that aid the flow of faeces and urine.
