Last updated on: March 3, 2022
Manual versus automated feeding? A question that can be raised by anybody who runs a fish or a shrimp farm or who designs a new aquaculture project. By large-scale farms, with an intensive production the automated feeding systems achieve a substantial improvement in productivity and therefore economic return. Why?
So let’s describe the main Advantages and Benefits when Automated Feeding Systems are included in a aquaculture project.
Productivity: Optimization of Feed Consumption and Labour Costs
The desired situation in fish or shrimp farming is to supply the optimal amount of feed at the right time and that way control the fish or shrimp growing.
An automated feeding system can help. The feeding standardization and its control improve the farm efficiency and contribute to:
- FCR (Feed Conversion Ratio) optimization: Reduction of FCR leads to savings and rationalisation.
- Improvement of SGR (specific growth rate): More growth in less time.
- Less dependence on labour: …as opposed to absenteeism and inefficiency.
- Operation 24/7: Feeders only stop for maintenance purposes.
- Uniform growth in the tank: With the correct distribution of the feed in the tanks, using dispersers integrated into the feeding system, more homogeneous batches of fish or shrimp are achieved.
Financial: Return of Investment in less than Three Years
For a fish farm, investment in a specific aquaculture equipment should yield an acceptable return on investment. The centralized feeders manufactured by Fish Farm Feeder are amortised over a period of less than 3 years. This substantial advantage is a result of the following circumstances:
- Feed savings: correct feed distribution and optimizing the FCR have a direct impact on feed consumption.
- Labour savings: As with automated feeding systems it is possible to feed 24 hours, by species that could be fed during the whole day there is no need to contract staff for covering all shifts.
- Easy and economic maintenance: The maintenance of FishFarmFeeder systems can be carried out by the staff of the fish farm.
Technological Enhancement: Increasing Efficiency and Improving Quality
Only the control of processes allows the implementation of quality management in aquaculture. That is why the automated feeding systems include advanced technology and powerful software. In the case of Fish Farm Feeder software it offers the following benefits:
- Data integration: Real time connection with farm management software, artificial intelligence, big data, etc.
- Integration with other farm equipment: Any equipment that provides information to the feeding system and that can affect the feeding (temperature, oxygen, PH, turbidity, hydrophones, cameras, etc.) can be integrated with the feeding system.
- Total control of the production: by providing real-time and former feeding information.
- Maximum flexibility: The feeding software permits customized feeding schedules.
- Feed Traceability: It includes batch feed traceability management.
- Fish traceability: The traceability is controlled by batches.
Safety and Sustainability: Achieving a Balance Between Aquaculture and the Environment
Last but not least the feeding systems should be safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly. An automated feeding system provides the following advantages:
- High levels of Biosafety: Restricting daily access to the tanks and that way reducing risks of contamination.
- Less pollution: By dosing in precise quantity and frequency we avoid the loss of feed, preventing its deterioration and the corresponding contamination.
- Improvement of fish and/or shrimp welfare.
- EC regulations: In the case of FishFarmFeeder its products fulfil European norms and guarantee the correct use of power supply systems, ensuring the safety of the worker.
If you need to automate the feeding of your fish farm, at FishFarmFeeder we have the most complete catalog of automatic feeding systems for all life stages of fish in aquaculture: hatcheries, pre-grow and ongrowing.
