History and Development of Feeder Plates in the World
In the not-so-distant past, chicken feed, which mainly consisted of cereal grains, was sprinkled on the ground or distributed into small trays or hand channels. This was a method that had been used for centuries in raising native chickens. It continues to this day in rural areas. However, in 1938, the first step was taken towards producing chain feeders, and interestingly, from that time to this day, this system is still used for all types of commercial poultry, including broilers, cage-laying hens, and mother hens.
Another innovation at the same time as the development of chain feeders
At the same time as the development of chain feeders, another innovation was underway, and that was the development of hand feeders with plates. By eating the feed inside them, the chickens gradually received the feed, and it was as if the chickens were part of the labor force inside the house, helping to distribute the feed themselves, and there was no longer a need for frequent distribution of feed in the houses.
But this feeder model has undergone many changes over time and today, unlike the early generations of plate feeders that were all made of metal, they are made of plastic and are used in breeding farms due to their simplicity, hygiene and ease of disinfection.
However, large commercial producers had a great desire to use feeding systems with maximum possible hygiene and automation. In these systems, instead of being transported by cart and manually distributed in hanging plate feeders, the feed was filled by a spring system in the tanks above the plates, and in these systems, the feed in the tube was transferred from the feed silo to the top of the plates by a spring. Later, the disc conveying system replaced the conveying system in which the discs were moved by chains, and the reason for this was their greater flexibility compared to steel springs.
The use of plate feeders in broodstock flocks began
in the early 1980s due to rapid genetic advances in the poultry industry, which made the issue of limiting the amount of feed consumed daily very serious in broodstock flocks. At this time, plate feeders made it possible for broodstock flocks to distribute feed evenly on a daily basis without changing the quality of the feed consumed, and most importantly, it made it possible to distribute a specific amount of feed to each hen daily, and there was no need for fasting or feed-free days.
In the early 1980s, geneticists realized that separating the feed of hens and roosters was necessary to achieve optimal performance in broodstock flocks, and the reason for this was the slight difference in the amount of feed consumed and the different formulas consumed in the two sexes of hens and roosters.
Separate feed troughs for hens and roosters were in the breeding halls of broodstock flocks. Rooster feeders were after the plate type, but chicken feeders were of the chain or plate type, both types equipped with grills, and these grills had the necessary width only for feeding chickens, and the roosters’ heads were not able to pass through them. But gradually, metal plates gave way to plastic plates, and the first series of plates with a V-shaped bottom was introduced to the market at the German exhibition.
Using the poultry vision system in the manufacture of feeders
Gradually, the number of companies producing plate feeders in the world began to decline. In 1992, research on the poultry vision system showed that the use of the white and red color combination used in the manufacture of feeders was based on old assumptions and that poultry are more sensitive to other colors. For example, in the systems presented by some companies, it was changed to white, yellow, and orange. Interestingly, not only did chickens welcome this color better, but the pigeons also behaved similarly.
In research from 1997 onwards, the next generation of shallow plates was introduced to the market, and the reason for this was the appropriate height of these plates and the ease of use of the feed for the chicks. In the following, new innovations paid great attention to the visibility of the chicks and the lighting required while eating and the supply of oxygen during their feeding. For example, by making silver bodies that had good light reflection and a special design that provided the chicks with the necessary freedom of action and sufficient air during feeding. The next models formed the generation of plate feeders.
The use of plate feeders in broodstock flocks began in the early 1980s due to rapid genetic advances in the poultry industry, which made the issue of limiting the amount of feed consumed daily very serious in broodstock flocks. At this time, plate feeders made it possible for broodstock flocks to distribute feed evenly on a daily basis without changing the quality of the feed consumed, and most importantly, it made it possible to distribute a specific amount of feed to each hen daily, and there was no need for fasting or feed-free days.
In the early 1980s, geneticists realized that separating the feed of hens and roosters was necessary to achieve optimal performance in broodstock flocks, and the reason for this was the slight difference in the amount of feed consumed and the different formulas consumed in the two sexes of hens and roosters.
Separate feed troughs for hens and roosters were in the breeding halls of broodstock flocks. Rooster feeders were after the plate type, but chicken feeders were of the chain or plate type, both types equipped with grills, and these grills had the necessary width only for feeding chickens, and the roosters’ heads were not able to pass through them. But gradually, metal plates gave way to plastic plates, and the first series of plates with a V-shaped bottom was introduced to the market at the German exhibition.
Using the poultry vision system in the manufacture of feeders
Gradually, the number of companies producing plate feeders in the world began to decline. In 1992, research on the poultry vision system showed that the use of the white and red color combination used in the manufacture of feeders was based on old assumptions and that poultry are more sensitive to other colors. For example, in the systems presented by some companies, it was changed to white, yellow, and orange. Interestingly, not only did chickens welcome this color better, but the pigeons also behaved similarly.
In research from 1997 onwards, the next generation of shallow plates was introduced to the market, and the reason for this was the appropriate height of these plates and the ease of use of the feed for the chicks. In the following, new innovations paid great attention to the visibility of the chicks and the lighting required while eating and the supply of oxygen during their feeding. For example, by making silver bodies that had good light reflection and a special design that provided the chicks with the necessary freedom of action and sufficient air during feeding. The next models formed the generation of plate feeders.
Development of LED lamps in the next generation of plate feeders
With the development of LED lamps in the next generation of plate feeders, these lamps were also used, as in the new models each plate is equipped with a 9-watt LED lamp that can be constantly on
or turned on when the feed fills the plates through the spring inside the tube. This stimulates the chicks to eat the feed and increases their weight compared to conventional plates. The important point is that these lamps do not produce any heat and their lifespan is very long.
In the advanced model of plate feeders that are specifically for mother flocks, the genetic characteristics of the mother flocks, including the size of the skull and the depth of the head and the height of the crown of the hens and roosters, are precisely calculated. In these models, there are numerous holes on the top of each plate, which is intended for 16 hens, to provide the necessary lighting for the mother hens while eating, and to prevent any type of feed waste, and the bottom of the feeder is placed in front of each hole in the depth of the bottom of the feeder. The most important thing is that this series of feeders is made of polymers that are much stronger than the types used in broiler plate feeders to easily withstand the movements and pressures of the mother hens.
Today, third-generation plates produced, including Rexel, have taken steps to use the plate from the first day of breeding by eliminating the mesh and providing less warranty on the plate, and with innovations in washing and rotating 360 degrees around its main axis, it tries to wash as accurately and quickly as possible between periods. The need to implement new ideas and methods, although riskier, will ultimately help grow and improve the quality of breeding on our farms and reduce the final cost of breeding in the long run.
