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. 2018 Mar 14;18(3):859.
doi: 10.3390/s18030859.

An RFID-Based Smart Nest Box: An Experimental Study of Laying Performance and Behavior of Individual Hens

Ying-Ren Chien  1 , Yu-Xian Chen  2
Affiliations

An RFID-Based Smart Nest Box: An Experimental Study of Laying Performance and Behavior of Individual Hens

Ying-Ren Chien et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

This study designed a radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform to create the core of a smart nest box. At the sensing level, we have deployed RFID-based sensors and egg detection sensors. A low-frequency RFID reader is installed in the bottom of the nest box and a foot ring RFID tag is worn on the leg of individual hens. The RFID-based sensors detect when a hen enters or exits the nest box. The egg-detection sensors are implemented with a resistance strain gauge pressure sensor, which weights the egg in the egg-collection tube. Thus, the smart nest box makes it possible to analyze the laying performance and behavior of individual hens. An evaluative experiment was performed using an enriched cage, a smart nest box, web camera, and monitoring console. The hens were allowed 14 days to become accustomed to the experimental environment before monitoring began. The proposed IoT platform makes it possible to analyze the egg yield of individual hens in real time, thereby enabling the replacement of hens with egg yield below a pre-defined level in order to meet the overall target egg yield rate. The results of this experiment demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed RFID-based smart nest box in monitoring the egg yield and laying behavior of individual hens.

Keywords: Arduino; Internet of Things (IoT); RFID; laying behavior; smart agriculture; smart nest box.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Design of Smart Nest Box (of 30 cm (W) × 40 cm (D) × 58 cm (H)). (a) Design drawing; (b) dimensional drawing.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Block diagram of our IoT platform.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Photos of (a) an RFID reader, (b) foot ring RFID tags, and (c) a hen wears a foot-ring RFID tag.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Flowchart of the IoT platform.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Experimental housing system. (a) Location of the experimental field; (b) an photo of the experimental housing system.
Figure 6
Figure 6
A snapshot from one recorded clip.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Individual vs. group yield rate.
Figure 8
Figure 8
The daily measured vs. actual weights of eggs for the individual hens. (a) Hen with ID 21; (b) Hen with ID 22; (c) Hen with ID 23; (d) Hen with ID 24.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Individual hen laying behavior and the corresponding nest box visit duration. (a) Hen with ID 21; (b) Hen with ID 22; (c) Hen with ID 23; (d) Hen with ID 24.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Histogram of visiting duration for all hens. (a) Without lay eggs; (b) With lay eggs; (c) Accumulated amount of hens without nest visits with lay eggs; (d) Accumulated amount of hens with nest visits with lay eggs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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