Feed Intake Recording Equipment
The Osborne FIRE System is the acknowledged standard for performance testing at commercial facilities and universities worldwide. FIRE automates the measurement of individual daily feed intake and other performance characteristics of growing animals for genetic, feed, and pharmaceutical testing. Because FIRE uses modern electronics, including electronic identification, pigs, sheep, and other livestock can be efficiently tested in commercially realistic groups.
FIRE Offers User-Friendly Technology For Test Animals And Researchers
Each FIRE single-space feeder serves about 12 to 15 animals without measurable feed restriction. They have free access to the trough at all times. Refilling and feed weighing never interrupt eating as with other testing systems. The FIRE feed trough, made of durable Osborne RTM-GlasT fiberglass, is suspended on a sensitive load cell that weighs the trough and feed. The trough mount and load cell are protected by an isolation mechanism and a sturdy enclosure that houses a highly accurate feed dispensing system. FIRE automatically stores the time and duration of each visit, along with the weight of feed consumed. This information can then be transferred to your computer and used to generate management reports or studied in relation to environmental, genetic, and nutritional variables.
Track Each Animal's Development
Each animal is automatically identified whenever it enters a FIRE Feeder by an electronic radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tag. The ear tag allows FIRE to assign all measurements to a record for each animal. Any RFID ear tag that conforms to the international ISO FDX-B standard for livestock identification and that has a range that can be read by the FIRE antenna will work. We can provide a variety of ear tags that meet these criteria.
FIRE Testing Accurately Simulates Commercial Production
The FIRE System makes individual performance testing of animals kept in groups feasible and cost effective. Older, manual methods of testing animals in artificial, isolated environments may yield results that are not accurate for real-world conditions. But testing in a group environment with FIRE faithfully simulates actual commercial production practice. Studies by our staff and independent analysts have shown that FIRE results accurately reflect the performance found in commercial feeding.
FIRE Gives You More Valuable Data Than Any Other Method
With FIRE you get full and accurate performance information to make sound management and financial decisions. The FIRE System provides unparalleled accuracy by eliminating data collection errors and operator bias. You can have added confidence in the information you gather because of the much larger number of animals you can test with little or no increase in cost. FIRE Integrated Function Controller automatically operates each unit, collects and stores data. * Daily feed intake and total feed consumption are recorded for each animal. FIRE also shows you changes in health status and in growth response to feed and environment. * The time and duration of each meal and total meal events each day are logged. Mealtime, duration, and number of meal events are new data - useful diagnostics for health and behavior not previously available by any other method. * Body-weight and its daily change can be measured for each animal automatically with the addition of the ACCU-ARMR weigh race option. Daily gains and losses can be compared with total average daily gain over a testing period to help you evaluate daily influences on growth. Feed intake and growth combine to provide daily feed conversion efficiencies. * Changes in body conformation are measured and tracked along with other FIRE data using the Osborne Visual Image Analysis (VIA) option. VIA extends traditional FIRE growth and performance information with objective measures of conformational change. These changes occur at different rates with growth, suggesting opportunities for genetic selection of desired carcass traits as well as growth efficiency.
Study Your Data Your Way with FIRE Software
Each FIRE Feeder is a stand-alone unit that includes a sophisticated Integrated Function Controller with its own microprocessor and memory. Software at each feeder maintains data collection for several days while disconnected from your computer. When activated, the FIRE software installed on your PC collects data from as many as 128 FIRE feeders. These data files are easily exported to popular data management, spreadsheet, and graphing programs.
Evaluation and Management Made Easy
FIRE data are presented in many useful reports. All of the measurements are available in the Event Log, but individual reports provide user-controlled data filters that let you screen and summarize the data your way.
Rely On FIRE And FIRE Support
Special algorithms and a unique auto-calibration method developed by Osborne ensure that data are always accurate. Independent testing and user experience confirm the accuracy of the FIRE System. Bosman Agri provides expert software support for all FIRE installations. The development and addition of useful new features and functions for FIRE software are part of our commitment to the continued improvement of your FIRE System.
FIRER System Models and Options
FIRE Systems Increase Your Analytical Power
Protective Races - While the FIRE Feeder can be used as a stand-alone feeder, we offer optional protective races to eliminate the chance that dominant animals might produce atypical results. These races help FIRE Feeders simulate commercial multi-opening feeders more accurately. Race width is adjustable to match the average size of your animals.       The Shoulder Race permits moderate competition by shielding the head and shoulders. The Full-body Race limits competition further by shielding the animal's entire body. The ACCU-ARMR Weigh Race is a full-body race with an integrated animal scale. Like all Osborne ACCU-ARM scales, it features the advanced, patented ACCU-ARM weigh system with its nearly motionless four-leg weigh platform. Daily median animal weights, weight gain, and feed-to-gain efficiencies can be measured daily or averaged over several days. FIRE Offers Visual Image Analysis Performance testing with the FIRE System now delivers a new capability - Visual Image Analysis (VIA) of body conformation. VIA measures conformational growth and changes in body dimensions that may be correlated to feed intake, daily gain, and carcass value. Developed for Osborne at the Silsoe Research Institute, Silsoe, England, with MAFF funding, VIA opens important new opportunities for selection and genetic improvement.