Application of robotics for automating livestock feeding and farm management

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of applying robotics for automating livestock feeding and farm management in Ukraine. The methodology was based on a comprehensive approach combining time recording, energy auditing, and economic analysis methods at four agricultural enterprises in the Kyiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, and Poltava regions. Computer modelling (MATLAB Simulink), biosensor monitoring of animals, and advanced statistical methods (GPower, Shapiro-Wilk criterion) were used. The study found that the introduction of robotic feeding systems increased the accuracy of feed component dosing by 20.7%, feed mixing uniformity by 24.8%, reduced energy costs by 53.9%, and increased animal productivity by 12.3-13.7%. The economic feasibility is confirmed by an average payback period of 4.3 years with an internal rate of return of 27.5%, a return on investment of 34.7%, and a profitability index of 1.85. It has been determined that the most cost-effective solution is to introduce robotic systems on farms with a livestock population of 100 to 150 heads, where the use of suspended rail systems provides the best ratio of investment costs to economic benefit. The results of the study are of direct practical importance for the modernisation of livestock farms in Ukraine and can be used as a basis for the development of state programmes to support technological modernisation in the agricultural sector.