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Holt Systems

Feed bin level sensor: days of feed left, before the truck is due

We fit a radar sensor on every bulk bin and a gateway on the roof, so your phone shows days of feed left.

  • MeasuresTonnes and days of feed
  • You getA text before it's low
  • Sends byStarlink or 4G from the roof
Get a quote for feed bin sensors See the SMS alerts or call 07 2150 3666
Feed bin level sensor layout on a poultry or pig farm Plan view of a farm with four sheds in a row. A feed bin stands at the gable end of each shed, with a radar sensor on each bin roof. A mill truck fills the bins. Each sensor sends readings by LoRa to a gateway on a roof, which uses Starlink or 4G to send SMS, email and a dashboard to the farm manager. Below, a bar chart shows days of stock per bin against a two day mill delivery lead time and a three day alert line. Bin 2 has 2.6 days left and is in alarm. Farm plan and days of stock Mill truck blows feed into bins Shed 1 Shed 2 Shed 3 Shed 4 B1 B2 B3 B4 Orange dot: radar sensor on bin roof Dashed line: LoRa link to the gateway Gateway on roof Starlink or 4G backhaul SMS, email, dashboard Days of stock per bin 2 days: lead time 3 days: alert Bin 1 4.2 days Bin 2 2.6 days Bin 3 3.5 days Bin 4 5.1 days Illustrative readings, alert set per site
Plan of four sheds in a row with a feed bin at each gable end. A radar sensor on each bin roof sends by LoRa to a roof gateway, which sends SMS, email and a dashboard by Starlink or 4G. A chart shows days of stock per bin against a two day mill lead time and a three day alert line, with bin 2 at 2.6 days.

120 to 16 days

A Darling Downs feedlot manager reported grain cover falling from about 120 days to 16 in May 2022.

Source: Beef Central

389 roads

389 Queensland roads were reported closed in the December 2021 floods, and the Condamine was described as an island.

Source: Beef Central

Nobody can see inside the bin until the feed line runs empty

A feed bin level sensor tells you what a closed steel or fibreglass bin won't: how much feed is left. Without one, you find out by climbing, tapping the side or reading a docket.

The augers draw more as birds grow or the weather turns. A late truck in the wet leaves a shed with an empty bin.

  • A climb is a snapshot, and it gets skipped on a wet or busy day.
  • The mill can't plan a truck from a bin it can't see.

How a feed bin level sensor works on a poultry or pig farm

  1. 1

    Radar on every bin roof

    A non-contact radar sensor sits off centre on each bin, so it sees the cone of feed. Dust doesn't fool it like ultrasonic.

  2. 2

    Radio to the roof gateway

    Each sensor sends a reading by LoRaWAN (long range wide area network) radio to one gateway on the shed or office roof.

  3. 3

    Level becomes days of feed

    We calibrate level to tonnes using your bin shape and feed density, then divide by the last seven days of use.

  4. 4

    A text before the mill's cut-off

    When days of stock drop below your delivery lead time plus a buffer, the text goes to you and anyone you nominate.

Feed bin alerts

  1. 6:32 am

    Bin 2 still under 3 days, not acknowledged. Sent to your backup contact as well.

  2. 2:15 pm

    Bin 2 delivery logged, up 24.1 t. Now 44.9 t, 5.6 days of feed left.

What lands on your phone when a bin runs low

Feed bin alerts

  1. 6:02 am

    Bin 2 at 20.8 t, 2.6 days of feed left. Under your 3 day alert. Book the truck.

  2. 6:32 am

    Bin 2 still under 3 days, not acknowledged. Sent to your backup contact as well.

  3. 2:15 pm

    Bin 2 delivery logged, up 24.1 t. Now 44.9 t, 5.6 days of feed left.

Messages go to the people you nominate, by SMS to any phone.

Bin 2 days of feed left

Dashboard view

Bin 1
4.8 days
Bin 2
2.6 days
Bin 3
3.4 days
Bin 4
3.1 days
2.6 4.1 5.6 Alert under 3 days Mon amTue amWed amThu amFri am days
Example: a 30 t bin at about 8 t a day, with a mill that needs 2 days notice. Planning figures only.

What we fit at the bins and on the roof

  • Radar sensor for each bin

    Reads the feed surface from the roof hatch or a roof mount, battery powered.

    Reads every 15 to 60 min

  • Roof gateway

    Picks up every bin sensor by radio and sends the readings out.

    One per site, battery backup

  • Starlink or 4G backhaul

    Gets the readings off the farm where the shed has patchy coverage.

    Chosen at the survey

  • Feeder demand input

    Optional. Counts feeder or auger use at the shed switchboard, fitted by our licensed electricians.

    Hourly totals

  • Days of stock dashboard

    Shows tonnes, days left and deliveries for every bin on one screen.

    Phone friendly

The same week, with and without a reading

Without monitoring

  1. MondayBin 2 is getting low. Nobody has climbed it.
  2. WednesdayRain cuts the road. The truck is a day late.
  3. Thursday 5 amThe feed line runs empty with birds on full ration.

With monitoring

  1. Monday 6 amText: Bin 2 under 3 days. You ring the mill.
  2. WednesdayRoad's cut, but the truck was booked early.
  3. ThursdayDelivery logged on the dashboard. Bin 2 refilled.

Today versus with a feed bin level sensor

TopicTodayWith monitoring
Checking the levelA climb, a sight window or a guessA reading on your phone, no climb
Ordering feedPhone the mill when it looks lowA text at your lead time plus a buffer
DeliveriesCheck the docket by handDelivery logged to reconcile with the docket

On a poultry, pig or dairy site

Bins stand at the gable end of each shed, where the truck blows feed in. We check each roof hatch and the signal through the steel.

Chicken meat in Australia is mostly grown by integrated companies that own the mills, according to the Department of Agriculture. That gives the mill a stake in your bin levels, and you choose who gets alerts.

Pair it with a poultry shed alarm and poultry water consumption monitoring. Running a feedlot instead? See feedlot silo level monitoring. Brooder gas next? See an LPG tank level monitor.

Tops of two galvanised steel silos against a blue sky
Illustrative photo. Photo: Pexels

What it costs

We set a fixed price after a short scoping call or a site visit. It depends on how many bins, how far the gateway is from them, and how it gets online. After handover, ongoing support is available as a plan.

Get a quote for feed bin sensors

The fixed price covers

  • A radar sensor on each bin
  • Gateway and Starlink or 4G backhaul
  • Installation and electrical work under QLD Electrical Contractor Licence 1513082
  • Calibration against your dockets, alert set-up and a test text
  • Ongoing support plan: recalibration after a ration change, batteries and sensors replaced, alerts tuned

What this won't do

  • It's indicative, not a certified weighing instrument. Tonnes come from calibration.
  • Radar reads the top surface. It can't see a blocked outlet, so we alert on a flat reading while the shed is eating.
  • It sends alerts and records. It won't start augers or fill bins.
  • It adds to your shed alarms, fire systems and entry procedures. It doesn't replace them.

With you every step

How the five stages go on a shed and bin site.

  1. 1

    Discovery

    We survey each bin, roof hatch, fill pipe, shed switchboard and gateway spot, and check Starlink or 4G across the yard.

  2. 2

    Design

    You get a fixed price proposal with the sensor for each bin, the gateway spot, the alert rules and who gets texts.

  3. 3

    Build and test

    We set up and test the sensors, gateway and alert rules off site before anything goes to the farm.

  4. 4

    Install and commission

    We install the gateway and do the electrical work, fit the sensors with approved access, calibrate against dockets and test alerts.

  5. 5

    Ongoing support

    You get a walk-through for you and your backups, a record of the settings, and ongoing support, including recalibration after a ration change.

Why Holt Systems

We design, install and commission every system ourselves, then look after it with an ongoing support plan. Monitoring supplements the site's own control, protection, fire and safety systems; it does not replace them.

Alerts
SMS to any phone, no app
Based in
Brisbane, QLD
Electrical licence
QLD 1513082
After install
Ongoing support plans
Call
07 2150 3666

Feed bin level sensor questions

Can an ultrasonic sensor measure feed bin level when there is dust?

Ultrasonic readings get erratic in dust and condensation, and build-up can foul the face. For feed bins we specify a non-contact radar sensor, or load cells under the bin legs where the bin can be structurally checked and fitted.

How accurate is the tonnes figure?

Level becomes tonnes using your bin shape and the density of the feed. We calibrate against two or three delivery dockets and again when the ration changes. It's indicative, not a trade-approved weighing instrument.

Can the feed mill see my bin levels?

Yes, if you want it. An alert rule can email your feed dispatcher as well as you when stock falls below the delivery lead time. You choose who gets alerts and what they see.

Does it work if the shed has no mobile coverage?

The gateway sends readings over Starlink or 4G, and we check coverage at the survey to pick the right one. Sensors reach the gateway by LoRaWAN radio, which doesn't need mobile coverage.

Does anyone have to climb the bin?

The sensor is fitted from the roof hatch or a roof mount using an approved access method, such as a fixed ladder with fall protection or a boom lift. Nobody enters the bin, and routine level checks stop needing a climb.

Do you supply the roof mounts or lift bins for load cells?

Roof mounts, penetrations and bin leg lifting are fabrication or structural work. The bin supplier or a qualified fabricator does it, with an engineer for load cells. We do the electrical, sensor and gateway work.

Sources

  1. Structure and dynamics of Australia's commercial poultry and ratite industries, Australian Government Department of Agriculture
  2. Flooding impacts on feedlots, Condamine (December 2021), Beef Central
  3. Worker sustains fatal injuries after falling from a ladder (incident alert), WorkSafe Queensland
  4. Downs feedlots running out of grain, as supply and price challenge deepens, Beef Central, 27 May 2022
  5. DigiSilo Radar Sensor (LoRaWAN, overseas example), The Things Industries device partner listing
  6. Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry (2022), Australian Government Department of Agriculture

Get a quote for feed bin sensors

Tell us what you need to watch and where. We confirm the sensors, gateway location and alert recipients, then give you a fixed price.

Or email hello@holtsystems.com.au

Your details are handled in accordance with our privacy policy.

  1. 1

    Tell us about the site

    A few lines on the assets, distances and what you need to know about.

  2. 2

    A call to scope it

    We confirm the sensors, gateway location and alert recipients, and whether a site visit is needed.

  3. 3

    Fixed price

    You receive a defined scope and a fixed price before any work starts.

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