|
Proceedings of International Conference on Applied Innovation in IT 2025/12/22, Volume 13, Issue 5, pp.425-436 Intelligent Goose Nest: Review, Development and Evaluation of Initial Results for Design ConceptsYuhao Cheng, Haifeng Duan, Rani Schilling, Maryna Popova and Stefan TwiegAbstract: This work presents the conception and prototyping of a modular goose nest system intended as a first step towards an intelligent, sensor-based nesting environment. Motivated by the lack of suitable laying sites in deep-litter and raised-floor systems, the study focuses on the mechanical design of nest frames, entrance mechanisms, floor geometries and passive egg-collection elements and evaluates their acceptance under farm conditions. Two wooden frame prototypes with different door and floor configurations were constructed and tested with a small group of geese. Nest use and laying behaviour were monitored continuously via video and analysed through manual event annotation (approach, entry, exit, egg laying, and interactions with structural elements). The experimental results show that, although the frame construction and basic floor concepts are mechanically robust and suitable for barn environments, the tested entrance mechanisms substantially reduced nest acceptance. Across all phases, only 1 of 40 eggs was laid in the nest, and none were successfully transported to the collection tray. Video analysis linked this low use primarily to aversive features of the side-hinged door with magnetic stop (noise, partial closing, transient trapping) as well as to strong group-nesting tendencies at floor-laid eggs outside the nest. Rather than demonstrating a ready-to-use solution, the present study identifies critical design constraints and behavioural failure modes that must be addressed in subsequent development stages. The findings highlight the need for quieter, low-resistance and low-risk entrance designs, mechanically robust yet chew-resistant materials, and management strategies that prevent the formation of external group nests. These lessons provide a concrete basis for the next generation of intelligent goose nests and for more targeted experimental evaluation of integrated sensor systems. Keywords: Goose Nest Design, Egg Collection, Animal Welfare, Mechanical Entry System, Modular Construction. DOI: Under indexing Download: PDF References:
|
Proceedings of the International Conference on Applied Innovations in IT by Anhalt University of Applied Sciences is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
ISSN 2199-8876
Publisher: Edition Hochschule Anhalt
Location: Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
Email: leiterin.hsb@hs-anhalt.de
Phone: +49 (0) 3496 67 5611
Address: Building 01 - Red Building, Top floor, Room 425, Bernburger Str. 55, D-06366 Köthen, Germany
Except where otherwise noted, all works and proceedings on this site is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
