Feeder monitor and feeder monitoring network

An animal feeder, comprising:

• a hopper for storing pieces of food, the hopper having a first opening, through which the pieces of food pass for consumption by the animal;
• a bottom mounting surface attached to the hopper;
• and
• a self-centering mount, on which the bottom mounting surface is removably seated, wherein the self-centering mount allows freedom of movement and freedom of rotation by the hopper within a set of predetermined limits, and the bottom mounting surface returns to a centered position after a movement or rotation, by operation of gravity.

A system comprising:

• a hopper for storing food for consumption by an animal;
• a sensor which measures a force applied to the hopper and provides an output signal;
• a processor for calculating an average weight of the hopper based on the output signal of the sensor and a statistical measure of the output signal other than the average weight;
• said processor identifying a beginning and an end of a feeding based on the statistical measure;
• and
• said processor calculating an amount of the food consumed by the animal during the feeding based on the average weight before the beginning of the feeding and the average weight after the end of the feeding.

A method for calculating an amount of food consumed by an animal, comprising the steps of:

• (a) measuring a force applied to a food hopper and providing an output signal representing the force;
• (b) calculating an average weight of the hopper based on the output signal, and a statistical measure of the output signal other than the average weight;
• (c) identifying a beginning and an end of a feeding based on the statistical measure;
• and
• (d) calculating an amount of the food consumed by the animal during the feeding based on the average weight before the beginning of the feeding and the average weight after the end of the feeding.

A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for causing a processor to calculate an amount of food consumed by an animal, the medium comprising:

• (a) means for causing the processor to receive a signal representing a force applied to a food hopper;
• (b) means for causing the processor to calculate an average weight of the hopper based on the signal. and a statistical measure of the signal other than the average weight;
• (c) means for causing the processor to identify a beginning and an end of a feeding based on the statistical measure;
• and
• (d) means for causing the processor to calculate an amount of the food consumed by the animal during the feeding based on the average weight before the beginning of the feeding and the average weight after the end of the feeding.

A system for controlling feeding of a plurality of animals, comprising:

• a plurality of animal feeders, each feeder having a respective gate, the gate having an open position and a closed position, such that a respective animal can access food from a respective feeder when the gate of that feeder is open, and the respective animal cannot access food from a respective feeder when the gate of that feeder is closed;
• a processor for determining an amount of food removed from each respective feeder by the respective animal that has access to that feeder;
• a plurality of actuators for automatically opening and closing each gate in response to control signals;
• the processor having means for receiving a signal indicating that either a first operating mode, a second operating mode, or a third operating mode is selected;
• the processor generating and transmitting the control signals to each of the plurality of actuators so as to provide access to each animal for a common length of time if the first operating mode is selected;
• the processor generating and transmitting the control signals to each of the plurality of actuators so as to provide food access to each animal until a common amount of food is removed from each feeder, if the second operating mode is selected;
• the processor generating and transmitting the control signals to each of the plurality of actuators so as to provide food access to each animal until either a common length of time passes or a common amount of food is removed from each feeder, whichever occurs first, if the third operating mode is selected.