Development of a Battery-Operated Cattle Dung Collector to Promote Animal Husbandry Mechanization

Abstract

Cattle dung collection in many small and medium-sized dairy farms is still performed manually using conventional tools, making the operation labour-intensive, time-consuming, and unhygienic. The present study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate a battery-operated cattle dung collector to reduce labour requirements and promote mechanisation in animal husbandry. A survey of five dairy farm owners in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, was conducted to assess existing dung collection practices and the economics of dairy farming. The engineering properties of fresh cattle dung, including moisture content, total solids, bulk density, coefficient of static friction, and dynamic viscosity, were determined and considered in the design of the machine. The developed machine consisted of a mild steel frame, plate-type collection unit, and chain-and-sprocket transmission system, powered by a 0.5 hp (373 W) DC motor and a 25.6 V LiFePO₄ battery. Machine performance was evaluated on smooth and rough floor surfaces at operating speeds of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 km h⁻¹ using a factorial randomised block design. Manual dung collection required multiple labourers, whereas the developed machine required only one operator, thereby reducing the labour requirement for dung collection. The maximum collection capacity of 342.81 kg h⁻¹ and collection efficiency of 89.05% were obtained at 1.0 km h⁻¹ on a smooth floor. The minimum quantity of cattle dung left after collection was 0.440 kg under the same operating conditions. The fabrication and operational costs of the machine were ₹60,000 and ₹59.54 h⁻¹, respectively, including labour costs. The break-even point was 398.37 h year⁻¹, and the payback period was 4.03 years. Under the tested conditions, an operating speed of 1.0 km h⁻¹ on a smooth floor provided the most favourable performance. The developed machine reduced labour requirements and demonstrated potential for improving the efficiency and mechanisation of cattle dung collection in dairy farms.