Automated feeding systems, whether timer based or using passive acoustic feedback, have garnered attention as advances in shrimp feed management. Despite being available for less than a decade, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is widely utilized in shrimp production. However, the temporal effects of hand feeding, timer feeding, and PAM on shrimp performance and the general benefits of automated feeding have yet to be fully examined. This research aimed to fill these gaps by assessing the effects of three principal feeding strategies on the development trajectory of shrimp and overall production results. The study utilized production data from research facilities over 18 years and from commercial production facilities over 4 years. We also highlight benefits and obstacles faced in the implementation of automated feeding technology, based on the experiences of field personnel. The findings indicated that total biomass, yield, average weight, and weight gain were markedly superior in production farms using timer and sonic feeding methods compared to hand feeding over three consecutive years (p<0.05). In research settings where genetic background and stocking density were not considered, the 18-year dataset exhibited a consistent trend: shrimp fed with the sonic and timer systems achieved significantly higher survival rates, total biomass, average weight, and total feed input (p<0.001) compared to those reared using hand feeding. Figure 1A presents a logistic growth model showing that while all three feeding techniques reached an inflection point around week 7, the average weights at this point were 10.14 g, 13.98 g, and 17.82 g for hand, timer, and sonic feeding practices, respectively. Figure 1B illustrates a smoothing spline model of weekly weight gain from week three onward, highlighting the highest average weekly gains of 4.1 g/week, 3.2 g/week, and 2.0 g/week at eight weeks post-stocking for sonic, timer, and hand feeding techniques, respectively. Interestingly, while weight gain began to decline simultaneously across all feeding methods, automated feeding systems consistently produced superior cumulative growth rates compared to the labor-intensive hand feeding approach, with the rate of decline being similar across all feeding regimes. Increased growth rates with automated systems also required nearly a 50 % increase in daily feed input compared to other feeding systems which required stakeholders to alter water quality management strategies. Implementation of this technology also required greater capital expenditures and specific training for operators. Although these limitations exist, temporal data from research and on-farm production contexts demonstrate the benefits of improved technologies, allowing higher production yields with improved economic returns reported by farmers.