Animal husbandry – Milkers
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-16
2002-09-03
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Milkers
C119S014020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06443093
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method of automatically feeding animals, such as calves and cows, in which milk or mother's milk, such as beestings, beestinglike milk, foremilk, or colostrum, is a component part of the feed, and in which the amount of feed corresponding to the nutritive needs of the individual animal and the feed is supplied to the individual animal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The prior art method has the disadvantage that the milk or mother's milk is obtained manually from the mother of the cow or dairy animal and is subsequently supplied to the feeding machine for young animals. This is very labor-intensive, especially because the young animals often have to be provided with milk or mother's milk many times a day. It may also be advantageous to compose a special feed for certain animals, such as bulls that are used for artificial insemination (AI-bulls). Also in that case feeding is very labor-intensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention aims to obviate these drawbacks. For that purpose the milk or mother's milk is obtained by a milking machine and is supplied automatically and directly from the milking machine to the individual animal, or alternatively the milk or mother's milk is supplied automatically after having been stored in a first or further storage means. In this manner it is no longer necessary to obtain the milk or mother's milk manually and the milk is supplied automatically to the individual animal, such as a calf or an AI-bull.
According to another inventive feature, an individual animal is identified and the individual animal is provided with feed, provided that a predetermined time has elapsed since the last feeding of this individual animal.
In accordance with an inventive feature, the composition of the feed is automatically conformed to the current nutritive requirements of the individual animal. In this connection the composition of the feed is automatically correlated with the current nutritive requirements of the individual animal by adding one or more supplementary substances. The supplementary substances that can be automatically added to the composition of the feed comprise inter alia water, vitamins, medicaments, nutritive supplements, immunological stimulants, or growth stimulants, such as hormones.
According to a further inventive feature, an automatic determination is made of the composition of the milk or mother's milk and, on the basis of said determination, the milk or mother's milk obtained by the milking machine is automatically discharged or stored in a first or further storage means.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the milk or mother's milk obtained by the milking machine is cooled and stored in a liquid or solid phase in a first or further storage means. During storage of the milk or mother's milk, the characteristics and the composition of the milk or mother's milk are maintained as optimal as possible, while the milk or mother's milk is preserved at the same time.
According to again another aspect of the invention, one or more characteristics, such as an identification number, of the dairy animal, such as a cow or mother cow from which the milk or mother's milk has been yielded, are stored in a memory, and the milk or mother's milk from the dairy animal is supplied to the corresponding individual animal, such as a calf. In this manner, it is possible for the individual animal to receive milk or mother's milk from its mother.
In accordance with an inventive feature, the current nutritive requirements of the individual animal are determined with the aid of automatic means and the composition of the feed is correlated with the current nutritive requirements of the individual animal. In this manner, it is possible to provide the individual animal with special feed, for example when the animal is ill. According to a further inventive feature, the automatic means is adapted to determine the current nutritive requirements of the individual animal by optical or acoustic means or both, or on the basis of the animal's weight, or one or more dimensions of the individual animal or on the basis of a combination of these. The data relating to the determination of the current nutritive requirements, nutritive needs, the composition of the milk or mother's milk and the composition of the feed are stored in a memory. Suitable milk or mother's milk which is maintained in storage means is selected for use on the basis of the data stored in a memory. Thus the individual animal is provided with milk or mother's milk which has been stored or supplied directly and which has a composition which corresponds to the current nutritive requirements of the individual animal.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for applying the above-mentioned methods, characterized that the apparatus comprises a transport system for liquids, a metering device, and a feeding station for animals which is coupled to a milking machine. The transport system is adapted to supply the milk or mother's milk from the milking machine directly to a metering device, or the transport system is adapted to supply the milk or mother's milk to a metering device after the milk or mother's milk has been held in a storage means.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises automatic means for determining the current nutritive requirements and nutritive needs of the individual animal, which automatic means is adapted to measure the condition. or growth or weight, or blood pressure or any desired combination thereof of the individual animal. The composition of the feed is based on the current nutritive requirements of the individual animal, which composition consists of milk and complementary substances or mother's milk and supplementary substances and which composition corresponds to a previously adjusted composition of the feed, such previously adjusted composition being stored in a memory. According to another characteristic of the invention, an algorithm calculates the previously adjusted composition of the feed for the individual animal on the basis of data stored in memory, which data comprise values relating to the condition, growth and weight of the individual animal. A memory stores the values relating to the determination or calculation of the current nutritive requirements or needs or the composition of the milk or mother's milk or the composition of the feed or any selected combination thereof.
According to a further inventive feature, the means adapted to measure the condition of the individual animal comprises a picture processing device or a color sensor or an air sampling device or a sphygmomanometer or a temperature sensor or any combination thereof. Such an air sampling device is known from European Patent Application EP 0 670 673 B1 of Mottram et al, published Sep. 13, 1995, disclosing a device that collects air samples in the vicinity of an animal, analyzes same and establishes with the aid thereof the animal's condition. The means adapted to measure the growth of the individual animal comprises acoustic or optical sensors, or a picture processing device. The means adapted to measure the weight of the individual animal comprises a pair of scales, strain gages or piezo elements. The strain gages or piezo elements may be fitted in the floor, so that the flow of the feeding station can be cleaned easily.
In accordance with again another aspect of the invention, the metering device is provided with a feeding trough or a drinking spout, such as a flexible nipple, or both. According to another aspect of the invention, the metering device is provided with a temperature sensor. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the metering device consists of a rubber nipple provided with a temperature sensor, so that the physical condition of the individual animal can be ascertained.
According to another inventive feature, the apparatus is provided with an automatic mixing devi
van den Berg Karel
van der Lely Alexander
van der Lely Olaf
Albright Penrose Lucas
Jordan Charles T.
Maasland N.V.
Nelson Judith A.
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