Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Platform
Patent
1999-04-26
2000-12-12
Poon, Peter M.
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Platform
119722, 119712, 119 1408, A01K 1500
Patent
active
061583944
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to an apparatus for controlling the position of an animal in a space having a floor in order to facilitate the performance of an animal-related action, said floor comprising at least one primary floor portion, at which it is desirable that the animal stands during said performance, and at least one secondary floor portion, at which it is desirable that the animal does not stand during said performance. Furthermore, the present invention refers to a method of controlling the position of an animal in a space having a floor in order to facilitate the performance of an animal-related action, said floor comprising a primary floor portion, at which it is desirable that the animal stands during said performance, and a secondary floor portion, at which it is desirable that the animal does not stand during said performance,
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
It is known to perform automatic milking of animals in a milking stall provided in a barn in which the animals are allowed to walk about freely and find their way voluntarily to the milking stall. The animals entering the milking stall are automatically identified with the aid of a computer connected to identification means. By means of the computer, in which facts concerning each animal, when it was last milked, etc. are stored, an automatic handling device is activated to pick up the teatcups of a milking machine and attach them to the teats of the animal.
One problem in connection with such automatic milking is to determine the position of the teats of the animal being present in the stall in order to enable said attachment. To this end different search systems have been developed. However, even if such search systems are developing and becoming more and more sophisticated, they are still insufficient if the animal does not stand in the desired position, e.g. if the rear legs of the animal are placed close to each other or if one or both of the rear legs are placed in a relatively forward position.
In order to control the position of the animal without physically forcing it, it has been suggested to provide a milking stall with a floor having plane, steady floor portions, at which it is desirable the animal stands, and a central floor portion therebetween. The central floor portion is provided with a grid of longitudinal bars, which an animal entering the stall would avoid, since it is not very comfortable to an animal to step on such a grid. Moreover, if the animal enters the stall from a longitudinal side, which is the case in connection with the so called tandem stalls, it is unavoidable that the animal has to step on such central grid. Therefore, the animal is not encouraged to enter such a milking stall.
Furthermore, WO-A-85/02973 discloses a milking stall which has a central portion, which provides a flat surface when the animal enters the stall and which thereafter is moved so that the central portion is inclined downwards to the sides of the stall. Thereby, the feet of the animal being present in the stall are sliding down and apart to a desired leg position. However, such a floor requires a relatively powerful drive mechanism, and it does not enable control of the leg position in the longitudinal direction of the stall.
EP-A-619 941 discloses a milking stall with a floor having plane, steady floor portions, at which it is desirable that the animal stands during the attachment of the teatcups, and uncomfortable floor portions, at which it is desirable that the animal does not stand during said attachment. The uncomfortable floor portions comprise a number of different surfaces inclining in different directions. However, such a floor also has the disadvantage that the animal entry or departure is difficult and thus time-consuming, and moreover, the animal is not encouraged to visit the milking stall.
EP-A-194 729 discloses a milking stall comprising a milking machine and animal positioning means provided to facilitate the attachment of the teatcups of the milking machine. The positioning means inc
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patent: 4966364 (1990-10-01), Eggenberger
patent: 5292296 (1994-03-01), Davignon
patent: 5584787 (1996-12-01), Guidry
Abbott Yvonne R.
Alfa Laval Agri AB
Poon Peter M.
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