Animal husbandry – Milkers – Methods of milking
Patent
1996-02-16
1998-06-30
Price, Thomas
Animal husbandry
Milkers
Methods of milking
A01J 500
Patent
active
057718377
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows, by means of a milking machine under the control of a computer system that automatically connects teat cups to the teats of an animal, automatically milks the animal, and automatically disconnects the teat cups from the animal, which apparatus is further provided with an animal recognition system in communication with said computer system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When the automatic milking apparatus is placed in an area where the animals to be milked are allowed to move about freely and are enticed to enter a milking parlor in order to be milked because they are fed fodder concentrates while in the milking parlor, there is need for criteria for determining whether an animal which reports to the milking parlor should actually be milked. An animal that has been milked shortly before should not be milked again. Accordingly, a need exists in an apparatus for automatically milking animals for a means of distinguishing between an animal that arrives at the milking parlor too soon to be milked again and an animal that, after her last milking, should be milked again, whereby the apparatus automatically milks the latter but not the former.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To meet the above need, the invention described herein is characterized in that an animal is allowed to be milked again if a signal is generated by the computer system that the number of animals which have been milked after her last milking exceeds a defined numerical value. Thus, the number of animals milked after the last milking of an animal which reports at the apparatus is used as a criterion to determine whether or not that animal will be automatically milked. If an insufficient number of other animals has been milked after the last milking, then the animal reporting at the milking parlor will not be milked; instead she will be sent elsewhere or returned to the area where she came from.
Although it is possible to provide separate counting means to keep count of the number of animals milked after the last milking of the animal reporting at the apparatus, it is preferable to record this number in the computer system. The numerical value against which this number is compared, in accordance with the invention, equals a proportion, that is approximately two-thirds of the total number of animals which is to be milked by the apparatus. By coupling the defining numerical value to the number of animals to be milked by the apparatus, it is feasible to prevent certain animals from unintentionally being milked too frequently. On the other hand, this numerical value can also be prescribed individually for each animal and, for example, be made conditional on the extent to which the lactation period of the animal reporting at the apparatus has elapsed. In that case, the numerical value at the beginning of the lactation may be equal to approximately one-half of the number of animals being milked by the apparatus. By including in the computer system a lower numerical value as a criterion for particular animals, especially animals at the beginning of their respective lactation periods, these animals are milked more often than other animals.
Apart from the number of animals that has been milked after the last milking of an animal which reports at the milking parlor, a different criterion may be used to decide whether or not an animal is to be milked. Therefore, in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for automatically milking animals as described above may be characterized in that an animal is allowed to be milked again if a signal is generated by the computer system that the quantity of milk which has been obtained from other animals after the last milking of said animal exceeds a defined numerical value. In other words, an alternative criterion to decide whether or not an animal reporting at the milking parlor is allowed to be milked, can be the quantity of milk obtained from other animals since the last milking of the relevant animal. A
REFERENCES:
patent: 4508058 (1985-04-01), Jacobson et al.
patent: 4838207 (1989-06-01), Bom et al.
patent: 5069160 (1991-12-01), Street et al.
International Search Report (PCT) for the Netherlands Application No. PCT/NL 95/00207, filed Jun. 17, 1994.
Maasland N.V.
Price Thomas
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