Animal husbandry – Feeding device – Suckling appliances
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-06
2001-03-27
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Feeding device
Suckling appliances
C119S072000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205952
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a method for providing domestic animals with liquid food which passes from a storage tank, in particular a mixing tank of an automatic drinker via a suction line to a suckling point, and to an apparatus for this purpose.
In current methods of fattening calves, piglets, lambs or the like, automatic drinkers are usually used, in which, for example, a milk powder is mixed in water and is fed to a suckling point. The domestic animal can remove the liquid food at this suckling point, the addition of food taking place in a metered manner. Usually, however, there is a large number of domestic animals to be fed in one shed, which means that a large number of suckling points should also be arranged, so that there is a relatively fair allocation of the food. However, in the known automatic drinkers, the allocation only takes place by means of the mixture preparation of the liquid food. If, for example, half a liter of mixture is prepared, the maximum the corresponding calf can drink is the said half liter.
Nowadays, there are already automatic drinkers which provide food to more than one suckling point. Even with these automatic drinkers, only a specific quantity of the mixture of liquid food is prepared. If a calf suckles at one suckling point, the other suckling point is blocked, which means that a calf wishing to drink at that point cannot remove any food. This is undesirable.
Furthermore, it is known from the prior art that mixing tanks are also used as measuring tanks to determine the quantity consumed. In this case, a distinction is made between two different possible embodiments.
On the one hand, automatic drinkers are used, which have a plurality of mixing tanks serving at the same time as measuring tanks. On the other hand, automatic drinkers with a mixture preparation tank are known, in which the drink or the food is supplied by a gradient or by pumps into a plurality of individual measuring tanks. One suckling point is then assigned to each of these measuring tanks. The disadvantage of the latter is that automatic drinkers of this type and, in particular their open measuring devices are extremely difficult to clean since this is done manually. Furthermore, open measuring devices are not particularly suitable for reasons of hygiene, since food perishes more quickly. Moreover, automatic drinkers of this type are very cost-intensive to manufacture and service.
Volume controllers and volume measuring devices are known from the prior art, which measure and control the throughflow and flow rate of food. These are extremely expensive and of complicated design. Since the medium to be measured or the food is made up of different food components, such as, for example, water, milk powder, concentrates, etc., and components which swell, the compositions of which constantly change, the food has a wide variety of properties. Determining and specifying precise flow characteristics, for example during pumping and during measuring, has previously not been possible without such complex and expensive volume measuring devices.
The present invention is based on the object of providing an apparatus of the abovementioned type, in which the quantity of liquid food a domestic animal has consumed can be determined in a simple and precise manner. Furthermore, the abovementioned disadvantages are to be eliminated.
Furthermore, the suckling of food at the suckling point is to be facilitated if young calves have to be taught to suckle. Moreover, production costs, servicing and, in particular, cleaning costs are to be reduced.
This object is achieved in that the quantity of liquid food removed is determined ahead of the suckling point.
In calf husbandry nowadays, the domestic animals to be provided with food are generally fitted with an identification element, for example with a transponder. As soon as a particular domestic animal goes to a suckling point, it is identified. A volume measuring element can then be used to determine precisely which domestic animal has consumed which amount of liquid food during which time. It is thus possible to control the fattening process precisely. For example, it is also possible to control the state of health of a calf if is has not come to the suckling point for a prolonged period.
A volume measurement can be taken, on the one hand, by separate volume measuring elements which are commercially available. However, it is preferably carried out by a construction element which is already present in the device. This may be a valve, for example, preferably a solenoid valve. The volume measurement is taken by measuring the opening time of the valve.
If a feed pump is provided, this can also be used for the volume measurement. For example, this is done by measuring the running time of the pump or its revolutions.
In order to allow the quantity drunk to be recorded properly, however, various factors have to be taken into account. On the one hand, these are pressure fluctuations in the suction line. These can be compensated, for example, by means of a constant upstream pressure on the suction line or by pressure controllers. It is also possible to connect volume controllers into the suction line, which only allow a specific quantity through, regardless of any upstream pressure. The pressure has to be controlled, above all, if food is provided via one line to a large number of suckling points at which a plurality of calves can drink.
Furthermore, it is important to determine the suckling behavior of each animal individually. Calves show different drinking behavior, in particular they suck in to a different extent, so that the opening time alone is not a precise measure of the quantity drunk. There are also calves which take short and very long drafts, whereas others hardly draw at all, but take a very long time for one draft.
In order that each domestic animal consumes the specific and intended quantity of food, to specify the quantity actually drunk a factor is determined as correction factor which allows a statement to be made for the precise quantity drunk by each calf within a specific time. Each calf is thus assigned an individual factor in order to correct specific opening times of the volume measuring element accordingly so that a specific quantity drunk by the calf can be specified precisely. This factor is transmitted to a control unit which calculates the precise quantity of food fed to the calf.
This factor for correcting the quantity drunk is determined and constantly corrected automatically or again each time when the calf grows and changes its suckling or drinking behavior. The factor is mainly determined automatically when the calf is the only one drinking at the suckling point. To do so, the length of time a calf takes to drink a specific, predetermined quantity of food is determined precisely. The quantity difference, measured by the average consumption of food, per unit of time forms the factor for each calf individually. If one calf drinks more slowly than others, the suction valve is opened for a longer period while it is drinking, and food is thus supplied to the calf for a longer period. A factor is formed from the difference between the suckling speed of the individual animal and the suckling speed of the overall average of all the animals, from which factor supplements and deductions for the suckling speed of the individual animal are calculated.
The factor can also be corrected manually. To do so, it is only necessary for a specific quantity, for example a few liters or a ration, to be given to the calf to drink and for the time until the tank is empty to be determined.
The factor can otherwise be used as a relative or absolute value to specify the quantity of food.
Furthermore, automatic calibration of the measuring elements can also be carried out by means of known part-quantities. In the case of pumps, this can be done using a predetermined feed quantity, since the quantity the pump delivers at which revolutions is known. This feed quantity is independent of which calf is currently drinking, which means that the number of revol
Bachman & LaPointe P.C.
Bergin James S.
Poon Peter M.
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