Animal husbandry – Feeding device – Having electronic identification and feed control
Patent
1992-07-07
1993-09-07
Swiatek, Robert P.
Animal husbandry
Feeding device
Having electronic identification and feed control
A01K 502
Patent
active
052419240
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method of feeding a stock of cows with a fodder supply containing roughage and concentrate fodder, the cows being allowed to consume optional quantities of roughage, while the concentrate fodder is distributed to the cows in individual restricted quantities, the proper concentrate fodder ration administered to each cow being influenced by the actual roughage consumption of said cow. The invention also relates to a system for such a feeding.
To obtain best possible economy when producing milk, the milk farmer should satisfy the nutriment need of the cows primarily by means of roughage produced of his own, such as ensilage and hay. However, the nutriment content of the roughage varies depending on for instance the point of time of harvesting, composition, manuring and handling at the harvest occasion, with the consequence that the contribution of protein in the form of relatively expensive concentrate fodder, such as grain, pea and rape, normally must be included in the fodder supply, in order to optimize the milk production. Since the concentrate fodder is appreciated by the cows as more tasty than the roughage, the concentrate fodder is distributed in individual predetermined quantities to avoid expensive overconsumption. The overconsumption of concentrate fodder of a cow will not mean increased milk production, on the contrary, it may result in a decreased milk production because of disturbances in the rumen of the cow, for instance by a too large decrease in pH in the latter.
The nutriment need of a cow varies considerably depending on where the cow is in the lactation period. Thus, the nutriment need of the cow is very large in the beginning of the lactation period, while it decreases towards the end of the lactation period. The share of the concentrate fodder of the fodder supply should therefore increase successively in the beginning of the lactation period until the cow produces a maximum of milk, which occurs after about two to three months, and thereafter the share of the concentrate fodder should decrease.
There is a known feeding system for plants with loose housed cows comprising a number of concentrate fodder stations arranged for individual feeding of each cow with concentrate fodder, each cow being able to freely go to any of the concentrate fodder stations. Each cow carries an identification means in the form of a so called transponder, which is sensed by a sensing means at each concentrate fodder station, when the cow stands in position at the concentrate fodder station in question to be fed on concentrate fodder from the latter. A control means in the form of a computer is adapted to control each concentrate fodder station, so that this doses an individually suited ration of concentrate fodder when the sensing means of the concentrate fodder station senses the transponder of a cow.
There is a known feeding system for plants with tied cows comprising a feeding carriage, which is adapted to distribute at least the concentrate fodder to each cow box. The feeding carriage is provided with means for identifying the cows in the respective cow boxes, for instance by means of transponders at the cows, a computer being adapted to control the feeding carriage so that this doses an individually suited ration of concentrate fodder to each identified cow.
However, the conventional feeding systems do not take the real roughage consumption of the cows into full consideration, with the consequence that the individual needs of concentrate fodder of the cows must be determined relatively roughly on the basis of milk production and estimated consumption of roughage. Usually the cows are only divided into two groups consisting of cows with a certified relatively high consumption of roughage and cows with a certified relatively low consumption of roughage. Such a rough system for feeding cows divided into two groups has the drawback that many cows will have too little while others will have too much concentrate fodder, which is uneconomical.
To provide an improved individuall
REFERENCES:
patent: 5008821 (1991-04-01), Pratt et al.
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Report 1979 see project number 07007, 04022, 07008 and 04013.
SHS, Information for oss inom husdjursorganisationen nr. 3, 1989, "Fran forskning till test i radgivning": sid 10-12.
Lantmannen nr. 20/1989, article "Varm losdrift i Kall".
Lundin Soren
Schulte Klaus
Alfa-Laval Agri International AB
Swiatek Robert P.
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