Animal husbandry – Feeding device – Having electronic identification and feed control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-03
2003-12-09
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Feeding device
Having electronic identification and feed control
Reexamination Certificate
active
06659039
ABSTRACT:
This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT International Application No. PCT/DK00/00485 which has an International filing date of Sep. 4, 2000, which designated the United States of America.
The present invention relates to a method for automatic control of breeding of free-range animals, in particular porkers and other animals bred for meat production, wherein the feed consumed by each individual animal is identified and registered to that the feeding of each animal may be traced so that quality parameters of products derived form the animals can be established and/or so as to identify animals that have been given feed form a particular batch of feed that subsequently has been discovered to comprise impurities or contamination. In particular, the present method may comprise active and automatic control of the living conditions of the animals based on the monitored and recorded data so that a minimal amount of human interaction is required in the normal operation of a breeding system controlled by use of the method. The invention further relates to a control system, typically comprising a general-purpose computer having a suitable computer program installed thereon, for controlling the operation of a breeding system according to the present method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A steadily increasing demand exists for animal products, such as meat and milk, of which the consumers can obtain knowledge with respect to the breeding conditions of the animals from which the products origin, the breeding conditions being understood in a broad sense and including a lot of details relating, e.g. to feeding of the animals and their general well-being. Furthermore, it is of interest to the farmers to handle the animals individually, especially with respect to feeding, so that the most efficient and economical breeding is performed. This handling should however be as automated as possible since the cost of human labour is steadily increasing in most of the world.
A number of arrangements of individual control of animals are known for the prior art in particular for pigs, for cattle and for milk cows.
One apparatus for automatic, individual feeding of animals is disclosed in DE 37 01 864 in which the animals are weighted and/or identified at one station form which each animal is selectively lead to one of a plurality of individual feeding pens, is lead back to the stock if they have been fed or is lead to a separation area by means of moving or turning the weighting/identification station between the different destinations. The identification of the animals, is made by means of an identification tag fastened to each animal and the amount of feed in the feeding pens is measured out for the individual animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,923 discloses an automatic animal feeding system, in particular for cows, in which the animals are fed individually upon identification of the animal from automatically reading of an identification tag attached to each of the animals. The amount of feed provided to the animal is based on information collected about each animal, such as the animals weight. The animal may be weighted manually where after the weight is entered into the control system, or the animals may be weighted automatically on a commonly accessible scale which periodically measured the weight of the animal, on scales provided in the feeding pens or on scales provided in the parlour stalls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,647 relates to an automated method and system for providing individual animal electronic identification, measurement and value based management of cattle in a large cattle feedlot. Animals are individually identified and measured by weight, external dimensions and characteristics of internal body tissue. The individual identification and registration of the cattle with respect to physical and other information is used for calculating the optimal time for slaughtering. There is no mentioning of an individual feeding of the cattle or feeding means and the cattle are fed directly on the ground in the herd.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,833 relates to a computer controlled equipment for breeding of calves and other animals, comprising means for identification and weighing of each animal, computation of amount and composition of feed from the weight, the increase in weight, thickness of fat layer, temperature etc.
German Patent Application DE 3 623 816 relates to an equipment in which the animals are weighted and an amount of feed is computed according to the individual weight and weight gain of the animal and the feed ratio is dispersed and registered.
Several other patents and patent applications relates to controlled breeding of animals, such as FI 930 961, GB 2 190 767, GB 2 220 834, GB 2 232 053, DE 195 21 570, FR 2 507 776, FR 2 623 688, EP 0 657 098, WO 84/01688, WO 91/10358, WO 96/00003, WO 98/47351, WO 97/47187, WO 98/39475, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,240, U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,706, U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,892, U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,321, U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,424, U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,372, U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,864 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,719.
However, none of the above identified references include the tracing between each individual animal and thereby the potential products derived therefrom and the identification of the particular feed being fed to said individual animals.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
By the use of the present invention, detailed knowledge of the conditions for the individual animal may be provided to the consumers, primarily relating to feeding and type of feed, such as organically grown feed, genetically modified feed, absence of animal food in feed for herbivores etc., conditions relating to health, such as cases of illness, intake of medicine within a given period etc. Furthermore, the method of the present invention provides the condition that the well-being of the individual animal is constantly monitored so that no animal will show behaviour or other characteristics indicating illness or other deviation from the normal well-being for a longer period without action is taken to change the condition of the animal.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for breeding of animals in which a precise and traceable identification of the feed consumed by the animal is registered and kept on record, preferably during the lifetime of the animal, so that a well-documented product from the animals may be provided.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method in which the monitored and recorded characteristics are used to actively control the conditions for the animal, including feeding of the animals as well as selection of the animals for slaughtering, for further breeding, for medical treatment, etc.
One of the advantages of the present invention relates to the possibility of identifying and separating one or more animals for slaughtering or other purposes based on a selection of data on the animals which may be incorporated into the computer program.
In one embodiment, a number of animals such as pigs are separated at a specific time based on a number of criteria or characteristics such as one or more of the following weight, fat content, health (duration from last medication, absence of fever), and age. The separation of the desired number of animals may then be performed at a given time such as a planned transportation to the slaughterhouse. If the desired number is not available, the system may set a number of alternative criteria or ranges to secure that the desired number of animals are separated.
In a further embodiment, the characteristics which are used for separating the animal include registration of conditions relating to stress such as the stress symptoms including pulse, blood pressure and registration of a dilation of the eye pupil, all parameters is compared with a basic value registered and recorded on each animal. Any of these factors may be registered and stored at any desired time according to the control system of the present invention. The specific registration is preferable performed in connection with the registration of t
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Kristoffer Larsen Innovation A/S
Smith Kimberly S.
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