Animal husbandry – Miscellaneous
Patent
1996-04-04
1998-11-24
Polutta, Mark O.
Animal husbandry
Miscellaneous
600551, A01K 2900
Patent
active
058393900
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon PCT Application Ser. No. PCT/EP 94/03511, filed Oct. 26, 1994, which claims priority from British Patent Application Ser. No. 9322414.5, filed on Oct. 30, 1993.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus applicable to the monitoring of animals such as stock animals, whereby the monitoring of animal behaviour relevant to artificial insemination is facilitated. The method and apparatus finds application in the indication of oestrus levels in stock and other animals.
Livestock supervision personnel are not always able to determine whether a given animal, such as a cow, is experiencing sexual heat and is thus ready for artificial insemination. However, other animals can do so, and will ride or mount the animal which is in heat.
In the case of a livestock unit with a relatively small number of animals, the stock supervisor can regularly observe all the animals and accordingly can artificially inseminate those which are being ridden. However, in the case of larger live-stock units, mere visual observation of riding or mounting becomes an unreliable parameter for making an insemination decision, because the supervisor will not see all the animals which are being ridden or mounted. Also, it may not be possible to monitor the animals during the night. Failure to artificially inseminate at the correct time leads to a loss of efficiency of the livestock unit.
As a means for mitigating the above problem, it would be possible to employ a dyestuff as an indicator of riding or mounting activity, the dyestuff being applied to the relevant animals prior to such riding or mounting and being transferred to the ridden or mounted animal. However, such a technique is by no means satisfactory in view of its inconvenience of use, potential inefficiency and the uncertainty of the indications given.
Accordingly, there is a need for some alternative means to provide an indication of riding or mounting which will offer improvements in relation to ease of use and/or reliability of indication and/or re-useability and/or improvements generally.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a method and apparatus for indicating when a female stock or other animal has been ridden by another stock or other animal as defined in the accompanying claims.
In an embodiment there is provided indicator means for application to the female animal and which itself responds to the mounting or riding so as to provide an observable or monitorable response. Thus, by providing the indicator means on the female animal itself the monitoring activity is simplified, whereby only those female animals which it is wished to monitor need be in any way affected or processed by the supervisor.
In an embodiment, the indicator means is in the form of a removable device whereby re-use becomes possible once a particular monitoring activity has been completed.
In the embodiments, the indicator means is responsive to pressure or compression, force or load, or thrust applied to the device during the action of riding or mounting, and has detector means responsive thereto. The detector means is adapted to produce a visible signal by means of a mechanical signalling element which is movable to a signalling position. The signals produced may be achieved by exposing signalling means, for example in a readily visible colour, such exposure being caused by movement of the signalling element.
In the embodiments, the signalling element may be actuated by a mechanical actuator means, which also acts as the detector means.
By providing for detector means responsive to pressure or compression or the like arising during riding or mounting, and by providing also that the detector means serves as an actuator for a signalling element, the advantage is provided that the activity which is to be monitored is arranged itself to generate the necessary signal for monitoring purposes. Thus, the necessary actuation of the signalling ele
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Ciambrone Coletti Ellen
Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V.
Polutta Mark O.
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