Maasland N.v.

Lely Research Holding Ag

Lely Enterprises Ag

Lely Enterprises Ag a Swiss Limited Liability Co.

Other

Lely Patent N.v.

Alexander Van Der Lely

Karel Van Den Berg

Renatus Ignatius Josephus Fransen

Olaf Van Der Lely

Renatus Ignatius Fransen

Rene Fransen

Eduard Lodewijk Meijer

Adrianus Maria Seerden

Theo Jan Miedema

Carlo Verburg

Reantus Ignatius Josephus Fransen

Wilhelmus Johannes Adrianus Van Lier

Maurice Jean Fran&ccedil;ois Marie Corten

Franciscus J A De Groen

Cornelis J G Bom

Cornelis J M Van Overveld

Franciscus Johannes Adrianus De Groen

Antoon Peter André Theelen

Wilhelmus Johannes Van Lier

The present invention relates to a system and method of managing a group of dairy animals. More particularly, the invention relates to measuring one or more milk parameters, comparing this parameter to a criterion, and allowing an animal access to a pasture based on this comparison. The milk parameter is related to the composition of milk obtained from a dairy animal in as far as the composition is defined by at least one of the amount of protein and the energy intake of the dairy animal. The measured milk parameter is, for example, urea. Access to the pasture will be completely or partly blocked for a dairy animal having a high content of urea. This dairy animal is thus prevented from taking in an undesirably large amount of protein.

Method of and system for managing a group of dairy animals

An assembly for performing an agricultural operation, in particular crop processing. The assembly is provided with an autonomous agricultural machine that is movable over a parcel for performing the agricultural operation, the agricultural machine includes a machine container detachably disposed on the agricultural machine for containing an amount of the product required for performing the agricultural operation. A container for containing a stock of a product required for performing the agricultural operation is also provided and a control-unit automatically moves the agricultural machine to the container where a conveying device automatically exchanges the container with the machine container. Due to the fact that the machine container can be exchanged automatically and quickly with an exchange container, the assembly is relatively efficient in use.

Assembly for performing an agricultural operation, in particular crop processing

A management system for domesticated animals, such as cows, which comprises an animal identification system, a central unit provided with a computer which has a memory. The memory contains for each animal of the herd data which relates to the animal's position or status in the hierarchic order of the herd. The memory also contains data for each animal relating to its jostling behavior. This management is used in an automated system wherein procedures such as feeding and milking are performed on animals of the herd. The position or status of each animal in the hierarchic order of the herd is determined and the data thereof are stored in the memory. At least one of the procedures affecting each animal in the herd is governed, at least in part, by data in the memory relating to the animal's status or position in the hierarchic order of the herd and also by data concerning the animal's jostling behavior.

Arrangement for and a method of managing a herd of animals

An apparatus for cooling an animal in a place such as a milking stall or feeding stall wherein an artificial climate is created. The artificial climate disclosed comprises wetting the animal with a water vapor and causing an air flow over the wetted area of the animal. Water vapor is sprayed and rubbed onto the back of the animal while shields protect areas to remain dry. During the process the animal is monitored for signs of thermal stress using a variety of methods and the wetting and cooling process are discontinued if the artificial climate adversely affects the animal.

Method of cooling animals

A vehicle for automatically milking dairy farm animals which carries a milk reservoir having milk lines which connect to a set of teat cups that are automatically connected to animals' teats by a milking robot. The vehicle is supported from the underlying surface by wheels, caterpillar tracks, or an air cushion, and includes navigational equipment which controls the vehicle so that it positions itself under the animals' teats whereupon the teat cups automatically placed on the relevant animals' teats one by one or in pairs. The vehicle also has its own propulsion power source. The vehicle including all its components is movable and displaceable as a whole. A gripping mechanism for connecting the vehicle to an animal may be included. In a variation, a central station carries a milk reservoir and a plurality of satellite milking units as described above seek out and milk the dairy farm animals. Such units are coupled to the central station by conduits otherwise to deliver milk they receive from the animals to the reservoir carried by the central station.

Construction for automatically milking animals

An apparatus and method for milking an animal, in particular a cow, that uses a stress measuring device for determining the animal's degree of stress and to supply stress measurement data to a memory that stores the stress measurement data. Stress measurement data are obtained before, during and preferably after milking. The stress measuring device comprises at least one instrument selected from a group consisting of an infrared meter for measuring the animal's infrared image, a hygrometer for determining the humidity of the animal's fur or nose, and iris scanner for determining the animal's eye characteristics, and an odor meter for determining the animal's breath or body odor, a muscular tension measuring instrument for determining the animal's muscular tension, an excrement analyzing instrument for determining the characteristics of the animal's excrement, and a muscle vibration meter for determining the animal's muscle vibrations.

Device for and a method of milking an animal, a device for monitoring an animal

A system for performing a first and a second agricultural operation on an agricultural parcel. The system is provided with a first autonomous agricultural machine for performing the first agricultural operation, with a second autonomous agricultural machine for performing the second agricultural operation, a control-unit for controlling the agricultural operations to be performed, the control-unit being suitable for subdividing the agricultural parcel into at least a first and a second parcel portion, and for first performing the first and the second agricultural operations on the first parcel portion, and subsequently on the second parcel portion.

System for and a method of performing a first and a second agricultural operation on an agricultural parcel

A system for automatically milking animals is provided with a milking robot and a computer which is capable of being connected to a plurality of measuring instruments for a plurality of functions of the system and physiological conditions of the animals being milked. Monitoring programs for the functions and conditions are installed in a computer which, based on comparison reference data, determines that one or more components of the system is likely to fail or otherwise malfunction and reports on abnormal physiological conditions of animals being milked by the system. As a result of the computer determinations, diagnoses of the likelihood of failure or other malfunction of one or more of the system's components, and of abnormal conditions of the animals being milked, are transmitted to interested parties including a user and a service mechanic together with the appropriate actions to be taken.

An apparatus for the automated milking of animals, such as cows, which comprises a milking compartment and a milking robot associated with the milking compartment. The milking robot is provided with a controllable robot arm that connects and disconnects teat cups to and from the teats of an animal being milked. In one embodiment, the robot arm is suspended from a ball joint so that control of the robot arm is relatively simple, reliable and accurate. In another embodiment the robot arm is suspended from a rail disposed near the top of the milking compartment wherein the rail is pivotably connected to a further rail on top of the milking compartment so that it can be pivoted upwardly and downwardly by a piston and cylinder arrangement. In a third embodiment, the robot arm is suspended from a bearing having a vertical axis in the upper aspect of the milking compartment whereby the robot arm includes two tubes which may be telescoping to provide both horizontal and vertical movements which are used for positioning teat cups under the teats of the animal being milked so that they can be connected or disconnected therefrom and in the latter event moved outside of the milking compartment.

A system to be employed in a automated method and apparatus for milking animals such as cows wherein the milking apparatus is computer controlled to apply and remove teat cups from the teats of the animals being milked. The apparatus includes an animal recognition system which is communication with the computer whereby it is determined whether or not an animal that approaches or enters a milking compartment will be milked. This determination depended on the number of animals that have been milked after the latest milking turn of an animal that has reported to a milking compartment to be milked. Unless the number of interim milkings exceeds a predetermined numerical value, that animal would not again be milked. The herd of animals to be milked are divided into groups based on their currently expected milk yields as stored in the computer. The currently expected milk yield which determines the predetermined numerical value for each group of animals is based on physical characteristics of each animal such as the stage of lactation, which, in turn, determines the group which the computer (or dairy farmer manually) places the animal involved. As the physical characteristics of each animal change it may be placed in a different group. Irrespective of the predetermined numerical value of milkings which must occur before the animals can again be milked, that value is the same for all animals in a group as long they remain in that group.

Method of automatically milking animals and a milking machine suitable for performing same

An apparatus for the automated milking of animals such as cows in a milking compartment with a milking robot which is provided with a controllable robot arm for supporting and connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal in the milking compartment to be milked. The milking compartment is provided with a guide element for guiding movement of the robot arm. The guide element is so configured that the robot arm when moving along the guide element pivots the robot arm about a substantially vertical axis so that the teat cups are pivoted between a first position which is out of reach of the animal to be milked in the milking compartment to a second position located under the animal's udder. The mechanical guide element preferably includes a gear teeth arrangement whereby there is a gear type meshed connection between rollers that support the robot arm and the guide element to provide a robust mechanism and accurate pivoting movement by the robot arm.

An apparatus for automated milking of animals which comprises a milking compartment and a milking robot that is provided with teat cups and a mechanism for connecting the teat cups to the animals being milking in milking compartment. A carrier element for the teat cups is disclosed which is movable in three dimensions while being supported and moved by three sets of controlled piston and cylinder elements, each set of said elements having one end on ends thereof connected to the milking compartment and the other end thereof connected to the carrier element, the connections to the carrier element (as seen in plan) not being aligned. Each set of controlled piston and cylinder elements consists of two controlled piston and elements which are in &ldquo;V&rdquo; configurations so that there are three non-aligned connections of each set to the carrier element and six non-aligned connections to the milking compartment.

A method and apparatus for automatically feeding calves and other animals a substance comprising milk, mother's milk, foremilk, beestings, beestingslike milk, or colostrums or a combination thereof by conveying same from a first animal to a second animal via an automatic milking machine and a transport system. The transport system includes an analyzing device to determine the composition of the substance received from the first animal and a metering device for feeding the substance to the second animal. The transport system also has two storage areas for receiving samples of the substance and storing same in a cool, frozen or dried frozen state. A mixing mechanism is also provided for adding material such as water, medicants, vitamins, nutritive supplements, immunological stimulants, growth stimulants, hormones, and combinations thereof to the substance consumed by the second animal for the nutritive needs of the second animal. The second animal's physical condition and state of health are monitored by sensors.

Method and apparatus for automatically feeding animals

A method and apparatus for obtaining optimal cultivation of a parcel of land. A soil working machine with drivable working members, such as a rotary harrow, is provided with soil working members which rotate about approximately vertically orientated axes, and cooperates with a geographic positioning system such as DGPS, GPS, Lorean or a dead reckoning system to determine on a continual basis the actual position of the soil working machine on a parcel of land. Simultaneously, the condition or the composition or both of the underlying soil is determined and data of same is transmitted to a processing unit which maps the parcel of land into subareas wherein the states of the soil are the same. A control unit applies this mapping for controlling the soil working members during the soil working machine's operations so that each subarea of the same soil state is optimally cultivated. Variations in the cultivation are obtained by controlling the soil working members' rpm's or their working depths or both and also, optionally independently or in combination with other variations, controlling the soil working machine's speed as it transverses different subareas to optimize cultivation in each subarea. These variations in cultivation can occur during the mapping process or subsequently the mapping can be used for further cultivation operations of the same parcel of land.

Means for controlling a driven soil working machine on the basis of information derived from a map

A method and apparatus for automatically milking animals which are allowed individually to visit a milking compartment associated with a milking robot for automatically milking animals therein. An animal visiting the milking compartment is milked by the milking robot only when, since it last visited the milking compartment, Q milkings of other animals in the milking compartment have occurred. Based on physiological characteristics, each animal is assigned a number x which indicates how often it should be milked per unit of time such as a day. Intervening milkings Q which must take place before the animal can be milked again is calculated as a function of the animal's corresponding number x. Physiological characteristics which determine x for each animal include its milk yield, its lactation period stage, its age, its movement activity, its feed consumption and its udder's health. The process is computer controlled and the minimum number of milkings Q required by other animals before the relevant animal is again milked is reduced by a factor of 0.5 to 1.0 to avoid numerous visits by animals to the milking compartment without being milked. When an animal is milked after more or less than Q/C milkings by other animals, the subsequent minimum number of milkings Q of other animals required before the animal is again milked is decreased or increased so that the animal approximates x milkings per unit time.

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Rotterdam, Netherlands

Alexander Van Der Lely