Lely Enterprises Ag

Maasland N.v.

Lucien Eliza Niels Voogd

Karel Van Den Berg

Howard Sie

Helena Geralda Maria Vijverberg

A method of feeding an animal in a feeding box including in no particular order, at least the actions of: a) registering the presence of the animal in the feeding box, b) closing the feeding box and locking the feeding box in such a way that access to the feeding box is impeded for an animal outside the feeding box, c) supplying feed to the animal in the feeding box in a chosen eating period of time. For an animal that does not leave the feeding box after an initially chosen eating period of time has elapsed, the initially chosen eating period of time beginning immediately after the performance of step b), within a first waiting time span chosen contiguously to said period of time, in which the animal is given the possibility of leaving the feeding box, step c) is repeated at least once.

Method of and an installation for feeding an animal in a feeding box

An apparatus and method for automatically supplying feed to animals such as cows. A control device generates a control signal for controlling the supply of feed to be consumed by an animal at a feed trough. A parameter-measuring component determines the value of a variable parameter which bears a relationship to the feed to be supplied to an animal at the feed trough and issues a parameter value signal to the control device. The control device is provided with a processing device for processing the parameter value signal into the control signal. The parameter-measuring component measures the parameter involved which relates to an animal that feeds at the feed trough and issues a signal providing information as to that parameter to the processing device. The parameters which may be measured include the existing physical condition profile of the animal, the rate that the animal consumes feed from the feeding trough, the existing milk yield of an animal at the feeding trough, and the amount of one or more ingredients which are present in the milk produced by the animal at the feeding trough, including proteins, fat, minerals and amino acids.

Device for and a method of automatically supplying feed to animals

The invention relates to a device for automatically supplying feed and/or drink to an animal, comprising at any rate at least one trough, a flap, a control unit for controlling the flap, so that the flap is capable of being put in an open position and in a closed position for giving the animal access to the trough, respectively preventing the animal from having access to the trough, and an identification device for identifying the animal and for emitting an identification signal that is indicative of the identified animal. The control unit is provided with a memory, which memory is suitable for storing a first set of identification data in relation to animals that are allowed to have access to the trough and a second set of identification data in relation to animals that are not allowed to have access to the trough, with a comparing device for comparing the identification signal with the first and the second set of identification data in the memory, the control unit always keeping the flap in the open position or releasing the flap from the closed position if the identification signal belongs to the first set, and the control unit keeping the flap in the closed position or releasing the flap from the open position for enabling it to assume the closed position if the identification signal belongs to the second set.

Device for and a method of automatically supplying feed and/or drink to an animal

A device for automatically milking an animal, which device is provided with a milking robot, a computer for controlling the operation of the device, a measuring device for performing measurements on milk obtained from an animal, at least two teat cups, and a common milk line for discharging milk coming from the at least two teat cups, each teat cup being connected via a teat cup line to the common milk line. The device is provided with a milk-determining element for determining the teat cup from which comes the milk present in the common milk line and for emitting a determination signal. The measuring device comprises a common sensor for performing measurements on milk obtained from an animal and for emitting a measurement signal. The common sensor is disposed in the common milk line. The computer is suitable for combining the measurement signal and the determination signal.

Device for automatically milking an animal

A feed metering apparatus for supplying a consumable substance to a feeding trough for consumption by an animal, such as a dairy cow, while at least one further animal that has voluntary access to the same trough to consume a consumable substance therefrom is waiting for the animal at the feeding trough to depart. The feeding trough has an entrance opening which can be closed by a closing member. The apparatus intermittently supplies a quantity of a consumable substance to the feeding trough. The feeding trough has a weighing mechanism for continuously weighing the amount of the consumable substance in the feeding trough. A control mechanism is provided for closing the feeding trough's opening and there is a timing component. The control mechanism closes the opening of the feeding trough based on the combination of a lower threshold value of the amount of consumable substance remaining in the feeding trough as determined by the weighing mechanism and an upper threshold value of the duration of time since an animal at the feeding trough either stopped consuming a consumable substance therefrom or slowed its pace of doing so to a predetermined amount.

Feed metering device

A device for automatically supplying a predetermined amount of at least one sort of feed to an animal in a period having a predetermined length. The device is provided with a feeding parlour, with an animal identification system for identifying an animal present at the feeding parlour, and with a computer for controlling the device for automatically supplying the at least one sort of feed to the feeding parlour. The computer is suitable for determining the sub-period between the last supply of feed to an animal and the momentary point of time when the animal is identified by the animal identification system at the feeding parlour. The computer controls the device in such a way that, during the momentary visit of the animal to the feeding parlour, there is supplied to the animal a feed balance, the size of the feed balance depending on the determined sub-period.

Device for automatically supplying a predetermined amount of at least one sort of feed to an animal in a predetermined period

An apparatus for automatically supplying predetermined amounts of feed to animals over a predetermined period which may be a period of time such as 24 hours or based on other occurrences such as the number of animals that are being fed. Each animal feeds at a trough in a feeding area wherein the animal is identified and which may be provided in a preferably circular feeding column or available to an animal in a milking compartment. A plurality of feed types are provided for each animal wherein the amounts and types are computer controlled and take into consideration a number of factors such as the nutrition needs of the particular animal, its preferences in feed types, whether the animal involved is in a lactation period, the milk yield of the animal, the season of the year, the weather, and the physical profile of the animal being fed. Data is retained in the memory of the computer as to when each animal eats, what it eats, how much if any feed is left in the feeding trough and whether or not an animal has consumed the predetermined types of food that it should consume during the predetermined period. If not, the difference is calculated and an amount of feed is provided in portions for each relevant animal which amount is smaller or equal to the difference as a feed balance to the animal.

Device for automatically supplying a predetermined amount of feed to an animal in a period having a predetermined length

A device for supplying fodder to animals such as cows which has a plurality of hoppers containing fodder wherein each hopper may have a different type of fodder. A plurality of feeding troughs are provided which are accessible to animals to feed therefrom. Each hopper has a conveyor for conveying fodder from that hopper to a control component that has a receptacle which receives fodder from selected hoppers. Under control of the control component selected conveyors in the hoppers convey predetermined amounts of fodder therefrom to the receptacle. The receptacle has a bottom which can be opened and from which fodder falls through a pipe or chute to a selected trough. The device is provided with a container which may be one of the hoppers edible separating material which may be supplied to the receptacle to form a layer on top of which fodder is received and is wrapped, at least in part, by the edible separating material as it falls through the bottom of the receptacle into the underlying pipe or chute. The control component includes a memory that contains data as to the adhesiveness of the fodder contained in each of the hoppers and causes fodder to be conveyed to the receptacle and therefrom in the order of increasing adhesiveness thereof. The edible separating material is a material that at least substantially does not adhere to components of the device with which it comes into contact.

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Leerdam, Netherlands

Lucien Eliza Niels Voogd