GB2155749A - Measuring the feeding of animals - Google Patents
Measuring the feeding of animals Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2155749A GB2155749A GB08407349A GB8407349A GB2155749A GB 2155749 A GB2155749 A GB 2155749A GB 08407349 A GB08407349 A GB 08407349A GB 8407349 A GB8407349 A GB 8407349A GB 2155749 A GB2155749 A GB 2155749A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- food
- pump
- reservoir
- animal
- calf
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 241001465754 Metazoa Species 0.000 title claims description 21
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 38
- 244000309466 calf Species 0.000 claims abstract description 30
- 230000002572 peristaltic effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 235000008476 powdered milk Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 abstract description 6
- 235000013336 milk Nutrition 0.000 abstract description 5
- 239000008267 milk Substances 0.000 abstract description 5
- 210000004080 milk Anatomy 0.000 abstract description 5
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 abstract description 2
- 235000021056 liquid food Nutrition 0.000 abstract description 2
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000000523 sample Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 241000238631 Hexapoda Species 0.000 description 1
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920002379 silicone rubber Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005406 washing Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K9/00—Sucking apparatus for young stock ; Devices for mixing solid food with liquids
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K5/00—Feeding devices for stock or game ; Feeding wagons; Feeding stacks
- A01K5/02—Automatic devices
- A01K5/0216—Automatic devices for the distribution of liquid fodder
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Husbandry (AREA)
- Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
- Birds (AREA)
- Feeding And Watering For Cattle Raising And Animal Husbandry (AREA)
Abstract
For measuring the amount of food, in the form of powdered milk in water, taken by a calf over a period, the liquid food is pumped by a peristaltic pump 11 from a receptacle 23 to a reservoir 24 via tubing 21, 14 and 22, the calf using a teat 26, connected to reservoir 24 by tubing 25, to suck the food from the reservoir 24. A liquid-level-sensing system 27 drives the peristaltic pump 11 as necessary to maintain the level in reservoir 24 sensibly constant. The amount that the pump 11 is driven, that is, the number of revolutions of its rotor 15, according to measuring means 12, is a measure of the amount of milk taken by the calf. All of the tubing 21, 14, 22 and 25 is easily removable and replaceable for cleaning purposes. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Improvements in or relating to feeding of animals
This invention relates to feeding of animals, a particular application being the feeding of calves with fluid food such as powdered milk mixed with water.
It is known to use calf-feeding units wherein powdered milk is mixed with water to give a percentage mix. It has been found that no known method of flow measurement is suitable for measuring this mix. The milk powder is aggressive in that it tends to thicken. Furthermore, in the feeding of calves, access by insects such as flies is hard to control. It is necessary that any measuring device in such a situation should be easily accessible for daily washing and milk must not be allowed to precipitate out. It will be apparent that this flow cannot be measured by any known mechanical flow meter. Furthermore, the size of tubes used in such calf feeding units prohibits the use of either known types of flow measuring apparatus.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of measuring fluid food being given to an animal, comprising the step of supplying the food to the animal via a positive-displacement pump which is driven on demand and measuring the amount that the pump is driven as a measure of the food supplied.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for use in feeding an animal, comprising a positive-displacement pump adapted and arranged to be driven on demand to deliver fluid food to the animal, and means for measuring how much the pump is driven in any given period as a measure of the food taken over that period.
Preferably, the pump is a peristaltic pump and supplies a reservoir from which the animal - for example, a calf-- (directly or indirectly) takes the food and the pump is driven so as to maintain, or tend to maintain, a given quantity of food in the reservoir.
Preferably the animal takes the food - for example, powdered milk in water-from a teat which is supplied with the food by the pump.
The invention may be applied both to bucketfeeding and to automatic feeding of calves. The invention may enable the amount of milk/water mix to be measured to feed each calf where, for instance, a plurality of calves are fed from one automatic feeding machine.
By means of electronic circuitry to control the pump, the amount of fluid food given to each animal may be micro processor-controlled. Data on the feeding of each animal may be displayed and/stored by some such method as a visual display unit, paper tape unit and/or magnetic tape unit. This may give the owner of the feeding unit a better control than hitherto over the amount of food each calf may take at any one time or over a period. It may also show if a particular calf has not been feeding.
Each calf may be identified by a transponder method, in which a micro processor identifies each calf and controls and records the volume of milk taken by the particular calf. This may help to prevent a high mortality rate such as may be encountered in calf-rearing where a calf may die due to over feeding.
The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrammatic illustration of an apparatus embodying the invention.
Referring to the drawing, the illustrated apparatus 10 is adapted for use in feeding an animal, more particularly, a calf, not shown, and for measuring the fluid food being given to the calf. The apparatus 10 comprises a positive-displacement pump 11, more particularly, a peristaltic pump, adapted and arranged (in a manner to be described) to be driven on demand to deliver fluid food, more particularly, powdered milk mixed with water, to the calf. The apparatus 10 also comprises means 12 for measuring how much the pump 11 is driven in any given period as a measure of the food taken over that period.
The pump 11 comprises a support member 13, a length of flexible tubing 14 and a rotor 15. The tubing 14 is curved in a semi circle as shown and is supported by a correspondingly curved surface 16 of support member 13. The rotor 15 is a three-armed rotor with its three arms 17 equiangularly spaced and carrying at their ends three respective rollers 18, each of which squeezes the tubing 14 between itself and the support surface 16 of member 13. Since the tubing 14 tends to restore itself to its natural, generally circular, cross-section where it is not being squeezed by one or other of the rollers 18, the effect of rotation of the rotor 15 is that the contents of the tubing 14 are moved along it so as to remain between any given pair of rollers 18 which are squeezing the tube 14.Although the tubing 14 is subject to considerable wear and tear, it is fairly readily replaceable, being connected at 19 and 20 to further flexible tubing 21 and 22, respectively upstream and downstream of the pump 11. The, flexible, upstream tubing 21 is connected to a receptacle 23, which may be part of an automatic feeder or alternatively may be an ordinary bucket, to hold fluid food in the form of powdered milk mixed with water.
The, flexible, downstream tubing 22 is connected to a reservoir 24, from which flexible tubing 25 leads to a teat 26 (which may be like the teat disclosed in my co-pending patent application entitled "Improvements in or relating to a method of and means for determining the temperature of an animal", reference 230P47697). The teat 26 may be fixed to a wall (not shown) of a calf "run" (not shown).
A liquid-level-sensing system 27, comprised of
electrical probes 28 and an electronic circuit 29,
controls the liquid level in the reservior 24 by
switching the pump 11 on and off as signals from
the level probes 28 dictate (the rotor 15 being driven
by an electric motor, not shown).
In use, when a calf (not shown) feeds from the teat
26, the liquid level in the reservoir 24 falls, with the
result that the sensing system 27 starts up the pump 11 until the liquid level in reservoir 24 is restored to a datum level.
One of the characteristic features of a peristaltic pump is the positive-displacement nature of its pumping action, with the result that a known volume of liquid (that is, the fluid food) is conveyed along the tubing 14 between each respective pair of rollers 18 ofthe pump rotor15 asthe rotor15 rotates. Hence, by counting the number of revolutions and fractions of a revolution through which the rotor 15 is rotated, it is possible to calculate the amount of fluid food pumped into the reservoir 24 over any given period. Assuming that the sensing system 27 is operative to restore the level in reservoir 24 each time to the same, or substantially the same, it thus becomes possible to calculate how much by volume of fluid food the calf has taken, feeding at the teat 26.Accordingly, the measuring means 12, which is for measuring the amount that the pump 11 is driven, takes the form of
an electronic tachometer.
All of the tubing 14,21,22 and 25 is preferably
removable and replaceable for cleaning purposes.
The tubing 14 ofthe pump 11, which is subject to
more severe wear than the other tubing 21,22 and 25, may be made of high quality silicon rubber.
If some means is provided for identifying the
particular calf feeding from the apparatus 10, the amount of food taken by the calf over a period may be stored in memory. Furthermore, if desired, the pump 11 may be arranged to be disabled to prevent a particular calf from over-feeding, if it is determined that a particular calf has taken a maximum permitted amount of food during any
period. The maximum permitted amount of food for each calf could be calculated to allow for the contents of the reservoir 24, since it will probably be possible for the calf to empty the reservoir 24 of
liquid food.
A convenient way of identifying each calf is to get
each calf to wear a respective transponder emitting
or adapted to emit, an identification signal for
detection by suitable apparatus (not shown)
adjacent the teat 26.
Claims (10)
1.A A method of measuring fluid food being given to an animal, comprising the step of supplying the food to the animal via a positive-displacement pump which is driven on demand and measuring the amount that the pump is driven as a measure of the food supplied.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the pump is a peristaltic pump.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the pump supplies a reservoir from which the animal (directly or indirectly) takes the food and the pump is driven so as to maintain, or tent to maintain, a given quantity of food in the reservoir.
4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the animal takes the food from a teat which is supplied with the food by the pump.
5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the animal is a calf.
6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the food comprises powdered milk in water.
7. Apparatus for use in feeding an animal, comprising a positive-displacement pump adapted and arranged to be driven on demand to deliver fluid food to the animal, and means for measuring how much the pump is driven in any given period as a measure of the food taken over that period.
8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the pump is a peristaltic pump.
9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 or 8 wherein a reservoir is arranged for the food to be taken therefrom (directly or indirectly) by the animal, and means is provided for driving the pump in response to sensing the quantity of food in the reservoir so as to maintain, or tend to maintain, a given quantity of food in the reservoir.
10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein a teat is arranged to be supplied with the food by the pump.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB08407349A GB2155749A (en) | 1984-03-21 | 1984-03-21 | Measuring the feeding of animals |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB08407349A GB2155749A (en) | 1984-03-21 | 1984-03-21 | Measuring the feeding of animals |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB8407349D0 GB8407349D0 (en) | 1984-04-26 |
GB2155749A true GB2155749A (en) | 1985-10-02 |
Family
ID=10558449
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB08407349A Withdrawn GB2155749A (en) | 1984-03-21 | 1984-03-21 | Measuring the feeding of animals |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2155749A (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0799567A2 (en) * | 1996-04-02 | 1997-10-08 | Förster, Martin | Method and means for supplying animals with liquid food |
WO1998056242A3 (en) * | 1997-06-11 | 1999-03-04 | Martin Foerster | Device for supplying feed to domestic animals |
US6016769A (en) * | 1996-08-02 | 2000-01-25 | Forster; Martin | Method and apparatus for providing domestic animals with liquid food |
WO2001056407A1 (en) * | 2000-01-31 | 2001-08-09 | Arom Pak International Ab | Device and method for killing microorganisms in a fluid flow of products |
GB2489703A (en) * | 2011-04-04 | 2012-10-10 | Blue Fountain Systems Ltd | System for monitoring quantity of feed delivered from a silo |
EP3516957A1 (en) * | 2018-01-26 | 2019-07-31 | Hans Joachim Holm | Dairy van with dosing control system |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB1252560A (en) * | 1970-10-14 | 1971-11-10 | ||
GB1344825A (en) * | 1971-05-19 | 1974-01-23 | Vendaid Ltd | Machines for dispensing measured quantities of liquids |
GB2002324A (en) * | 1977-08-08 | 1979-02-21 | Douwe Egberts Tabaksfab | Exchangeable concentrate container |
GB2009864A (en) * | 1977-12-09 | 1979-06-20 | Fresenius Chem Pharm Ind | Apparatus for periodically rinsing body cavities particularly the abdominal cavity |
GB2102503A (en) * | 1981-06-08 | 1983-02-02 | Warner Lambert Co | Peristaltic fluid-machines |
-
1984
- 1984-03-21 GB GB08407349A patent/GB2155749A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB1252560A (en) * | 1970-10-14 | 1971-11-10 | ||
GB1344825A (en) * | 1971-05-19 | 1974-01-23 | Vendaid Ltd | Machines for dispensing measured quantities of liquids |
GB2002324A (en) * | 1977-08-08 | 1979-02-21 | Douwe Egberts Tabaksfab | Exchangeable concentrate container |
GB2009864A (en) * | 1977-12-09 | 1979-06-20 | Fresenius Chem Pharm Ind | Apparatus for periodically rinsing body cavities particularly the abdominal cavity |
GB2102503A (en) * | 1981-06-08 | 1983-02-02 | Warner Lambert Co | Peristaltic fluid-machines |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0799567A2 (en) * | 1996-04-02 | 1997-10-08 | Förster, Martin | Method and means for supplying animals with liquid food |
EP0799567A3 (en) * | 1996-04-02 | 1998-01-21 | Förster, Martin | Method and means for supplying animals with liquid food |
EP0947132A3 (en) * | 1996-04-02 | 1999-12-15 | Martin Förster | Buffer container for intermediatedly storing feedstuff |
EP1066755A1 (en) * | 1996-04-02 | 2001-01-10 | Martin Förster | Method and means for supplying animals with liquid food |
US6016769A (en) * | 1996-08-02 | 2000-01-25 | Forster; Martin | Method and apparatus for providing domestic animals with liquid food |
US6205952B1 (en) * | 1996-08-02 | 2001-03-27 | Martin Forster | Method and apparatus for providing domestic animals with liquid food |
WO1998056242A3 (en) * | 1997-06-11 | 1999-03-04 | Martin Foerster | Device for supplying feed to domestic animals |
EP1093717A2 (en) * | 1997-06-11 | 2001-04-25 | Martin Förster | Device for supplying feed to domestic animals |
EP1093717A3 (en) * | 1997-06-11 | 2001-09-05 | Martin Förster | Device for supplying feed to domestic animals |
WO2001056407A1 (en) * | 2000-01-31 | 2001-08-09 | Arom Pak International Ab | Device and method for killing microorganisms in a fluid flow of products |
GB2489703A (en) * | 2011-04-04 | 2012-10-10 | Blue Fountain Systems Ltd | System for monitoring quantity of feed delivered from a silo |
EP3516957A1 (en) * | 2018-01-26 | 2019-07-31 | Hans Joachim Holm | Dairy van with dosing control system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB8407349D0 (en) | 1984-04-26 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7896197B2 (en) | Fluid dispensing device | |
US4252115A (en) | Apparatus for periodically rinsing body cavities, particularly the abdominal cavity | |
US4589372A (en) | Dispensing system having weight dependent control means | |
EP0733884A1 (en) | A quantity meter and an implement for milking animals, said implement being provided with such a meter | |
CA2209467C (en) | Method and apparatus for providing domestic animals with liquid food | |
US3806001A (en) | Feed formulation system and process | |
GB2155749A (en) | Measuring the feeding of animals | |
US20050247121A1 (en) | Urine collection and monitoring system | |
US4480901A (en) | Arrangement for and a method of processing photosensitive articles | |
HU216679B (en) | Method and device for metering parameter characteristic of quantity of flowing milk | |
AU2023100048A4 (en) | Dosing system with external flow sensor | |
US10602716B2 (en) | Feeding apparatus for animals | |
JP2020060188A (en) | Flow control system and flow control apparatus | |
CN106415401A (en) | Toner level sensing for a replaceable unit of an image forming device | |
EP0078828B1 (en) | Apparatus for sampling of liquid | |
EP0795268A1 (en) | A quantity meter and an implement for milking animals comprising such a meter | |
KR102017062B1 (en) | Chlorine feeder for water pipe with remote control | |
US2555437A (en) | Frog feeder | |
US3977362A (en) | Fluid movement control mechanism | |
EP0323182A2 (en) | Milk flow indicator | |
US3942767A (en) | Method and apparatus for continuously automatically controlling the water content of kneaded viscous materials | |
ATE70980T1 (en) | PRESSURE INFUSION DEVICE. | |
CN112237877A (en) | Dosing machine for dosing a fluid product | |
McArthur et al. | Continuous recording of the in vivo rumen pH in fistulated cattle | |
GB1382818A (en) | Apparatus for transferring liquid from one receptacle to another |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |