WO1998053671A2

WO1998053671A2 - A rotary animal handling complex

Info

Publication number: WO1998053671A2
Application number: PCT/NZ1998/000067
Authority: WO
Inventors: Myron Tongawhiti Warwick Manuirirangi
Original assignee: Manuirirangi, Tongawhiti, Warwick
Priority date: 1997-05-28
Filing date: 1998-05-28
Publication date: 1998-12-03
Also published as: AU7941798A; WO1998053671A3

Abstract

A rotary animal handling complex has a rotary animal handling platform (12) and drive means (15) to rotate the platform. A plurality of entrances (20, 30) and exits (32, 22) lie adjacent the platform (12) whereby animals can sequentially enter onto and exit from the platform while it is rotating. Receiving and restraining means (16) on the platform are used to receive and restrain the animals for processing. Each exit (32, 22) is associated with a respective one of the entrances (20, 30) so that the same number of separate streams of animals as there are entrances can be processed simultaneously. The preferred complex is a rotary milking complex.

Description

A ROTARY ANIMAL HANDLING COMPLEX

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a rotary animal handling complex. In preferred embodiments, the complex is a rotary milking complex and the invention will be particularly described with reference to the milking of cows. However, the complex may be designed or adapted for the milking of other animals or for other types of processing of animals. BACKGROUND ART

Rotary milking complexes are well known. Some examples are disclosed in the specifications of New Zealand Patents 153345, 156089, 156268, 163134, 163989 167711, 174832, 177856, 244688, 260603, 270905 and 270997. These examples and other known complexes are based on a rotary milking platform which is circular or more usually annular in shape, in either case having a substantially circular outer periphery. The platform lies in a substantially horizontal plane and is mounted to be rotatable about its substantially vertical central axis. A drive means such as an electric motor is used to rotate the platform at a constant working speed in a working direction of rotation. A plurality of bails is located on the upper surface of the platform about its outer periphery. Each bail is designed to receive and restrain one cow to be milked.

These known rotary milking complexes are characterized by having a single entrance adjacent the platform whereby cows to be mi Iked can enter onto the platform, one per bail, and a single exit adjacent the platform whereby milked cows can exit from the platform. The exit is generally located adjacent the entrance and, having regard to the working direction of rotation of the platform, on the upstream side of the entrance. This means that each cow being milked is carried through a substantially full rotation of the platform between the entrance and the exit.

In a rotary milking complex a number of factors are interlinked. Three of these are the speed of the platform, this meaning its outer peripheral speed, the size of the platform, that being given by its diameter (being the outer diameter in the case of an annular platform) and hence by the length of its outer peripheral circumference, and the time taken for a full rotation of the platform. Once the magnitudes of two of these three factors are set, the magnitude of the third factor is determined.

Ideally the time taken for a full rotation of the platform should be about the same as, and preferably just a little more than, the time required to complete milking of a cow. Generally the recommended milking time per cow is about 6.5 minutes though there are factors that can cause this to vary, for example, variations in the milk production per cow over the milking season. In particular, towards the end of the milking season the milk production per cow reduces significantly and the time required to complete milking of a cow likewise reduces significantly. If the time for a full rotation is too short then cows will not be fully milked, and if the time is too long then cows will still be on the platform for some time after being fully milked. Either way, there is a loss of efficiency, whether by way of lost milk production or by the greater time than is necessary which is taken to milk a herd of cows.

Ideally the speed of the platform is such that the platform is not moving too fast for a cow to move at a reasonably comfortable pace from the stationary entrance onto the rotating platform and into a bail, for the operator(s) milking the cows to prepare each newly bailed cow for milking and to fit the milking cups to the teats of the cow, for the milked cow to have the cups removed from it, either by an operator or by an automatic cup remover, and for that cow to move at a reasonably comfortable pace from the rotating platform to the stationary exit. The main purpose of this is to try and minimise the stress to which the cows are exposed. Less stressed cows are generally easier to handle and are generally more productive. The number of cows that can be carried on the platform at one time is determined by the size of the platform and hence by the number of bails it has, a larger platform being capable of carrying more bails than a smaller platform. For example, if, as is desirable, each bail has a width of nearly one metre at the outer periphery of the platform, then a platform having an outer diameter of 8.80 metres has a circumferential length of 27.65 metres about the outer periphery and it can carry 28 bails, whereas a platform having an outer diameter of 25.14 metres has a circumferential length of about 79 metres and can carry 80 bails. For milking bigger herds of cows it is desirable to have a larger platform so as to shorten the time required to milk the herd. However, as the platform is made larger, one or two problems arise. Firstly, if it is decided that the time for a full rotation of the platform is to be 6.5 minutes, or some other suitable time, then the larger the platform the greater its peripheral speed. For large enough platforms, the greater peripheral speed is such as to increase the stress to which the cows are exposed, and quite likely the stress to which the operators are exposed as well. If, for these large platforms, the speed is reduced to a comfortable level, then the time taken for a full rotation of the platform is increased so that the cows are carried by the platform longer than the time required to milk them, that, as already explained, reducing the efficiency of the milking operation.

These known rotary milking complexes having a single entrance to and a single exit from the rotary milking platform also usually have a single entrance yard and may have a single exit yard. The entrance yard is usually a circular yard into which the herd of cows to be milked is gathered. An entranceway connects the yard to the entrance to the rotary milking platform. The yard is usually equipped with an automatically operated backing gate which slowly sweeps around the yard to urge the cows to move ahead of the backing gate towards the entranceway. The point is that in this arrangement the whole herd is initially contained in the one entrance yard and for large herds, for example, of about 1000 cows, that can also increase the stress on the cows prior to their being milked. It was with problems such as those mentioned above in mind that the present invention was devised.

An object of the invention is to provide a rotary milking complex capable of handling larger herds while providing conditions so as to minimise the stress experienced by the cows and operators. However, as already indicated, the invention is applicable to the milking of other animals and indeed to other types of processing of animals.

An alternative or additional object of the invention is provide the public with a useful choice. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention broadly consists in a rotary animal-handling complex comprising: a rotary animal handling platform having a substantially circular outer periphery; drive means which can rotate the platform continuously in a working direction of rotation at a substantially constant working speed; a plurality of animal receiving and restraining means located on the platform about its outer periphery; a plurality of entrances adjacent the platform whereby animals to be processed can sequentially enter onto the platform and be received and restrained by the animal receiving and restraining means for processing; and for each entrance an associated exit adjacent the platform whereby the processed animals can sequentially exit the platform, each said associated exit being located before the next entrance in the direction of rotation of the platform, whereby the same number of separate streams of animals as there are entrances can be processed simultaneously.

In a preferred embodiment the platform is annular in shape.

In any embodiment the entrances and exits are preferably located adjacent the outer periphery of the platform. Preferably the entrances are substantially equi-angularly located about the platform and each said associated exit is located substantially adjacent said next entrance. Typically there are from two to four entrances and a corresponding number of exits so that a corresponding number of streams of animals can be handled simultaneously. The drive means of the preferred complex is capable of rotating the platform at different substantially constant working speeds, the particular substantially constant working speed which is selected by the operator being chosen to suit the particular conditions under which the complex is being used.

Preferably each animal receiving and restraining means receives and restrains one animal. The plurality of animal receiving and restraining means may comprise a plurality of bails each of which receives and restrains one animal. A preferred complex has a separate animal entrance yard associated with each entrance to the platform for delivering animals from that yard to that entrance. Furthermore, a separate animal exit yard may be associated with each exit from the platform for receiving animals from that exit to that yard.

The preferred rotary animal handling complex is a rotary milking complex further comprising milking means whereby each animal held by the receiving and restraining means can be processed by being milked.

In a second aspect, the present invention broadly consists in a method of processing, and preferably milking, a plurality of separate streams of animals simultaneously by use of the rotary animal handling complex defined above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above broadly defines the present invention, preferred embodiments of which will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a rotary milking complex having two entrances to and two exits from the rotary milking platform; and Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a rotary milking complex having three entrances to and three exits from the rotary milking platform. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A rotary milking complex according to the present invention may be constructed according to known construction techniques used in constructing known rotary milking complexes. Therefore, most of the details of the construction of a rotary milking complex according to the present invention, including those of the milking means, need not and will not be described in this specification.

The rotary milking complex of Figure 1 has an optional shed 10 housing a rotary milking platform 12. While the platform may be circular, the preferred platform is, as shown in Figure 1, annular in shape. The purpose of this is to reduce the amount of material required in the construction of the platform, that thereby reducing its weight and expense. In either case, the platform has a substantially circular outer periphery 14. The platform 12 lies in a substantially horizontal plane and is mounted to be rotatable about its substantially vertical central axis A. A drive means 15 such as an electric or other type of motor is used to rotate the platform at a constant working speed in a working direction of rotation R. A plurality of bails 16, only some of which are shown in Figure 1, are located on the upper surface of the platform about its outer periphery. Each bail is designed to receive and restrain one cow to be milked.

So far, the description is, in general, as applicable to known types of rotary milking complexes as to those of the present invention. However, referring to Figure 1 and assuming that the components 30-38 are not present or are at least not used so that Figure 1 can be used to explain known rotary milking complexes, these known rotary milking complexes have only one entrance 20 adjacent the platform 12 whereby cows to be milked can enter onto the rotating platform, one per bail 16. Furthermore, these known complexes also have only one exit 22 adjacent the platform 12 whereby the milked cows can exit from the platform. As shown in Figure 1, it is usual for each of the entrance 20 and the exit 22 to be adjacent the outer periphery 14 of the platform 12. It is also usual for the exit 22 to be adjacent the entrance 20 in the upstream direction, having regard to the direction of rotation R of the platform. That means that each cow is carried through substantially a full rotation of the platform. These known rotary milking complexes handle only a single stream of cows, these being carried by the platform 12 from the single entrance 20 to the single exit 22.

In contrast, a rotary milking complex according to the present invention is characterised by having a plurality of entrances adjacent the platform and, for each entrance, an associated exit adjacent the platform, each associated exit being located before the next entrance in the direction of rotation of the platform. The number of streams of cows that can be milked simultaneously is equal to the number of entrances (which is equal to the number of exits). As is usual with known complexes, the entrances and exits are preferably located adjacent the outer periphery of the platform. It is also particularly preferred that the plurality of entrances are substantially equi-angularly located about the platform and that each associated exit is located adjacent the next entrance in the downstream direction, that being the direction of rotation R of the platform 12. These features maximise the time that a cow is on the platform for the particular complex being considered.

In the rotary milking complex according to the present invention as shown in Figure 1, there are two entrances to and two exits from the platform 12. In addition to the entrance 20 there is the entrance 30 and in addition to the exit 22 there is the exit 32. The exit 32 is associated with the entrance 20 and the exit 22 is associated with the entrance 30. In other words, cows that enter by entrance 20 leave by exit 32 and cows that enter by entrance 30 leave by exit 22. Each cow travels through only half a rotation of the platform. The complex is therefore able to handle two streams of cows simultaneously. In Figure 2, the rotary milking complex has three entrances arranged at 120° angular dispositions about the rotary platform 12 and three exits. In this case, the exits 32, 42 and 22 are associated with the entrances 20, 30 and 40 respectively. This complex is capable of handling three streams of cows simultaneously. Each cow travels through only one third of a rotation of the platform.

Where rotary milking platforms are large enough to make it practicable, it is possible for there to be four or even more entrances to the platform, each with its associated exit. Any difficulties faced with greater numbers of entrances and exits are likely to arise because of practical considerations such as caused by rotary platforms of excessive size and weight.

The preferred rotary milking complex has a separate animal entrance yard 24 and 34 (in Figure 1) and 24, 24 and 44 (in Figure 2) associated with each entrance 20 and 30 respectively (in Figure 1) and 20, 30 and 40 respectively (in Figure 2) to the platform for delivering cows from that yard to that respective entrance. Furthermore, there may be, if desired, a separate animal exit yard associated with each exit from the platform for receiving animals from that exit to that exit yard. In the drawings, each exit yard comprises a plurality of holding pens. The embodiment of Figure 1 has two exit yards in the form of holding pens 26 and 36 and the embodiment of Figure 2 has three exit yards in the form of holding pens 26, 36 and 46. These holding pens 26, 36 and 46 are associated with the exits 22, 32 and 42 respectively by way of the exit passages 28, 38 and 48 respectively.

While the entrance and exit yards are shown as being generally rectangular in shape in the drawings, these may have any other suitable shape or shapes. The preferred entrance yards are circular yards equipped with backing gates as already used in known rotary milking complexes. An advantage of having a plurality of entrance yards is that the herd is divided between them so that there are fewer cows per yard. This again can provide a reduction in the stress to which the cows are exposed and facilitate handling of them, especially if the size of each yard is made more than half the area of a single yard of a single entrance complex so as to increase the yard area per cow. This advantage can be made to apply to exit yards too.

Each rotary milking complex shown in the drawings has a block 50 attached to the shed 10, this block containing machine, viewing and storage rooms, etc. Reference is now made to the following Table. This gives the figures for two comparative Examples A and B, each of which is a known rotary milking complex having a single entrance and a single exit. The Table also gives the figures for four rotary milking complexes according to the present invention. Each of Examples 1-3 has two entrances and two exits, and Example 4 has three entrances and three exits. For each Example there is an entrance yard for the or each entrance.

Comparative Example A has a relatively small platform, having an outer diameter of 8.80 metres. With its 28 bails it is nevertheless suitable for handling a relatively small - 1 - herd, for example, of about 220 cows. Assuming a milking time per cow of 6.5 minutes and therefore providing for one rotation of the platform per 6.5 minutes, the peripheral speed of the platform is quite low at about 0.255 kilometres per hour. That is not a speed which will cause undue stress on cows getting onto and getting off the platform at the entrance and exit respectively. Furthermore, there is a generous cupping time per cow of about 13.93 seconds, that giving the milking operator(s) plenty of time in which to work on each cow.

However, comparative Example B has a much larger rotary milking platform. With an outer diameter of 25.14 metres, it is nearly three times the diameter of the platform of comparative Example A. With its eighty bails, the platform of comparative Example B is designed to handle a much larger herd, for example, of 1000 cows. However, by still allowing for a full rotation in 6.5 minutes, the peripheral speed of the platform is about 0.729 kilometres per hour, that being nearly three times the speed of the platform of comparative Example A. At this higher speed of platform rotation, the cows are generally subjected to greater levels of stress. In addition, the cupping time allowed per cow is about a short 4.88 seconds, that placing the operator(s) under some stress too. However, if the platform is slowed down to a more comfortable peripheral speed of about 0.456 kilometres per hour, that giving a cupping time per cow of about 7.8 seconds, the time for a full rotation of the platform is about 10.4 minutes. This means that if the milking time per cow is about 6.5 minutes, each cow is on the platform for nearly four minutes longer than necessary. This in turn means that the milking of the whole herd takes longer than necessary.

In Example 1 according to the invention, the dimensions of the platform and the number of bails it carries are the same as for comparative Example B. The difference is that Example 1 has two entrances, each with its associated exit. That means each cow has to be carried through only half a rotation of the platform instead of a full rotation. Therefore, for the same recommended milking time per cow of 6.5 minutes, the speed of the platform is halved to about 0.365 kilometres per hour and the cupping time per cow is doubled to about 9.75 seconds per cow compared with comparative Example B. For Examples 2, 3 and 4, which are for larger sizes of platform, it can be seen that the speed of the platform is greater and the cupping per cow is less than for Example 1, but in each case the speed of the platform of the platform is kept below 0.6 kilometres per hour, and below 0.5 kilometres per hour for Examples 2 and 4, and the cupping time per cow is kept at about 6.5 second or above. These Examples 2, 3 and 4 also show a reduction in time to milk the assumed 1000 head herd. TABLE

The drive means used to rotate the platform is preferably capable of driving the platform at different selected rates of rotation and therefore with different peripheral speeds. For example, a variable speed electric motor may be used for that purpose. The reason for this is to allow the speed of the platform to be adjusted to take into account the changes in recommended milking time per cow that occur over the milking season. For example, towards the end of the milking season when cows may be fully milked in less than 6.5 minutes, the speed of the platform may be increased to compensate. While this increase in speed may cause some increase in the stress experienced by the cows being milked, it is still a significantly lesser speed inducing lesser stress levels than would be the case with a known rotary milking platform of similar size, having only a single entrance and a single exit, whether or not this known rotary milking platform were equipped with a drive means permitting an increase in its rate of rotation.

The present invention has particular application to relatively large sizes of rotary platform for handling relatively large sizes of herd, for example, platforms having a diameter of 20 metres or greater. However, the invention can be applied to smaller sizes of platform if desired, and used whether the herd is of smaller or larger size.

The invention provides another advantage in enabling a herd of cows to be milked more quickly. This means that the herd can be put out to feed again more quickly. These two factors mean it is possible to have an extra milking of the herd each day during the main milking season. At present it is common to milk a herd twice a day. With the present invention it is possible to milk a herd, even a large herd, three times a day and thereby obtain increased milk production per day.

As already indicated, the present invention may be adapted to provide a rotary milking complex for milking other animals, for example, goats and sheep. As also already indicated, the use of the invention is not limited to the milking of animals; the invention can be applied broadly to an animal handling complex where animals are to be processed in other ways, for example, for veterinary treatment. In any such case, the rotary platform may have instead of bails some other appropriate form of animal receiving and restraining means, the nature of that depending on the type of animal being processed and the nature of the processing.

Claims

1. A rotary animal-handling complex characterised in that said complex comprises : a rotary animal handling platform having a substantially circular outer periphery; drive means which can rotate the platform continuously in a working direction of rotation at a substantially constant working speed; a plurality of animal receiving and restraining means located on the platform about its outer periphery; a plurality of entrances adjacent the platform whereby animals to be processed can sequentially enter onto the platform and be received and restrained by the animal receiving and restraining means for processing; and for each entrance an associated exit adjacent the platform whereby the processed animals can sequentially exit the platform, each said associated exit being located before the next entrance in the direction of rotation of the platform, whereby the same number of separate streams of animals as there are entrances can be processed simultaneously.

2. A complex according to claim 1 characterised in that the platform is annular in shape.

3. A complex according to claim 2 characterised in that the entrances and exists are located adjacent the outer periphery of the platform.

4. A complex according to claim 1 characterised in that the entrances are substantially equi-angularly located about the platform.

5. A complex according to claim 4 characterised in that each said associated exit is located substantially adjacent said next entrance.

6. A complex according to claim 4 characterised in that there are from 2 to 4 entrances and a corresponding number of exits.

7. A complex according to claim 1 characterised in that the drive means can rotate the platform at different substantially constant working speeds.

8. A complex according to claim 1 characterised in that each animal receiving and restraining means can receive and restrain one animal.

9. A complex according to claim 1 characterised in that the plurality of animal receiving and restraining means comprises a plurality of bails each of which can receive and restrain one animal.

10. A complex according to claim 1 characterised in that a separate animal entrance yard is associated with each entrance to the platform for delivering animals from that yard to that entrance.

11. A complex according to claim 1 characterised in that a separate animal exit yard is associated with each exit from the platform for receiving animals from that exit to that yard.

12. A complex according to claim 1 characterised in that the complex is a rotary milking complex further comprising milking means whereby each animal held by the receiving and restraining means can be processed by being milked.

13. A complex according to claim 12 characterised in that the platform is annular in shape and the entrances and exits are located adjacent the outer periphery of the platform.

14. A complex according to claim 13 characterised in that the entrances are substantially equi-angularly located about the platform.

15. A complex according to claim 14 characterised in that each said exit is located substantially adjacent said next entrance.

16. A complex according to claim 14 characterised in that there are from 2 to 4 entrances and a corresponding number of exits.

17. A complex according to claim 12 characterised in that the drive means can rotate the platform at different substantially constant working speeds.

18. A complex according to claim 12 characterised in that a separate animal entrance yard is associated with each entrance to the platform for delivering animals from that hard to that entrance.

19. A complex according to claim 12 characterised in that a separate animal exit yard is associated with each exit from the platform for receiving animals from that exit to that yard.

20. A method of processing animals using the complex according to claim 1 characterised by the steps of: activating the drive means to rotate the platform continuously in the working direction of rotation at a substantially constant working speed; causing a plurality of animals sequentially to enter onto the platform by each of the entrances; having the animals received and restrained on the platform by the animal receiving and restraining means; processing each of the restrained animals; releasing the processed animals from the animal receiving and restraining means; and causing the animals which have entered onto the platform by a particular entrance to exit the platform sequentially via the associated exit.

21. A method of milking animals using the complex according to claim 12 characterised by the steps of: activating the drive means to rotate the platform continuously in the working direction of rotation at a substantially constant working speed; causing a plurality of milch animals sequentially to enter onto the platform by each of the entrances; having the animals received and restrained on the platform by the animal receiving and restraining means; using the milking means to milk each of the restrained animals; releasing the milked animals from the animal receiving and restraining means; and causing the animals which have entered onto the platform by a particular entrance to exit the platform sequentially via the associated exit.

22. A method according to claim 20 or 21 characterised in that the animals caused to enter onto the platform by each entrance are delivered from a separate animal entrance yard respectively associated with each entrance.

23. A method according to claim 20 or 21 characterised in that the animals caused to exit the platform from each exit are delivered to a separate animal exit yard respectively associated with each exit.

24. A complex substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

25. A method according to claim 20 or 21 and substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment disclosed.