Implement for keeping dairy animals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9192141-B2
Application number	US-79481210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2010
Priority date	Dec 6, 2007
Publication date	Nov 24, 2015
Grant date	Nov 24, 2015

Abstract

An implement for keeping dairy animals, provided with a first and a second production unit and with a care unit having a plurality of subunits, wherein each production unit is provided with at least one accommodation area for a production group, which comprises a group of lactating dairy animals, and with a milking implement for milking the production group, wherein the subunits of the care unit at least include a calving unit for separately accommodating dairy animals in a calving period, and a milking implement for milking newly calved dairy animals, and an infirmary unit for separately accommodating sick animals, and wherein the care unit forms a connection between the production units. There is thus provided a compact disposition, comprising efficient and short distances, for dairy animals requiring care.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An implement for keeping dairy animals, comprising:
four production units,
a care unit comprising at least one dry animal unit, at least one calving unit having at least one milking robot located at the side of the unit, and at least one infirmary unit having at least one milking robot located at the side of the unit,
wherein each production unit is provided with an accommodation area for a production group, wherein the production group comprises a group of lactating dairy animals, and at least one milking robot for milking the production group accommodated in the accommodation area of said production unit,
wherein
the calving unit is for separate accommodation of at least one dairy animal in a calving period,
the at least one milking robot of the at least one calving unit is for milking at least one just calved dairy animal,
the infirmary unit is for separate accommodation of at least one sick animal,
the dry animal unit is for separate accommodation of at least one dry dairy animal

wherein each production unit is elongate and has a short side that faces the care unit, wherein the four production units and the care unit are disposed in H-shape,
wherein the care unit forms a walkable connection between the production units, and
wherein the milking robots of two production units are contiguous to the dry animal unit and the milking robots of the other two production units are contiguous to the infirmary unit.

2. The implement according to claim 1 , wherein the care unit comprises an area provided with a free cubicle.

3. The implement according to claim 1 , wherein each production unit comprises two accommodation areas for the production group.

4. The implement according to claim 1 , further comprising a passage that forms a connection between two subunits or between a production unit and the care unit, and comprising a controlling computer for controlling the passage.

5. The implement according to claim 4 , wherein the passage comprises an identification device to identify a dairy animal and let the dairy animal pass selectively.

6. The implement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one production unit comprises at least two milk boxes, one clean access area, separated from the accommodation area, for access to the milk boxes, and at least one segregation area, separated from the accommodation area and the clean access area, for dairy animals to be segregated from the production group, wherein, between milk boxes, there is provided a controllable passage which is arranged to lead a to be segregated dairy animal from a first milk box, via a second milk box, to the segregation area.

7. The implement according to claim 6 , wherein at least the number of milking boxes are larger than the number of segregation areas.

8. The implement according to claim 1 ,
wherein each production unit comprising:
at least one segregation area, separated from the accommodation area, for dairy animals to be segregated from the production group,
a first milk box located next to the segregation area,
a second milk box not directly located next to the segregation area,
a control unit, and
a controllable passage which is provided between the first and second milk boxes, wherein the controllable passage comprises gates which can be controlled by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured so as to control the gates of the controllable passage in such a manner that if the first milk box accommodates a dairy animal which is to be segregated, said dairy animal to be segregated is led from the second milk box, via the controllable passage and through the first milk box, to the segregation area.

9. The implement for keeping dairy animals according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of the milk boxes comprises a milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of the dairy animal.

10. The implement for keeping dairy animals according to claim 8 , wherein the implement comprises a clean access area separated from the accommodation area for allowing an operator access to the milk boxes.

11. The implement for keeping dairy animals according to claim 8 , wherein the number of milk boxes is larger than the number of segregation areas.

12. The implement for keeping dairy animals according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit is configured so as to control the gates of the controllable passage in such a manner that if the first milk box accommodates a dairy animal which is not to be segregated, said dairy animal not to be segregated is led from the first milk box via the controllable passage to the accommodation area without passing through the second milk box.

13. The implement for keeping dairy animals according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one accommodation area comprises at least two milking robots for milking dairy animals of the production group.

Assignees

• Petersen Gerth
• Lely Patent Nv

Inventors

• Petersen Gerth

Classifications

• A01K1/00

  Housing animals; Equipment therefor · CPC title

• A01J5/007

  Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines · CPC title

• A01K29/005

  Monitoring or measuring activity · CPC title

• A01K1/0088

  Animal shelters especially adapted for keeping young cattle, i.e. calves · CPC title

• A01K29/00

  Other apparatus for animal husbandry · CPC title