Livestock management system and method for split-weight feeding based on median weight of herd

a management system and split-weight technology, applied in animal feeding devices, aviculture, animal husbandry, etc., can solve the problems of limiting the weight distribution spread of animals in the herd, sorting losses at market, etc., to achieve high performance feed, accelerate gain, and maximize the return on gain

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-08-23
THIBAULT RONALD M
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

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Benefits of technology

[0018] The heavyweight animals in the first feeding area are given a feed ration that maximizes return on gain. The lightweight animals in the second feeding area are given a high performance feed to accelerate gain and finish faster. As a result, the system limits the weight distribution spread of the animals in the herd and reduces sort losses at market.

Problems solved by technology

As a result, the system limits the weight distribution spread of the animals in the herd and reduces sort losses at market.

Method used

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  • Livestock management system and method for split-weight feeding based on median weight of herd
  • Livestock management system and method for split-weight feeding based on median weight of herd
  • Livestock management system and method for split-weight feeding based on median weight of herd

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Embodiment Construction

[0027] A livestock management system and method according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

[0028] The livestock management system comprises a pen area 10 having a plurality of waterers 11, a first group of feeders 12, and a second group of feeders 13. The first group of feeders 12 is supplied with feed from at least a first bulk bin 14, and the second group of feeders 13 is supplied with feed from at least a second bulk bin 15. The feeders 12, 13 are preferably dry ad libitum feeders arranged for maximum access in the pen area 10. The separate bulk bins 14, 15 allow separate feed rations to be supplied to the first and second groups of feeders 12, 13.

[0029] The pen area 10 is partitioned into a first feeding area 16 containing the first group of feeders 12, a second feeding area 17 containing the second group of feeders 13, and a common watering area 18 containing the waterers 11. Pa...

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Abstract

A livestock management system is provided that sorts animals for split-weight feeding based on a calculated median weight of a herd. The system includes a pen area partitioned into a first feeding area containing at least a first feeder, a second feeding area containing at least a second feeder, and a common watering area containing at least one waterer. First and second one-way gates are respectively provided between the feeding areas and the watering area allowing animals to pass from the feeding areas into the watering area. A walk-through scale has an inlet open to the watering area, and first and second outlets open to the first and second feeding areas, respectively. The walk-through scale has a sort gate for selectively directing animals into the first and second feeding areas based on a comparison of a detected weight of the animal and a calculated median weight of the herd.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 386,281 filed on Jun. 5, 2002, and No. 60 / 393,175 filed on Jul. 1, 2002.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to livestock production management systems, and in particular, to systems and methods for feeding market animals in separate groups based on the detected weights of the animals. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Meat packers and their customers are demanding the production and delivery of market animals with weights that must meet progressively tighter windows for acceptable weights. Marketing animals, whose weights fall outside the specified weight ranges, usually result in significant deductions from market prices for such underweight or overweight animals. [0004] Simultaneously, producers are increasingly conscious that underfeeding or overfeeding not only hurts their bottom line profitability, but feeding a feed that is not optimum each pha...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): A01K39/00A01K1/00A01K5/02A01K29/00
CPCA01K1/0023A01K29/00A01K5/02A01K1/0209
Inventor THIBAULT, RONALD M.
Owner THIBAULT RONALD M
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