Precision feeding system and method for calves
The calf precision feeding system utilizes automatic control and wireless communication technology to achieve precise monitoring and control of the calf feeding process, solving the problem of inconsistent feeding amount and milk temperature, and improving feeding accuracy and the healthy growth of calves.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-24
AI Technical Summary
In the existing calf feeding model, the amount of feed and milk temperature cannot be kept consistent, and the process cannot be monitored and statistically analyzed, resulting in poor accuracy in feeding methods and increasing the workload of feeders.
The calf precision feeding system includes a control platform, PAD terminal, main control equipment, island sign, milk gun, and milk volume control device. Through wireless communication and automatic control technology, it can achieve precise feeding of calves. The target milk amount is determined according to the calf number and date of birth, and the milk is automatically added through the milk gun and milk volume control device.
It reduced the workload of feeders, improved the accuracy of feeding, ensured the healthy growth and development of calves, and enabled precise monitoring and control of the feeding process.
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Figure CN117598216B_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of animal husbandry, in particular to a precise feeding system and method for calf. BACKGROUND
[0002] At present, large-scale animal husbandry groups usually adopt the feeding mode of dividing groups and fields, and most of the pastures raise the cattle in different life cycles in one pasture. The calf is in a very critical period of growth, and the growth and development of the calf even directly affects the future development of the pasture. In order to ensure the healthy growth and development of the calf, the precise feeding of the calf is very important.
[0003] The calf is generally a newborn calf fed with various liquids within 60 days. On a large scale, the pastures usually adopt the island feeding mode of the calf, that is, the calves are placed in the calf island in this stage, and the standardized management of "one circle one calf" is adopted. In the process of feeding, the feeding amount is gradually adjusted to promote the calf to gradually eat the granular feed and guide the development of the rumen.
[0004] However, in the current feeding mode of the calf, the feeding mode is usually that the artificial measurement is poured into the feeding basin for the calf to eat, which not only makes the work burden of the feeder heavier, but also has certain randomness in the feeding process, so that the precision of the calf feeding is poor. For example, the feeding amount and the milk temperature cannot be well consistent, the process cannot be monitored and counted, and thus the requirements of the calf for the gradual weaning and the rumen development cannot be well met. SUMMARY
[0005] Therefore, in view of the above problems, it is necessary to provide a precise feeding system and method for calf, so as to reduce the work burden of the feeder and improve the precision of the calf feeding.
[0006] In a first aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a precise feeding system for calf, which comprises a control platform, a PAD terminal, a master control device, a plurality of island signs, a milk adding gun and a milk amount control device.
[0007] The control platform and the master control device are in communication connection with the PAD terminal through wireless communication mode, and the master control device is in electrical connection with the milk adding gun and the milk amount control device through cable respectively. The island sign is arranged on each calf island, and the basic information of the calf on the island sign is configured. Each calf is bound with the basic information on the corresponding island sign to determine the to-be-fed calf, and the binding information is configured in the control platform. The control platform determines the feeding formula according to the basic information of each to-be-fed calf, and binds the feeding formula and the island sign to generate the feeding plan. The basic information includes the calf number and the birth date.
[0008] The milk adding gun is provided with a scanning device for scanning the calf number on the island label by the feeding personnel holding the milk adding gun; the master control device generates an island label request plan according to the calf number scanned by the milk adding gun and sends the island label request plan to the PAD terminal; the PAD terminal requests a feeding plan from the control platform after receiving the island label request plan; the control platform determines the basic information of the current calf to be fed according to the calf number in the island label request plan, determines the age segment in which the current calf to be fed is located according to the basic information of the current calf to be fed, and sends the target milk feeding amount corresponding to the age segment in the feeding plan of the current calf to be fed to the PAD terminal and then to the master control device; the master control device controls the milk amount control device to add a corresponding amount of milk into the feeding trough of the current calf to be fed through the milk adding gun according to the target milk feeding amount.
[0009] Preferably, the milk amount control device comprises a milk adding pump, a solenoid valve and a meter.
[0010] The inlet of the milk adding pump is communicated with the milk storage tank through a pipeline, and the outlet is communicated with the milk adding gun through a pipeline; the solenoid valve and the meter are sequentially arranged on the pipeline between the milk adding pump and the milk adding gun.
[0011] The master control device sequentially controls the solenoid valve and the milk adding pump to be turned on to open the pipeline after receiving the target milk feeding amount, and adds milk into the feeding trough of the current calf to be fed through the milk adding gun.
[0012] The meter is used for monitoring the milk adding amount in real time and transmitting the monitored data to the master control device in real time; the master control device is used for sequentially controlling the milk adding pump and the solenoid valve to stop when the meter monitors that the current milk adding amount reaches a preset value.
[0013] Preferably, the preset value is a value obtained by correcting the target milk feeding amount according to the milk amount generated during the response stop signal of the solenoid valve and the milk storage amount in the pipeline.
[0014] Preferably, the system further comprises a temperature sensor and a heating module which are both electrically connected with the master control device; the temperature sensor is arranged on the milk adding gun, and the heating module is arranged on the milk storage tank.
[0015] The temperature sensor is used for monitoring the milk temperature when the milk adding gun adds milk and transmitting the monitored real-time milk temperature data to the master control device; the master control device is used for controlling the heating module to heat the milk in the milk storage tank when monitoring that the current milk temperature is less than a preset temperature threshold.
[0016] Preferably, the feeding formula comprises a default formula and N non-default formulas; N≥0, and N is an integer.
[0017] The island sign of each calf in the normal feeding state is bound with the default formula, and the island sign of each calf in the abnormal feeding state is bound with a non-default formula according to the type of the abnormal state.
[0018] Preferably, the control platform is configured with an unexpected feeding strategy; wherein the unexpected feeding strategy includes at least one reason for island sign scanning failure, and each reason for island sign scanning failure corresponds to a calf feeding amount;
[0019] The control platform is used to send the unexpected feeding strategy to the PAD terminal after the feeding system is started, so that the feeding personnel can query the unexpected feeding strategy from the PAD terminal when the island sign scanning fails by hand holding the milk adding gun, and add milk to the current calf according to the calf feeding amount corresponding to the reason for island sign scanning failure in the unexpected feeding strategy.
[0020] Preferably, the main control device is further used to upload actual feeding data to the PAD terminal, and the PAD terminal uploads the actual feeding data to the control platform after receiving the actual feeding data; wherein the actual feeding data includes basic information of the to-be-fed calf, actual feeding amount, remaining milk amount, time stamp and actual milk temperature.
[0021] Preferably, the PAD terminal requests a feeding plan from the control platform through the 5G network API interface opened by the control platform after receiving the island sign request plan; and after receiving the target feeding amount sent by the control platform, the target feeding amount is transmitted to the main control device in real time through Bluetooth or WIFI network, so that the main control device performs the feeding operation according to the target feeding amount.
[0022] In the second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a precise feeding method for a calf, which is implemented based on the precise feeding system for a calf as described in any of the first aspect, and the method comprises the following steps:
[0023] Step 101: setting an island sign for each calf island, the island sign being marked with basic information of the calf on the island, and binding the basic information on each island sign with the corresponding calf to determine a to-be-fed calf, and configuring the binding information in the control platform; wherein the basic information includes calf number and birth date;
[0024] Step 102: determining a feeding formula by the control platform according to the basic information of each to-be-fed calf, and generating a feeding plan by binding the feeding formula with the island sign;
[0025] Step 103: scanning the calf number on the island sign by the feeding personnel using the scanning device on the milk adding gun;
[0026] Step 104: acquiring the scanning result by the host device, and sending an island sign request plan to the PAD terminal according to the scanning result;
[0027] Step 105: determining the basic information of the current to-be-fed calf according to the calf number in the island sign request plan by the control platform, and determining the age section of the current to-be-fed calf according to the current date and the birth date of the current to-be-fed calf, and sending the target milk feeding amount corresponding to the age section in the feeding plan of the current to-be-fed calf to the PAD terminal;
[0028] Step 106: receiving the target milk feeding amount by the PAD terminal, and sending it to the host device;
[0029] Step 107: controlling the milk amount control device to add milk to the feeding trough of the current to-be-fed calf by the host device according to the target milk feeding amount.
[0030] Preferably, the step 107 specifically comprises:
[0031] monitoring the milk amount by the meter in real time, and transmitting the monitored data to the host device in real time;
[0032] controlling the electromagnetic valve and the milk adding pump to be opened in sequence by the host device after receiving the target milk feeding amount;
[0033] comparing the data uploaded by the meter with the preset value by the host device, and controlling the milk adding pump and the electromagnetic valve to be stopped in sequence when it is determined that the current milk amount reaches the preset value.
[0034] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the precise feeding system and method for calves provided by the embodiments of the present application can include a control platform, a PAD terminal, a host device, a plurality of island signs, a milk adding gun and a milk amount control device. By setting the island signs having a corresponding relationship with the calves, and binding the island signs and the feeding formula to generate a feeding plan, the feeding plan can correspond to each to-be-fed calf according to the calf number. In this way, when the feeding personnel scans the calf number on the island sign, the control platform can determine the corresponding calf basic information according to the calf number, and then can determine the age section of the to-be-fed calf according to the birth date of the to-be-fed calf and the current date, and further can accurately issue the target milk feeding amount corresponding to the age section in the feeding plan, so that the host device controls the milk amount control device to add milk to the feeding trough of the to-be-fed calf according to the issued target milk feeding amount. As can be seen, the present solution can automatically determine the corresponding target milk feeding amount for the growth cycle of each calf, so as to realize the precise feeding of the calf, and the present solution does not need manual metering, which greatly reduces the work burden of the feeders. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a precise feeding system for calves is provided for an embodiment of the present application.
[0036] Figure 2 A flow chart of a precise feeding method for calves is provided for an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings described in the following are some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort on the basis of these drawings.
[0038] As shown in Figure 1 The present embodiment provides a precise feeding system for calves, which comprises a control platform, a PAD terminal, a master control device, a plurality of island signs, a milk adding gun and a milk amount control device.
[0039] The control platform and the master control device are both in communication connection with the PAD terminal through wireless communication mode, and the master control device is in electrical connection with the milk adding gun and the milk amount control device through cables; each calf island is provided with an island sign, and the island sign is configured with basic information of the calf on the corresponding calf island, and each calf is bound with the basic information on the corresponding island sign to be determined as a to-be-fed calf, and the binding information is configured in the control platform, the control platform determines a feeding formula according to the basic information of each to-be-fed calf, and binds the feeding formula with the island sign to generate a feeding plan; wherein the basic information includes calf number and birth date.
[0040] The milk adding gun is provided with a scanning device for scanning the calf number on the island sign by the feeding personnel holding the milk adding gun; the master control device generates an island sign request plan according to the calf number scanned by the milk adding gun, and sends the island sign request plan to the PAD terminal; the PAD terminal requests a feeding plan from the control platform after receiving the island sign request plan; the control platform determines the basic information of the current to-be-fed calf according to the calf number in the island sign request plan, and determines the age segment of the current to-be-fed calf according to the basic information of the current to-be-fed calf, and sends the target milk feeding amount corresponding to the age segment in the feeding plan of the current to-be-fed calf to the PAD terminal, and the PAD terminal transmits it to the master control device; the master control device controls the milk amount control device to add a corresponding amount of milk into the feeding bowl of the current to-be-fed calf through the milk adding gun according to the target milk feeding amount.
[0041] In this embodiment, the island sign can be configured with the birth date, birth weight, and calf number for uniquely identifying the calf, and other basic information of the calf. Meanwhile, each calf is bound with the basic information on the island sign, so that the bound information of these calves is determined as the to-be-fed calves, and these to-be-fed calves and the corresponding basic information are configured into the control platform. That is, the data clerk can sequentially input the calf information into the control platform, and store each calf and the corresponding island sign after information binding. Of course, the information can also be imported in batches, or connected with a third-party system to realize real-time synchronization of data. In addition, the vehicle information for transporting the milk storage tank can also be input into the platform, so as to distinguish the capacity, milk type, and the like of the corresponding milk storage tank through the vehicle information.
[0042] After inputting and binding the information of the to-be-fed calves and the island signs in the control platform, the control platform determines the feeding formula according to the input information, and generates the corresponding feeding plan according to the feeding formula and the island sign information. Specifically, the feeding plan can include the calf number, formula, island number, date, shift, and the like. However, in practice, the calves may appear sick, sudden increase in food intake, rapid growth, and group formation, and for these abnormal conditions, the milk feeding amount of the calves will also change, some need to reduce the milk feeding amount, some need to increase the milk feeding amount, and the like. Therefore, the feeding formula is considered to be adjusted, and a plurality of feeding formulas are set to adapt to the abnormal growth state of the calves.
[0043] Specifically, the feeding formula can be prepared as a default formula and N non-default formulas, where N ≥ 0, and N is an integer; so the island signs of each calf in a normal milk feeding state are bound with the default formula, and each calf in an abnormal milk feeding state is bound with one non-default formula according to the type of its abnormal state. For example, each calf in a normal milk feeding state is bound with the default formula, a sick calf is bound with formula A, a calf with rapid growth is bound with formula B, and a calf after group formation is bound with formula C, so as to generate the feeding plan of each calf.
[0044] The feeding formula can include age range, start age, end age, number of feeding days, daily feed amount, total feed amount for age range, shift ratio, and shift feed amount. Age range is defined by dividing the calf's 0-60 day nursing period into several age ranges, for example, each age range is divided into 7-day periods. If the first age range starts at age 1 and ends at age 7, with 7 days of feeding and a daily feed amount of 4.5L, then the total feed amount for the age range is 31.5L. Shifts can be divided into several shifts based on specific circumstances, such as 3 shifts based on the morning, noon, and evening feeding times. The feeding ratio for each shift can also be set, for example, the feeding ratios for the three shifts can be set to 33.34%, 33.34%, and 33.32%, respectively, resulting in feed amounts of 1.51, 1.51, and 1.48 for the three shifts.
[0045] After the formula and the calves to be fed are linked to generate feeding plans for each calf, when feeding the calves, the feeder first uses a milk gun to scan the calf number on the island tag. The milk gun is equipped with a scanning device, such as an RFID reader, which reads the island tag by attaching it to the milk gun. The milk gun serves as the milk outlet of the entire system and is connected to the milk storage tank through a pipe. After the calf number on the island tag is successfully scanned, the main control device generates an island tag request plan based on the scanned calf number and sends it to the PAD terminal. The PAD terminal then requests the current feeding plan for the calf corresponding to that calf number from the control platform. In one embodiment, after receiving the island tag request plan, the PAD terminal can request the feeding plan from the control platform through the 5G network API interface opened by the control platform.
[0046] After receiving the island sign request plan from the PAD, the control platform retrieves the basic information of the calf corresponding to the island sign number from the configured information, and then determines the age group of the calf based on this information. For example, if the calf's birth date is October 1st and the current date is October 26th, then the calf is in the 22-28 day age group. The platform then queries the feeding plan for the calf in the 22-28 day age group for the required milk amount, sends this information to the PAD terminal, and from there transmits it to the main control device. The main control device then controls the milk quantity control device to execute the feeding operation. Furthermore, when retrieving milk quantity information from the feeding plan, the control platform can further refine the query to the specific milk quantity for the current shift. For example, based on the shift to which the current feeding time belongs, the platform can obtain and distribute the corresponding feed quantity for that shift, thereby achieving more precise feeding of the calves.
[0047] In one embodiment, after receiving the target feeding amount sent by the control platform, the PAD terminal can transmit it to the main control device in real time via Bluetooth or WIFI network, so that the main control device can perform the feeding operation according to the target feeding amount.
[0048] After receiving the target milk quantity for the calf to be fed from the PAD terminal, the main control device controls the milk quantity control device to add milk to the feed trough of the calf to be fed through a milk dispenser. Specifically, the milk quantity control device may further include a milk pump, a solenoid valve, and a metering device;
[0049] The inlet of the milk pump is connected to the milk storage tank through a pipe, and the outlet is connected to the milk gun through a pipe. A solenoid valve and a metering device are installed sequentially on the pipe between the milk pump and the milk gun.
[0050] After receiving the target amount of milk, the main control equipment sequentially controls the solenoid valve and the milk pump to open the pipeline and add milk to the feed trough of the calf to be fed through the milk gun.
[0051] The meter is used to monitor the amount of milk added in real time and transmit the monitored data to the main control device in real time. The main control device is used to control the milk pump and solenoid valve to stop sequentially when the meter detects that the current amount of milk added has reached the preset value.
[0052] Because there is a response time when the milk pump and solenoid valve start and stop, and even after the solenoid valve stops, residual milk will remain in the pipeline. If the pump stops only when the meter detects that the milk level has reached the target feeding amount, the actual amount of milk added will inevitably be greater than the target feeding amount, leading to reduced feeding accuracy. Therefore, it is necessary to consider adjusting the target feeding amount as the standard for stopping the control hardware. For example, a preset value can be set. When the meter detects that the current milk level has reached this preset value, the milk pump and solenoid valve will stop sequentially. This preset value is the adjusted target feeding amount based on the milk output during the solenoid valve's response to the stop signal and the milk level in the pipeline. For instance, after receiving the stop signal, the solenoid valve needs to rotate 3 times to overcome inertia and come to a complete stop, with each rotation discharging 10ml of milk. Since 20ml will remain in the pipeline between the meter and the solenoid valve, if the target feeding amount is 1.5L, then the preset value should be set to 1.45L. When the meter detects that the current milk addition has reached 1.45L, the milk pump is turned off first, and then the solenoid valve is turned off. At this time, the milk output before the solenoid valve is completely closed, the milk remaining in the pipeline, and the milk already added to the feed trough can just meet the target milk addition of 1.5L, further improving the accuracy of milk addition and the precision of calf feeding.
[0053] To further improve the accuracy of calf feeding, it is considered to control the milk temperature. For example, the optimal milk temperature for calves to drink in summer is 34-36℃, and in winter it is generally 36-38℃. Therefore, it is advisable to add a temperature sensor and a heating module electrically connected to the main control equipment to the feeding system. The temperature sensor would be installed on the milk dispenser, and the heating module on the milk storage tank.
[0054] The temperature sensor is used to monitor the milk temperature when the milk dispenser is adding milk and transmits the monitored real-time milk temperature data to the main control device. The main control device is used to control the heating module to heat the milk in the milk storage tank when the current milk temperature is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold.
[0055] In this embodiment, a temperature sensor monitors the milk temperature when the milk gun is adding milk. When the temperature does not meet the preset conditions, the main control device controls the heating module to heat the milk in the milk storage tank, thereby ensuring that the milk coming out of the milk gun is at a temperature suitable for the calf to drink.
[0056] In practice, milk storage tanks are usually insulated. The drop in milk temperature is generally due to the distance between the storage tank and the dispensing nozzle, especially noticeable in winter when the pipes are cold. Therefore, it's advisable to install insulation on the pipes between the storage tank and the dispensing nozzle to reduce heat loss during milk flow.
[0057] Furthermore, in practice, situations sometimes arise where the island tags are damaged, or the island tags are not properly secured to the calf island after being tied to them, causing feeding personnel to fail to scan the island tags with a handheld milk dispenser. In such cases, the control platform cannot issue feeding plans, preventing the main control equipment from controlling the hardware to dispense milk to these calves. Inexperienced feeding personnel also do not know how to handle these situations. Therefore, it is considered to configure an unplanned feeding strategy in the control platform. This unplanned feeding strategy includes at least one reason for island tag scanning failure, and each reason for island tag scanning failure corresponds to a specific milk dosage for a calf.
[0058] The control platform is used to send unplanned feeding strategies to the PAD terminal after the feeding system is started. When the feeder fails to scan the island sign with the handheld milk gun, the feeder can query the unplanned feeding strategy from the PAD terminal and add milk to the current calf according to the calf milk amount corresponding to the reason for the failure to scan the island sign in the unplanned feeding strategy.
[0059] At this point, the feeder can manually add milk to the current calf using a measuring device based on the calf's milk intake. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the feeder can select the reason for the failed scan of the island tag in the unplanned feeding strategy. The PAD terminal then sends the corresponding milk intake for the calf based on this reason to the main control device, which in turn controls the devices to add milk to the calf's feed trough. This avoids situations where the calf cannot be fed if its island tag fails to scan, further improving the accuracy of calf feeding.
[0060] It should be noted that in this situation, the main control device should report the calf's feeding data and the fact that the calf was fed using an unplanned feeding strategy. This will allow the control platform to be aware of any anomalies in the calf island and its signage, and to implement appropriate maintenance measures. Simultaneously, feeding personnel can also report the status of the calf, calf island, and signage to the control platform via their PAD terminals.
[0061] In one embodiment, after feeding milk to the calves is completed, the main control device is also used to upload the actual feeding data to the PAD terminal. The PAD terminal, upon receiving the actual feeding data, uploads it to the control platform. The actual feeding data may include: basic information about the calves to be fed, the actual amount of milk fed, the remaining milk amount, a timestamp, and the actual milk temperature. Of course, the data uploaded here includes not only calf feeding data under normal circumstances but also calf feeding data from calves that have undergone unplanned feeding strategies.
[0062] In addition, after feeding, the main control device prompts the feeder to clean the equipment, and after the feeder has finished cleaning, it uploads the cleaning results to the PAD terminal, which then uploads them to the control platform.
[0063] like Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides a method for precise feeding of calves. This method is based on any of the precise feeding systems for calves described above, and includes the following steps:
[0064] Step 101: Set up island signs for each calf island, indicating the basic information of the calves on that island, and bind the basic information on each island sign with the corresponding calf to identify it as a calf to be fed. At the same time, configure the binding information in the control platform. The basic information includes the calf number and date of birth.
[0065] Step 102: Use the control platform to determine the feeding formula based on the basic information of each calf to be fed, and generate a feeding plan by binding the feeding formula with the island sign;
[0066] Step 103: The feeding personnel use the scanning device on the milk gun to scan the calf number on the island sign;
[0067] Step 104: Use the main control device to obtain the scanning results, and send the island sign request plan to the PAD terminal according to the scanning results;
[0068] Step 105: Using the control platform, determine the basic information of the calf to be fed based on the calf number in the island sign request plan, determine the age group of the calf to be fed based on the current date and the birth date of the calf to be fed, and send the target milk amount corresponding to the age group in the feeding plan of the calf to be fed to the PAD terminal.
[0069] Step 106: Receive the target milk feeding amount using the PAD terminal and send it to the main control device;
[0070] Step 107: The main control equipment controls the milk volume control device to add milk to the feed trough of the calf to be fed through the milk gun according to the target milk volume.
[0071] In one embodiment, step 107 specifically includes:
[0072] The meter is activated in real time to monitor the amount of milk added, and the monitored data is transmitted to the main control device in real time.
[0073] After receiving the target milk feeding amount, the main control device sequentially controls the solenoid valve and the milk pump to open.
[0074] The main control device compares the data uploaded by the meter with the preset value, and when it is determined that the current milk addition amount has reached the preset value, it controls the milk pump and solenoid valve to stop in sequence.
[0075] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the precision feeding system and method for calves provided by this solution utilizes sensor technology, data analysis technology, automatic control technology, and wireless Internet technology to transform the entire manual process into an automated process of data collection, uploading, and analysis by equipment and systems. This enables precise monitoring and control of the calf feeding process, providing appropriate amounts, timely, and temperature-appropriate milk supply. It avoids existing problems such as high workload and inability to guarantee feeding accuracy in manual feeding, and helps improve the growth, development, and health of calves.
[0076] The method embodiments provided by this invention are based on the same concept as the system embodiments in this specification. For details, please refer to the description in the system embodiments in this specification, and will not be repeated here.
[0077] The modules or units in the device of this invention can be merged, divided, and deleted according to actual needs. The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that implementing all or part of the processes of the above embodiments and making equivalent changes according to the claims of this invention still fall within the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A precision feeding system for calves, characterized in that, The system includes: a control platform, a PAD terminal, a main control device, several island signs, a milk dispenser, and a milk volume control device; Both the control platform and the main control device are wirelessly connected to the PAD terminal. The main control device is electrically connected to the milk dispenser and the milk volume control device via cables. Each calf island has an island sign with basic information about the calves on that island. Each calf is identified as a calf to be fed by binding its basic information with its corresponding island sign. This binding information is configured in the control platform. The control platform determines the feeding formula based on the basic information of each calf to be fed and generates a feeding plan by binding the feeding formula with the island sign. The basic information includes the calf number and date of birth. The milk dispenser is equipped with a scanning device for the feeder to scan the calf number on the island tag. The main control device generates an island tag request plan based on the calf number scanned by the milk dispenser and sends the plan to the PAD terminal. Upon receiving the island tag request plan, the PAD terminal requests a feeding plan from the control platform. The control platform determines the basic information of the calf to be fed based on the calf number in the island tag request plan, determines the age group of the calf, and sends the target milk amount for that age group in the feeding plan to the PAD terminal, which then transmits it to the main control device. The main control device, based on the target milk amount, controls the milk dispensing device to add the corresponding amount of milk to the calf's feed bowl via the milk dispenser. The feeding formula includes a default formula and N non-default formulas; N≥0, and N is an integer; the island tag of each calf in normal feeding state is bound to the default formula, and the island tag of each calf in abnormal feeding state is bound to a non-default formula according to the type of abnormal state. The control platform is configured with an unplanned feeding strategy. This unplanned feeding strategy includes at least one reason for the failure of scanning the island tag, and each reason for the failure corresponds to a certain amount of milk to be fed to a calf. The control platform is used to send the unplanned feeding strategy to the PAD terminal after the feeding system is started, so that when the feeder fails to scan the island tag with a handheld milk gun, he can query the unplanned feeding strategy from the PAD terminal and add milk to the current calf according to the amount of milk to be fed to the calf corresponding to the reason for the failure of scanning the island tag in the unplanned feeding strategy.
2. The precision feeding system for calves according to claim 1, characterized in that, The milk quantity control device includes a milk pump, a solenoid valve, and a meter; The inlet of the milk pump is connected to the milk storage tank through a pipe, and the outlet is connected to the milk gun through a pipe. The solenoid valve and the metering device are installed sequentially on the pipe between the milk pump and the milk gun. After receiving the target amount of milk, the main control device sequentially controls the solenoid valve and the milk pump to open the pipeline and add milk to the feed trough of the calf to be fed through the milk gun. The meter is used to monitor the amount of milk added in real time and transmit the monitored data to the main control device in real time; the main control device is used to control the milk pump and the solenoid valve to stop sequentially when the meter detects that the current amount of milk added has reached the preset value.
3. The precision feeding system for calves according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preset value is a value after correcting the target feeding amount based on the milk output generated during the period when the solenoid valve responds to the stop signal and the milk storage in the pipeline.
4. The precision feeding system for calves according to claim 2, characterized in that, The system also includes a temperature sensor and a heating module, both electrically connected to the main control device. The temperature sensor is mounted on the milk dispenser, and the heating module is mounted on the milk storage tank. The temperature sensor is used to monitor the milk temperature when the milk gun is adding milk, and transmits the monitored real-time milk temperature data to the main control device; the main control device is used to control the heating module to heat the milk in the milk storage tank when the current milk temperature is detected to be lower than a preset temperature threshold.
5. The precision feeding system for calves according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control device is also used to upload actual feeding data to the PAD terminal, which uploads the actual feeding data to the control platform after receiving it; wherein, the actual feeding data includes: basic information of the calf to be fed, actual feeding amount, remaining milk amount, timestamp and actual milk temperature.
6. The precision feeding system for calves according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, After receiving the island sign request plan, the PAD terminal requests a feeding plan from the control platform through the 5G network API interface opened by the control platform; and after receiving the target milk amount sent by the control platform, it transmits it to the main control device in real time via Bluetooth or WIFI network, so that the main control device can perform the feeding operation according to the target milk amount.
7. A method for precise feeding of calves, characterized in that, The precise feeding method for calves is implemented based on the precise feeding system for calves as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and the method includes the following steps: Step 101: Set up island signs for each calf island, indicating the basic information of the calves on that island, and bind the basic information on each island sign with the corresponding calf to determine that it is a calf to be fed. At the same time, configure the binding information in the control platform; wherein, the basic information includes the calf number and date of birth; Step 102: Use the control platform to determine the feeding formula based on the basic information of each calf to be fed, and generate a feeding plan by binding the feeding formula with the island sign; Step 103: The feeding personnel use the scanning device on the milk gun to scan the calf number on the island sign; Step 104: Use the main control device to obtain the scanning results, and send the island sign request plan to the PAD terminal according to the scanning results; Step 105: Using the control platform, determine the basic information of the calf to be fed based on the calf number in the calf request plan on the island sign, determine the age group of the calf to be fed based on the current date and the birth date of the calf to be fed, and send the target milk amount corresponding to the age group in the feeding plan of the calf to be fed to the PAD terminal. Step 106: Receive the target milk volume using the PAD terminal and send it to the main control device; Step 107: The main control device controls the milk quantity control device to add milk to the feed trough of the calf to be fed through the milk gun according to the target milk feeding amount; The feeding formula includes a default formula and N non-default formulas; N≥0 and N is an integer; the island tag of each calf in normal feeding state is bound to the default formula, and the island tag of each calf in abnormal feeding state is bound to a non-default formula according to the type of abnormal state. The control platform is configured with an unplanned feeding strategy. This unplanned feeding strategy includes at least one reason for the failure of scanning the island tag, and each reason for the failure corresponds to a certain amount of milk for the calf. The control platform is used to send the unplanned feeding strategy to the PAD terminal after the feeding system is started, so that when the feeder fails to scan the island tag with the handheld milk gun, he can query the unplanned feeding strategy from the PAD terminal and add milk to the current calf according to the amount of milk for the calf corresponding to the reason for the failure of scanning the island tag in the unplanned feeding strategy.
8. The precise feeding method for calves according to claim 7, characterized in that, Step 107 specifically includes: The meter is activated in real time to monitor the amount of milk added, and the monitored data is transmitted to the main control device in real time. After receiving the target milk feeding amount, the main control device sequentially controls the solenoid valve and the milk pump to open. The main control device compares the data uploaded by the meter with the preset value, and when it is determined that the current milk addition amount has reached the preset value, it controls the milk pump and solenoid valve to stop in sequence.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Precise milk feeding device for calves
CN219762200U
Feeding system for calves
CN221329826U