A device for precisely feeding liquid milk and concentrate to a calf

Abstract

The application provides a device for precisely feeding liquid milk and concentrate to calves, and relates to calves, comprising a feeding chamber, a partition wall in the feeding chamber, a feeding space and a monitoring space separated by the partition wall, a liquid milk storage device and a concentrate storage device in the feeding space, and a shape monitoring unit in the monitoring space. The electronic ear tag, the weighing device and the body condition detection device automatically collect and correlate individual data of each calf, and the data analysis module and the analysis and decision module are used for intelligent analysis, so that the most suitable liquid milk and concentrate feeding amount of each calf is dynamically calculated and executed, the precise nutrition supply of "demand distribution" is realized, the uneven growth problem caused by individual differences is effectively solved, and a solid foundation is laid for cultivating high-yield dairy cows.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of calf feeding, and more specifically, to a device for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed. Background Technology

[0002] The healthy growth and development of calves is a key foundation for determining the lifelong milk production performance and economic benefits of dairy farming. Scientific early nutritional management not only ensures the health of calves but also significantly improves their reproductive efficiency, milk yield, and lifelong utilization value in adulthood, playing a vital role in the sustainable development and quality improvement of the dairy farming industry.

[0003] Currently, in large-scale dairy farms, the feeding and management of calves generally faces the following technical bottlenecks:

[0004] Insufficient feeding precision and neglect of individual differences: Traditional group feeding methods or simple timed and quantitative programs cannot accurately adjust nutrition according to the individual differences of each calf, such as birth weight, real-time weight, and body condition. This can easily lead to some calves being overnourished while others are undernourished, affecting the uniformity of the herd and failing to achieve precise breeding with a "one calf, one policy" approach.

[0005] Decision-making relies on manual intervention and lacks scientific data support: adjustments to feed amounts and judgments on critical weaning times depend heavily on the personal experience of feeders, resulting in strong subjectivity and poor consistency. The lack of continuous, automated collection and analysis of calf growth data (such as daily weight gain and body size changes) and feed intake data makes it difficult to formulate and implement dynamically optimized scientific feeding strategies.

[0006] The management is inefficient and labor costs are high: daily tasks such as weighing, measuring body size, and recording feed intake require a large amount of manpower, and data recording is prone to errors and difficult to analyze and provide feedback in a timely manner. At the same time, the processes of preparing and heating liquid milk and cleaning feeding troughs have low automation and are labor-intensive.

[0007] There are blind spots in hygiene and health monitoring: the storage temperature and duration of liquid milk (especially milk replacer powder) are difficult to monitor, and bacteria can easily grow in feeding containers if they are not cleaned in time. At the same time, it is difficult to detect and warn of the growth and development status of calves (such as growth retardation) in an early manner, which may lead to missing the optimal intervention period.

[0008] Although some automated feeding devices exist in existing technologies, their functions are mostly limited to basic timed and quantitative feeding. They fail to form an efficient closed-loop control system that integrates calf identification, growth monitoring, intelligent data analysis, and feeding execution, thus failing to achieve truly individualized precision feeding and intelligent management. Therefore, developing an intelligent calf feeding system that integrates automated feeding, precision monitoring, data-driven decision-making, and early warning functions has become an urgent technical challenge in this field. To address this, a device for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate, which solves the problems mentioned in the background art by setting up a morphological monitoring unit.

[0010] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0011] A device for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate includes a feeding room with a partition wall that divides the feeding room into a feeding space and a monitoring space. The feeding space is equipped with a liquid milk storage device and a feed storage device, and the monitoring space is equipped with a morphological monitoring unit.

[0012] The morphology monitoring unit includes a data collection and storage module, a data analysis module, an analysis and decision-making module, an early warning module, a control and display module, as well as a weighing device and a body condition detection device. The liquid milk storage and feeding device, the feed storage and feeding device, the weighing device, and the body condition detection device are all electrically connected to the data collection and storage module.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the liquid milk storage and feeding device includes a milk storage tank, a milk substitute powder storage tank, a water addition unit, a heating unit, a feeding unit, and a first cleaning unit;

[0014] The first cleaning unit is connected to the milk storage tank via a cleaning pipeline.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the milk storage tank, the milk substitute powder storage tank and the water addition unit are connected by pipelines and are installed sequentially on the surface of the first frame. The heating unit is located on the inner wall of the milk storage tank for heating, and a stirring unit is also provided inside the milk storage tank. The output end of the milk storage tank is connected to the feeding unit.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the feeding device includes a storage bin, a feeding trough and a second cleaning unit. The bottom of the feeding trough is provided with a metering module and the storage bin is installed on the surface of the second frame.

[0017] The storage hopper is located above the feeding trough for discharging feed by opening the valve. The second cleaning unit is connected to the feeding trough via a cleaning brush and a cleaning pipeline for cleaning after feeding.

[0018] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the weighing device is located at the bottom of the monitoring space to record the weight data of the calf before feeding and transmit it to the data collection and storage module in real time.

[0019] The body condition detection device includes a first 3D capture camera located above the monitoring space and a second 3D capture camera located on one side of the monitoring space. The first and second 3D capture cameras are used to automatically collect and calibrate the body height, body length, and chest circumference data of each calf, and transmit the collected data to the data collection and storage module in real time.

[0020] The data collection and storage module includes electronic ear tags, which are worn on the ears of the calves, with each electronic ear tag corresponding to a calf.

[0021] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the data analysis module can calculate, verify and store the data information collected by the weighing device, body condition detection device, liquid milk storage and feeding device and feed storage and feeding device, and feed it back to the analysis and decision-making module.

[0022] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the early warning module is used to receive data information analyzed by the analysis and decision-making module, and to promptly remind relevant users;

[0023] The control and display module includes an automated maintenance unit and an instruction execution and feedback unit.

[0024] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the automated maintenance unit is electrically connected to the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit, and the instruction execution and feedback unit is electrically connected to the liquid milk storage and feeding device and the feed storage and feeding device.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0026] In the scheme of this application:

[0027] The electronic ear tag, weighing device, and body condition detection device automatically collect and link individual data of each calf. Through intelligent analysis by the data analysis module and the analysis and decision-making module, the most suitable amount of liquid milk and concentrate feed can be dynamically calculated and implemented for each calf, realizing precise nutrition supply of "on-demand distribution". This effectively solves the problem of uneven growth caused by individual differences and lays a solid foundation for breeding high-yielding dairy cows.

[0028] This invention constructs a fully automated closed-loop control system from "data perception (monitoring space) → intelligent decision-making → precise execution (feeding space)". It completely changes the traditional model that relies on human experience, making key decisions such as adjusting feeding amount and judging the timing of weaning based on objective and continuous growth data, greatly improving the scientific nature and consistency of management, while significantly reducing labor intensity and labor costs.

[0029] The early warning module can provide alerts for various abnormal situations, such as deviations from expected growth indicators, abnormal feed intake, and equipment malfunctions. This enables managers to promptly identify potential health problems and intervene quickly, shifting from passive treatment to proactive prevention, effectively improving the health and survival rate of calves.

[0030] The system can automatically monitor the calf's intake of concentrate feed and, combined with weight and body condition data, the analysis and decision-making module can intelligently determine the weaning time based on preset logic (such as continuous feed intake reaching the target). The system also alerts the administrator through the early warning module, thus avoiding stress and growth retardation in calves caused by weaning too early or too late, and ensuring a smooth and scientific weaning process.

[0031] The automated maintenance unit controls the first and second cleaning units, which can automatically clean the milk storage tank and feeding trough after each feeding or at regular intervals, avoiding cross-infection in calves. At the same time, the heating unit can keep the milk at a constant temperature, greatly reducing the risk of diseases such as diarrhea in calves caused by hygiene problems and improving animal welfare. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a device for precisely feeding liquid milk and concentrate to calves, as provided in this application;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the feeding chamber structure of a device for precisely feeding liquid milk and concentrate feed to calves, as provided in this application;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the morphological monitoring unit structure of a device for precise feeding of liquid milk and concentrate feed to calves provided in this application;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the control and display module structure of a device for precisely feeding liquid milk and concentrate feed to calves, provided in this application;

[0036] Figure 5 A further structural schematic diagram of the control and display module of the device for precisely feeding liquid milk and concentrate to calves provided in this application.

[0037] The image shows:

[0038] 1. Feeding room; 2. Liquid milk storage and feeding device; 3. Feed storage and feeding device; 4. Morphological monitoring unit; 5. Automated maintenance unit; 6. Command execution and feedback unit;

[0039] 11. Partition wall; 12. Feeding area; 13. Monitoring area;

[0040] 21. Milk storage tank; 22. Milk replacer storage tank; 23. Water addition unit; 24. Heating unit; 25. Feeding unit; 26. First cleaning unit; 27. First frame;

[0041] 31. Storage hopper; 32. Feeding trough; 33. Second cleaning unit; 34. Metering module; 35. Second frame;

[0042] 41. Data collection and storage module; 42. Weighing device; 43. Body condition detection device; 44. Data analysis module; 45. Analysis and decision-making module; 46. Early warning module; 47. Control and display module;

[0043] 410. Electronic ear tags;

[0044] 430. First 3D capture camera; 431. Second 3D capture camera. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model.

[0046] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this utility model is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed utility model, but merely to illustrate some embodiments of the utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0047] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features and technical solutions in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0048] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0049] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "upper" and "lower," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this utility model is in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. These terms are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this utility model. In addition, the terms "first" and "second," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0050] Please see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this utility model provides a technical solution: a device for precise feeding of liquid milk and concentrate feed to calves, including a feeding room 1, wherein the feeding room 1 has a partition wall 11, which can divide the feeding room 1 into a feeding space 12 and a monitoring space 13. The feeding space 12 is provided with a liquid milk storage device 2 and a feed storage device 3, and the monitoring space 13 is provided with a morphological monitoring unit 4.

[0051] The morphology monitoring unit 4 includes a data collection and storage module 41, a weighing device 42, a body condition detection device 43, a data analysis module 44, an analysis and decision-making module 45, an early warning module 46, and a control and display module 47. The liquid milk storage and feeding device 2, the feed storage and feeding device 3, the weighing device 42, and the body condition detection device 43 are all electrically connected to the data collection and storage module 41.

[0052] The liquid milk storage and feeding device 2 includes a milk storage tank 21, a milk substitute powder storage tank 22, a water addition unit 23, a heating unit 24, a feeding unit 25, and a first cleaning unit 26;

[0053] The first cleaning unit 26 is connected to the milk storage tank 21 through a cleaning pipeline.

[0054] The milk storage tank 21, the milk substitute storage tank 22, and the water addition unit 23 are connected by pipelines and are installed sequentially on the surface of the first frame 27. The heating unit 24 is located on the inner wall of the milk storage tank 21 for heating, and a stirring unit is also provided inside the milk storage tank 21. The output end of the milk storage tank 21 is connected to the feeding unit 25.

[0055] The feeding device 3 includes a storage bin 31, a feeding trough 32, and a second cleaning unit 33. The bottom of the feeding trough 32 is provided with a metering module 34, and the storage bin 31 is installed on the surface of the second frame 35.

[0056] The feed storage hopper 31 is located above the feeding trough 32 for discharging feed by opening a valve. The second cleaning unit 33 is connected to the feeding trough 32 via a cleaning brush and cleaning pipes for cleaning after feeding. The weighing device 42 is located at the bottom of the monitoring space 13 for recording the calf's weight data before and after feeding and transmitting it in real time to the data collection and storage module 41.

[0057] The body condition detection device 43 includes a first 3D capture camera 430 located above the monitoring space 13 and a second 3D capture camera 431 located on one side of the monitoring space 13. The first 3D capture camera 430 and the second 3D capture camera 431 are used to automatically collect and calibrate the body height, body length, and chest circumference data of each calf, and transmit the collected data to the data collection and storage module 41 in real time.

[0058] The data collection and storage module 41 includes electronic ear tags 410, which are worn on the ears of the calves, with each electronic ear tag 410 corresponding to a calf.

[0059] The data collection and storage module 41 transmits data to the data analysis module 44. Under the action of the data analysis module 44, the data information collected by the weighing device 42, the body condition detection device 43, the liquid milk storage and feeding device 2, and the feed storage and feeding device 3 can be calculated, verified, and stored, and then fed back to the analysis and decision-making module 45.

[0060] The analysis and decision module 45 is connected to the early warning module 46 and the control and display module 47;

[0061] The early warning module 46 is used to feed back the data information collected and stored by the data collection and storage module 41 and analyzed by the data analysis module 44 to the early warning module 46 through the analysis and decision-making module 45, so as to promptly remind relevant users.

[0062] The control and display module 47 includes an automated maintenance unit 5 and an instruction execution and feedback unit 6.

[0063] The automated maintenance unit 5 is electrically connected to the first cleaning unit 26 and the second cleaning unit 33, and the instruction execution and feedback unit 6 is electrically connected to the liquid milk storage and feeding device 2 and the feed storage and feeding device 3.

[0064] S1. Individual identification and spatial guidance: When a calf wearing an electronic ear tag 410 enters the feeding room 1, the system identifies its identity by recognizing the electronic ear tag 410 and guides the calf through the partition wall 11 into the monitoring space 13;

[0065] S2. Data acquisition: The weight data of the calf is automatically collected by the weighing device 42 in the monitoring space 13, and the body height, body length and chest circumference of the calf are automatically collected by the first 3D capture camera 430 and the second 3D capture camera 431 of the body condition detection device 43. The collected weight and body condition data are transmitted and stored in real time to the data collection and storage module 41.

[0066] S3. Data Analysis and Decision Making: The data analysis module 44 integrates and analyzes the calf's historical data and the currently collected real-time data to calculate the precise amount of liquid milk and concentrate feed to be fed, and sends the decision command to the control and display module 47.

[0067] S4. Precision feeding:

[0068] S4.1 The control and display module 47 controls the operation of the feeding unit 25 of the liquid milk storage and feeding device 2 and the feeding trough 32 of the feed storage and feeding device 3 through the instruction execution and feedback unit 6;

[0069] S4.2 Guide or allow the calf to enter the feeding space 12 from the monitoring space 13 and feed it according to the amount of feed calculated in S3;

[0070] S4.3 During the feeding process, the liquid milk storage and feeding device 2 and the feed storage and feeding device 3 record the actual amount of liquid milk consumed and the amount of concentrate consumed, respectively, and feed them back to the data collection and storage module 41;

[0071] S5. Follow-up processing:

[0072] S5.1 Data Analysis and Update: The data analysis module 44 updates the feeding model of the calf based on the actual feed intake and provides an optimization basis for the next feeding.

[0073] S5.2 Automated cleaning: After the calves finish eating and leave, the control and display module 47 triggers the first cleaning unit 26 and the second cleaning unit 33 through the automated maintenance unit 5 to automatically clean the milk storage tank 21 and the feeding trough 32 respectively.

[0074] In steps S3 and S5.1, the analysis logic of the data analysis module 44 includes weaning judgment: when the data of a calf’s concentrate feed intake reaches a preset threshold for several consecutive days, and its weight and body condition data meet the health standards, the analysis and decision module 45 generates a weaning decision instruction and sends a prompt to the user through the warning module 46, and the liquid milk supply to the calf will be stopped or gradually reduced in subsequent feeding.

[0075] In step S2, point cloud data acquired by the first 3D capture camera 430 and the second 3D capture camera 431 located at different angles are fused and calculated to calibrate and obtain more accurate body size data.

[0076] In step S4.2, a controllable channel is provided at the partition wall 11, and its opening and closing are controlled by the control and display module 47 to realize automatic guidance for the calves to move between the feeding space 12 and the monitoring space 13.

[0077] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present utility model and are not intended to limit the technical solutions described in the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, the present utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Therefore, any modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present utility model, and all technical solutions and improvements that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the utility model, are covered within the scope of the claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A device for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate, characterized in that, Includes a feeding room (1), which has a partition wall (11) that can divide the feeding room (1) into a feeding space (12) and a monitoring space (13). The feeding space (12) is equipped with a liquid milk storage device (2) and a feed storage device (3), and the monitoring space (13) is equipped with a morphological monitoring unit (4). The morphological monitoring unit (4) includes a data collection and storage module (41), a weighing device (42), a body condition detection device (43), a data analysis module (44), an analysis and decision-making module (45), an early warning module (46), and a control and display module (47). The liquid milk storage and feeding device (2), the feed storage and feeding device (3), the weighing device (42), and the body condition detection device (43) are all electrically connected to the data collection and storage module (41).

2. The apparatus for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid milk storage and feeding device (2) includes a milk storage tank (21), a milk substitute powder storage tank (22), a water addition unit (23), a heating unit (24), a feeding unit (25), and a first cleaning unit (26). The first cleaning unit (26) is connected to the milk storage tank (21) through a cleaning pipeline.

3. The apparatus for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed according to claim 2, characterized in that, The milk storage tank (21), milk substitute storage tank (22) and water addition unit (23) are connected by pipelines and installed sequentially on the surface of the first frame (27). The heating unit (24) is located on the inner wall of the milk storage tank (21) for heating. A stirring unit is also provided inside the milk storage tank (21). The output end of the milk storage tank (21) is connected to the feeding unit (25).

4. The apparatus for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding device (3) includes a storage tank (31), a feeding trough (32), and a second cleaning unit (33). The bottom of the feeding trough (32) is provided with a metering module (34), and the storage tank (31) is installed on the surface of the second frame (35). The storage hopper (31) is located above the feeding trough (32) for opening the valve to discharge the feed. The second cleaning unit (33) is connected to the feeding trough through a cleaning brush and a cleaning pipeline for cleaning after feeding.

5. The apparatus for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weighing device (42) is located at the bottom of the monitoring space (13) and is used to record the weight data of the calf before and after feeding, and transmit it to the data collection and storage module (41) in real time. The body condition detection device (43) includes a first 3D capture camera (430) located above the monitoring space (13) and a second 3D capture camera (431) located on one side of the monitoring space (13). The first 3D capture camera (430) and the second 3D capture camera (431) are used to automatically collect and calibrate the body height, body length, and chest circumference data of each calf, and transmit the collected data to the data collection and storage module (41) in real time. The data collection and storage module (41) includes an electronic ear tag (410), which is worn on the ear of the calf, with each electronic ear tag (410) corresponding to a calf.

6. The apparatus for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed according to claim 3, characterized in that, The data analysis module (44) can calculate, verify and store the data information collected by the weighing device (42), body condition detection device (43), liquid milk storage and feeding device (2) and feed storage and feeding device (3), and feed it back to the analysis and decision module (45).

7. The apparatus for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed according to claim 6, characterized in that, The analysis and decision module (45) is connected to the early warning module (46) and the control and display module (47). The early warning module (46) is used to receive data information analyzed by the analysis and decision-making module (45) and to promptly remind relevant users; The control and display module (47) includes an automated maintenance unit (5) and an instruction execution and feedback unit (6).

8. The apparatus for precisely feeding calves liquid milk and concentrate feed according to claim 7, characterized in that, The automated maintenance unit (5) is electrically connected to the first cleaning unit (26) and the second cleaning unit (33), and the instruction execution and feedback unit (6) is electrically connected to the liquid milk storage and feeding device (2) and the feed storage and feeding device (3).

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