DRINKING SYSTEM

Description

[0001] In conventional dairy farming, calves are mostly separated from their mothers immediately after birth and fed by staff using feeding systems. Common feeding systems include buckets, troughs, feeding trolleys, automatic feeders, or bottles with teats (teats, suckers, milk feeders). In nature, however, calves instinctively seek out their mother's udder approximately two hours after birth to receive colostrum. In addition to conventional feeding using these systems, calves are sometimes drenched (force-fed) at their first feeding to ensure passive immunization through colostrum administration. The reasons for this practice lie in the short window of time for passive immunization, which is approximately...Six hours after birth, and given that calves do not reliably drink colostrum independently from conventional feeding systems within this timeframe, forced feeding (drenching) is prohibited in Germany without medical justification according to the Animal Welfare Act (§ 3 (9) TierSchG) and is also problematic, as the typically administered amount of up to 4 liters can lead to forced rumen drinking in the calves.

[0002] Since calves often struggle to understand the artificial teat on conventional feeding systems, they must first be trained by staff. This can be very time-consuming, depending on the individual calf. Calves with feeding difficulties may require individual attention for up to four days after birth. However, calves that have trouble drinking from conventional feeding systems and don't receive enough attention from staff can miss important meals, and proper nutrition is crucial for the calf's health, especially in the first few days. In addition to stress induced by hunger, malnutrition can also occur, making the calf more susceptible to illness.

[0003] In nature, calves largely learn to find their mother's teats through trial and error, exploring her body with their mouths or tongues. Their search focuses primarily on the mother's front and hind legs, and they tend to point their mouths upwards, ideally into a hollow or crevice (armpit or groin). The area the calf concentrates on in its search for teats is strongly influenced by the conformation of the mother's lower abdomen. If the udder is located at the highest point of the abdomen, the search is concentrated almost exclusively in the udder region. Conversely, if the udder is lower than the sternum, the search shifts more towards the mother's front legs or areas above the teats.The appearance and conformation of the mother's lower abdomen and udder have been described in several studies as a crucial factor in the time between birth and the first suckling by (motivated) calves. Research shows that when searching for the udder, calves intuitively attempt to place their mouths under the mother's abdomen and then push them upwards. This is likely due to the fact that in all species of wild ungulates, the udder is the highest part of the female's lower abdomen. In addition, behavioral studies show that calves searching for a teat initially begin at the mother's legs and then continue their search along a horizontal surface, namely the underside of the mother's abdomen at the level of her head. Current feeding systems are not intuitively understandable to the calf.In these feeding systems, the teat is hung through a hole in the door of the pen or calf igloo. The calf is therefore facing a vertical surface with a horizontally positioned teat, but intuitively it looks for a more vertically hanging teat below a horizontal, slightly sloping surface.

[0004] Naturally, the mother plays a crucial role in the calf's search for the udder, as she assists the calf in locating it through interaction, vocalizations, and other means. The mother also positions herself appropriately in front of the calf. It is known that calves separated from their mothers immediately after birth will suckle on other calves or search for the udders of their handlers. These calves will also search for an udder on objects in the barn, such as the underside of the feed trough. Mutual suckling is widespread among artificially reared dairy calves and is directed at the groin area of ​​other calves in 78% of cases. This suggests that the mother's assistance in udder location is not strictly necessary.Our own observations of calves with access to group drinking troughs show that they are frequently placed at the trough, suckle briefly, and then drop off to run to their companions and suckle them at the navel or between the legs. This clearly demonstrates how poorly current drinking systems are understood by calves. Therefore, there is a need to optimize drinking systems by simulating the natural stimuli experienced by the mother cow. State of the art

[0005] Currently, drinking systems with a horizontally positioned teat are typically used. The drinking system is either attached to the inside of the calf igloo or box wall, or usually to the outside, so that the teat of the drinking system protrudes through a hole in the mesh of the calf igloo or calf box into the interior.

[0006] Furthermore, drinking systems are also known that have a downward-sloping teat, which is similar in arrangement to the teats of the mother animal.

[0007] The disadvantage of current feeding systems is that the teat is positioned in a way that is unintuitive for calves. When calves naturally search for the udder, they instinctively try to place their mouths under the mother cow's abdomen and feel their way from there. They instinctively look for a teat, or in the case of current feeding systems, the teat, below a horizontal or slightly sloping surface. However, with these state-of-the-art systems, the calf is positioned in front of a vertical surface (bucket wall, trough wall, automatic feeder wall, or pen / calf igloo wall) with a horizontally positioned teat. This is not easily understood by the calf, makes it difficult to locate the teat, and therefore requires considerable staff time to teach the calves how to drink from these systems.This problem is currently solved by repeatedly attaching the calf to the feeding system by hand until it learns to use it independently. However, this can take up to four days for calves with feeding difficulties, during which time the calf requires intensive care. During peak periods with staff and time shortages, this can quickly lead to critical underfeeding of the calves. This is especially true during calf transport, where all calves must be unloaded and fed within a one-hour break, resulting in a standard time constraint.

[0008] This problem can also be applied to other mammals where lactation also occurs while standing and where, for various reasons, direct lactation by a mother is not possible. Sheep, goats, horses, and camels are examples, as in husbandry practice, the mother may be separated from her offspring before the end of the lactation period.

[0009] The following patents are known from the prior art: US 394 955 by James P. Butler, CN 106 962 219 by Anhui Agricultural University and FR 1 543 353 by M. Marcel Pauly.

[0010] All three texts describe a drinking system for watering young mammals, each comprising at least one reservoir chamber suitable for receiving liquids, a direct connection or a liquid-permeable connecting element between the reservoir chamber and a teat, and at least one teat from which a mammal standing on a surface can take liquids from the reservoir chamber through this teat.

[0011] US Patent 394,955 describes a farrowing crate with an integrated farrowing drinker, which includes a reservoir chamber surrounded by a semicircular padding to mimic the abdomen of a sow. The padding is traversed by straight connecting elements between the reservoir chamber and the teat, intended to replicate the teats. The farrowing drinker can be hung in the farrowing crate using hooks.

[0012] The underside of the padding of the piglet feeder described in US 394,955 does not fulfill the function of a guiding element according to our requirements for the following reasons: The piglet feeder according to US 394,955 lacks a functional combination of padding and teat that would allow a piglet to locate the teat and subsequently suckle in a physiological posture. The piglet feeder according to US 394,955 has three possible rows of teats when viewed from the perspective of a piglet being placed into the farrowing crate through the hatch: a front, middle, and rear row. For the front row of teats, which the piglet would encounter first from the direction of the hatch, there is no guiding element whatsoever. Here, the piglet always encounters the teats protruding towards it before reaching the padding.On the other hand, while the padding can guide the piglets to the rearmost row of teats on the wall, the teats, and especially the teat openings, are then positioned at an angle away from the piglet. This geometric arrangement makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the piglet to get the teat into its mouth. It's obvious to an expert that the piglet would be more likely to bend the teat away from itself and slip off than to get it into its mouth. This combination of padding and teats is therefore unsuitable for guiding a piglet to the teat. With the middle row of teats, the piglets can only reach them if the drinker is hung low enough for them to reach the padding with their snouts.However, this low height also means that the piglets have to bend the vertically hanging teat at almost a 90° angle to themselves, which prevents liquid from flowing through it. To ensure that the liquid flow is not impaired, the drinker must therefore be hung so high that the padding does not function effectively as a guiding element. Therefore, a functional combination of a guiding element and the teat cannot be said to exist, and for this reason, the padding cannot be considered a guiding element. Thus, US patent 394,955 does not solve the problem of the invention.

[0013] The main disadvantages of US 394,955 are as follows: The front teats lack a guide element, and therefore the piglets are not intuitively led to them. Additionally, it is nearly impossible for a trained person to manually position a piglet at the rear teats, as these are located below or at the back of the drinking system, near the wall. This necessitates working through a hatch, which is very awkward. Due to the fixed arrangement of the teats on the drinker, they are partially obscured by the drinker itself or are not visible or easily accessible to the trained person. For these reasons, the piglet drinker cannot intuitively guide the piglets to the teats, nor can piglets with suckling difficulties be manually guided to them.

[0014] It should be noted that the drinking device described in US patent 394,955 was explicitly designed for piglets, which naturally suckle in a lying position or while the sow is lying down, and not in a standing position. For piglets, the nearly horizontal padding above their heads, under which they are supposed to orient themselves towards the teat, is therefore not intuitively understandable. The piglet drinking device described in US patent 394,955, with its mostly almost vertically hanging teats (the exact angle is not defined in the patent), means that the piglets, unlike in nature, would have to suckle in a standing position. Either standing on their hind legs, or more likely, standing on all four legs, but with their heads tilted back.Since pigs lack malleable lips and their snout protrudes in front of their lower jaw, it is virtually impossible for piglets to suckle from a teat that hangs essentially vertically. For the piglet feeder described in US 394,955 to allow piglets to suckle in a physiological suckling posture, i.e., with their snouts in a more or less horizontal position, the feeder would have to be hung low enough so that the teats are approximately at the level of the piglets' backs. Because the teats in the present feeder described in US 394,955 are attached at a more or less perpendicular angle to the ground, this means that when the piglets take them into their mouths, the teats bend at an almost 90° angle and are therefore no longer able to allow liquid to flow through them. Therefore, if the piglets take the teats into their mouths in a sucking position that is physiological for piglets, then the teats are non-functional as described in US 394 955.It is therefore readily apparent to the person skilled in the art that the potions described in US 394,955 have not found widespread application in practice.

[0015] Document CN 106 962 219 describes a highly technical lamb feeder with automatic milk temperature control to achieve better feeding efficiency. In addition to the reservoir chamber, connecting pipes, and several teats, the design of this lamb feeder includes a control panel and display, as well as heating elements, a pulsating pump, a battery, and an insulating layer to ensure the liquid temperature is controlled. However, document CN 106 962 219 does not include a guide element to direct the lambs to the teats. While the lamb feeder includes a wooden base plate beneath the reservoir chamber, this does not serve the function of guiding the lambs to the teats. The base plate has a significant step down from the teats.Therefore, it is immediately apparent to an expert that the base plate is more likely to distract the lambs from the teat, because the lambs would try to suckle at the protruding transition between the base plate and the frame. The base plate described in document CN 106 962 219 thus does not fulfill the required function of a guiding element that directs the young animal towards the teat.

[0016] Document FR 1 543 353 describes an artificial udder for feeding bovids. It consists of a reservoir chamber connected to a teat via a fluid-filled slurry. This artificial udder can be mounted on the side of the wall or on the ceiling using brackets, or placed on a stand in the barn. The artificial udder is generally positioned freely in the barn, allowing the young animals access to the teats from all sides. However, the artificial udder described in document FR 1 543 353 lacks a guide element that would allow the young animal to move purposefully towards the teat. If the young animal moves from the center of the underside of the udder towards the teat, it will encounter the teat at an angle pointing away from it, meaning the teat opening will face away from the young animal.It is immediately apparent to an expert that the young animal will be unsuccessful in attempting to get this teat into its mouth, or, in the unlikely event of success, would bend the teat so sharply at the moment of insertion that it would no longer allow liquid to flow through it and would therefore be ineffective. This leads to demotivation of the young animal and in no way facilitates milk intake. The underside of the artificial udder in document FR 1 543 353 therefore does not fulfill its function of intuitively guiding a young animal to the teat. Similar to the problem with the underside of the artificial udder in document US 394 955, document FR 1 543 353 also lacks a guiding element that leads a young animal directly to the teat.

[0017] In summary, the prior art does not include a guiding element that functionally directs a young animal to the teat, enabling it to then physiologically take the teat into its mouth and drink from it in a physiological sucking posture. The technical features contained in the prior art do not solve the problem of the invention.

[0018] A further disadvantage of the three patents mentioned above is that the underside of the padding in US patent 394,955, the underside of the reservoir chamber in CN patent 106,962,219, and the underside of reservoir chamber 1 or artificial udder 2 in FR patent 1,543,353 cannot fulfill the function of a guide element as defined by the invention. These components from the prior art are permanently attached to their respective devices. They do not constitute a removable, hinged, or flexible guide element and cannot be separated from the reservoir chamber or the teat. Therefore, the prior art also does not provide a means of retrofitting a known drinking system with a guide element. Task

[0019] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved drinking system for feeding mammals. It is irrelevant what liquid the mammal is to drink; this can be milk, milk replacer, milk substitute, water, electrolyte solutions, or liquid medications. This improved drinking system should enable a young animal to reach the teat significantly faster on its own than with conventional drinking systems, thus reducing the time required to train mammals to drink.

[0020] After being automatically and intuitively guided to the teat, the young animal should be able to take it into its mouth itself and drink in a physiological posture. At the same time, the invention should allow a qualified person to easily and quickly assist young animals with suckling difficulties by manually positioning the young animal on the teat. For this to work, the teats must be positioned appropriately on the reservoir chamber and be easily accessible to qualified personnel.

[0021] A further objective of the invention is to ensure that the drinking system, comprising a reservoir chamber, connecting element, teat, and guide element, is easy to clean. Likewise, the invention should enable existing drinking systems to be retrofitted with a guide element; that is, a removable, hinged, or flexible guide element should be provided.

[0022] The invention is intended to enable a young animal to independently work its way to the teat, while simultaneously allowing a staff member to easily and quickly attach the young animal to the teat by hand in difficult cases. This practicality is achieved according to the invention through the shape and angle of the guide element, which have been investigated in extensive scientific experiments. Solution to the task

[0023] The solution to this problem arises from the features of the main claim, while advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0024] The drinking system 100 according to the invention is designed in such a way that a mammal standing on a base 200 can approach the drinking system 100 and suck on it in order to take in liquids such as milk, milk substitute, milk replacer, water, electrolyte solutions or liquid medications.

[0025] The drinking system 100 according to the invention for drinking water from mammals comprises at least: A Reservoir chamber 10,which is suitable for holding liquids or containers for liquids. Suitable liquids include, for example, milk, milk substitutes, milk replacers, water, electrolyte solutions, or liquid medications. The reservoir chamber 10 can be in the form of a bucket, tub, or container, but it can also have another suitable shape. The reservoir chamber 10 can have a flat bottom, which then forms the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber. This embodiment is preferred because a reservoir chamber 10 with a flat bottom can be placed on a surface without tipping over. Alternatively, the reservoir chamber 10 can also have a curved, hemispherical, or funnel-shaped bottom. This arrangement has the advantage that residual liquid collects better at the bottom of the reservoir chamber 10 and can be consumed more easily.

[0026] Reservoir chamber 10 has a bottom surface 10a. The bottom surface 10a of reservoir chamber 10 can be horizontal or inclined.

[0027] A Connecting element 11, The connecting element 11 is arranged on the reservoir chamber 10 in such a way that it connects the reservoir chamber 10 to a suction nipple 20 in a manner allowing liquid flow. The connecting element 11 can, for example, be a screw cap with a sealing ring, a flange, or a threaded pipe. In one embodiment, the suction nipple 20 is directly connected to the reservoir chamber 10 in a manner allowing liquid flow, so that no connecting element 11 is required. This embodiment is not part of the invention. This embodiment is not according to the invention and serves only for illustration.

[0028] A Suction cup 20,The suction teat 20 is arranged on the reservoir chamber 10 such that a mammal standing on a surface 200 below the suction teat 20 can take in liquids through this suction teat 20 when it sucks on it. The surface 200 is generally the floor of a stall, box, or calf hutch. The suction teat 20 has a suction teat angle α of 20° to 40°. The suction teat angle α is the angle between the longitudinal axis of the suction teat and an imaginary horizontal line. Since the suction teat generally points downwards with its tip and opening, the suction teat angle in the present invention has a negative sign. The suction teat 20 is preferably arranged on the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10. In one embodiment, the suction teat 20 is arranged on the front side of the reservoir chamber 10.In any case, the arrangement of the teat 20 on the reservoir chamber 10 is such that the mammal has easy access to the teat 20. Preferably, the teat is arranged at the lowest point of the reservoir chamber 10 so that the suckling animal can drink the entire contents of the reservoir chamber 10. The size and shape of the teat depend on the animal species and the age of the suckling animal. A variety of suitable teats are known to those skilled in the art.

[0029] According to the invention, the suction nipple 20 is aligned at a suction nipple angle α of 20° to 40° to the horizontal.

[0030] The choice of the teat angle α allows the mammal to suckle on the teat 20 in a physiological sucking posture (i.e., with forelegs spread, shoulders lowered, head extended in line with the slightly arched neck, and nose slightly raised, higher than the forehead). The teat opening of the teat 20 points towards the outer edge of the guide element 50 facing away from the reservoir chamber 10, so that a mammal moving along the guide element 50 towards the teat 20 can take it directly and correctly into its mouth. From the mammal's perspective, the specific arrangement is first the guide element 50, then the teat 20 on the front or in the front region of the underside of the reservoir chamber 10. The teat 20 is preferably located in the front region of the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10.

[0031] A Guide element 50,which is oriented towards the reservoir chamber 10 in such a way that it guides a mammal directly to the teat 20. This guide element 50 simulates the lower abdomen of a mother animal, enabling a mammal to independently locate the teat 20. This is achieved by positioning the guide element 50 above the teat 20. It is essential that there is sufficient space between the teat 20 and the guide element 50 so that the mammal can enclose the teat 20 with its snout. However, the distance between the teat 20 and the guide element 50 must not be significantly greater than the distance required for enclosing it with the mouth, because otherwise the guide element 50 will no longer fulfill its function according to the invention, as it will no longer guide the mammal to the teat. For use in feeding calves, this distance is preferably approximately 7 cm.This distance refers to the distance between the tip of the teat with the teat opening and the guide element 50. For use in feeding other animal species, this distance is adjusted according to their anatomy. This adjustment is immediately understandable to a specialist.

[0032] The guide element 50 is arranged above the suction nipple 20 and terminates directly at the base of the suction nipple.

[0033] The drinking system according to the invention can also have a plurality of teats, as is known in the prior art. With a plurality of teats on a drinking system, either a separate guide element 50 can be provided for each teat, or a common guide element 50 can be provided for all teats. In the latter case, the size of the guide element 50 must be adapted so that the guidance of the suckling animal towards the teat is ensured for each teat.

[0034] When a drinking system is used, it becomes contaminated by milk residue, saliva, and other sources of contamination present in an animal barn. It is therefore necessary that all components of the drinking system are easy to clean, meaning they must be washable and resistant to known acidic, alkaline, and neutral cleaning agents. Therefore, the guide element 50 according to the invention is also made of a suitable material. In one embodiment, the guide element 50 is made of foam. This has the effect of making the guide element 50 soft and malleable, thus effectively simulating the lower abdomen of a sow. Furthermore, using foam reduces the risk of injury to the suckling animal. In another embodiment, the guide element 50 is made of wood, plastic, or metal. This has the effect of making the guide element 50 robust.In another embodiment, the guide element 50, made of wood, plastic, or metal, is provided with a foam covering to achieve robustness, softness, and malleability, as well as to reduce the risk of injury. In each embodiment, the guide element 50 can additionally be provided with a washable and waterproof plastic covering to facilitate cleaning.

[0035] According to the invention, the guide element 50 is aligned at a guide angle β of 10° to 40° to the horizontal. In a preferred embodiment, the guide element 50 is connected to the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10 and aligned at a guide angle β of +10° to +40° with respect to a horizontal line.

[0036] In a non-inventional embodiment, the guide element 50 is connected to the front of the reservoir chamber 10 and aligned at a guide angle β of +10° to -10° with respect to a horizontal line. In a preferred embodiment, the guide element 50 is connected to the front of the reservoir chamber 10 and aligned at a guide angle β of +10° to +40° with respect to a horizontal line.

[0037] If the reservoir chamber 10 has a flat bottom, then the guide element 50 is arranged at a guide angle β of +10° to -10° with respect to the bottom of the reservoir chamber 10. In a preferred embodiment, if the reservoir chamber 10 has a flat bottom, the guide element 50 is arranged at a guide angle β of +10° to +40° with respect to the bottom of the reservoir chamber 10.

[0038] The optimal guidance angle β from the guide element 50 to a horizontal line is +20° and ensures that the mammal can independently search along the guide element 50 towards the suckling nipple 20, reaching and using the outermost, highest edge of the guide element 50 for searching, while at the same time allowing manual intervention by a qualified person in problem cases, or ensuring that the suckling nipple 20 is not inaccessible to qualified persons due to the guide element 50.

[0039] In one embodiment of the drinking system 100 according to the invention, the guide element 50 is made of waterproof foam (e.g., expanded polystyrene, polyurethane). In another embodiment, the guide element 50 made of waterproof foam has a washable and waterproof coating made of a plastic (e.g., PET). This embodiment has the advantage of being washable and dimensionally stable. At the same time, the guide element 50 is soft enough to prevent injury to the mammal while drinking and flexible enough so that personnel can bend the guide element 50 upwards if necessary.

[0040] In one embodiment of the drinking system 100 according to the invention, the guide element 50 is designed as a solid plate made of wood, plastic, or metal. This is particularly robust and cost-effective. The guide element 50 can also include a covering made of waterproof foam to prevent injury to the mammal while drinking. The foam is made of a skin-friendly material, such as expanded polystyrene or polyurethane. In another embodiment, the guide element 50, made of wood, plastic, or metal with the waterproof foam covering, additionally has a washable and waterproof covering made of a plastic (e.g., PET). This embodiment has the advantage of being washable and dimensionally stable. At the same time, the guide element 50 is soft enough to prevent injury to the mammal while drinking.In this embodiment, hinges can also be used between reservoir chamber 10 and guide element 50 to fold up the guide element 50 and to facilitate handling for manual training or cleaning.

[0041] In one embodiment of the drinking system 100 according to the invention, the guide element 50 is an enlargement of the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10. In this case, the enlarged underside 10a represents the guide element 50 and simulates the lower abdomen of a mother animal, so that a mammal can independently find the teat.

[0042] In one embodiment, the guide element 50 is a grid. This has the advantage that the material costs are lower than for a solid plate made of wood, plastic, or metal. In this embodiment as well, the guide element 50 can have a covering made of a waterproof foam and additionally a washable and waterproof covering made of a plastic (e.g., PET).

[0043] The size of the guide element 50 depends on the mammal species. Smaller mammals such as lambs or kids require a smaller guide element than, for example, calves.

[0044] Basically, the guide element 50 or the guide element 50 in combination with the underside of the reservoir chamber 10a must be large enough that the mammal can bring at least the front part of its head up to its eyes under the guide element 50 to search.

[0045] In a drinking system for only one calf, i.e., a drinking system with only one teat, the size of the guide element 50 is a maximum of approximately 40 x 45 cm (width x depth). In a preferred embodiment, the size of the guide element 50 is 30 to 40 cm x 15 to 30 cm (width x depth). In a particularly preferred embodiment, the size of the guide element 50 is 40 x 20 cm (width x depth). In a drinking system for several mammals (for example, a group drinking trough), the size of the guide element 50 must be adapted to the size of the reservoir chamber 10. The size of the guide element 50 affects the practicality and handling of the entire drinking system. The larger the guide element 50, the more cumbersome it is to handle and clean.However, if the guide element 50 is too small, it loses the desired effect, namely to simulate the anatomy of the mother's abdomen and thus guide the mammal to the suckling nipple 20.

[0046] In another embodiment, the guide element 50 has a tapered or frustoconical shape in plan view, with the width of the guide element 50 decreasing towards the teat 20. This shape of the guide element 50 is advantageous because it has fewer corners and edges, thus reducing the risk of injury to the calves.

[0047] In one embodiment, the guide element 50 has a flat, planar shape when viewed from the side. This shape is more advantageous in production. In another embodiment, the guide element 50 has a curved shape, at least in sections, similar to the shape of a mother's abdomen when viewed from the side. The convex side faces downwards to achieve the most realistic simulation possible of a mother's abdomen. This shape particularly supports the mammal's intuitive search for the teat.

[0048] In one embodiment, the drinking system 100 has at least one retaining element 60. This element is connectable to the reservoir chamber 10 and designed so that the drinking system 100 can be directly attached to a pen grid or calf igloo. This retaining element can be, for example, one or more hooks, clips, hinges, or elastic bands. The retaining element 60 is arranged such that the space between the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10 and the surface 200 is sufficient for a mammal to reach the teat 20 in its natural physiological suckling position. For a drinking system for calves, the distance between the surface 200 and the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10 is preferably 50 to 80 cm. However, the optimal distance varies depending on the animal species. Adjusting this distance to the optimal height is easily possible and readily apparent to anyone skilled in the art.

[0049] In a further embodiment, the drinking system 100 has at least one stand 70. This stand is connectable to the reservoir chamber 10, preferably to the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10. The stand 70 is arranged such that it creates a distance between the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10 and the surface 200 sufficient for the mammal to reach the teat 20 in its natural physiological suckling posture. For a drinking system for calves, the distance between the surface 200 and the underside 10a of the reservoir chamber 10 is preferably 50 cm to 80 cm. However, the optimal distance varies from species to species. Adjusting the stand to the optimal height is easily possible and readily apparent to anyone skilled in the art. One or more feet can serve as the stand 70.When using multiple feet as a base element, these are preferably connected to each other to achieve greater stability.

[0050] The use of a holding element 60 and a standing element 70 can, in principle, be combined.

[0051] The core of the invention consists of the guide element 50, because it enables mammals, such as calves, to intuitively locate the teat of a drinking system. Therefore, the invention also includes a retrofit kit consisting of a guide element 50 and a device for attaching the guide element 50 to a drinking system from the prior art. The retrofit kit, consisting of a guide element 50 and a device for attaching the guide element 50, can also be attached to the enclosure boundary (e.g., calf igloo grid) directly above the insertion hole for the teat of a conventional drinking bucket. The attachment device can be, for example, one or more hooks, clips, hinges, or elastic bands. This has the advantage that the guide element 50 can be completely removed from the drinking system 100 as soon as the young animal can reliably locate the teat 20 independently.Likewise, the described retrofit kit, comprising a guide element 50, can be attached to a state-of-the-art drinking system in a form-fitting or force-fitting manner.

[0052] The drinking system according to the invention for drinking water from mammals comprises a reservoir chamber 10 with a bottom surface 10a, a connecting element 11, at least one teat 20, and a guide element 50. The reservoir chamber 10 is suitable for holding liquids. The reservoir chamber 10 is also suitable for holding one or more containers for liquids. The connecting element 11 is arranged such that it connects the reservoir chamber 10 to the at least one teat 20 in a way that allows liquid to flow through it. The at least one teat 20, which is connected to the reservoir chamber 10 via the connecting element 11, is connected to the reservoir chamber 10 in such a way that a mammal standing on a surface 200 can take in liquids from the reservoir chamber 10 through the at least one teat 20 when it sucks on the teat 20. In a preferred embodiment, the teat angle α ranges from -40° to -20°.In a particularly preferred embodiment, the teat angle α comprises -30°. The teat angle α is the angle between an imaginary horizontal line and the longitudinal axis of the teat 20 from its base to its tip with the teat opening. The guide element 50, connected to the reservoir chamber 10, fulfills the function according to the invention, namely, on the one hand, guiding the mammal to the teat and, on the other hand, ensuring easy access to the teat for an assistant who needs to help mammals that are unsuccessful. The connection between the guide element 50 and the reservoir chamber 10 is located above the teat 20. This makes it easier for the mammal to locate the teat because, under physiological conditions, the abdominal wall of a standing mother is also located above the teats.In a preferred embodiment, the guide element 50 comprises a guide angle β in a range of +10° to +40° relative to an imaginary horizontal line. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the guide angle β comprises +20°. This guide angle was identified in extensive scientific trials as the most suitable because it reliably guides the calves to the teat and also makes it easy for an employee to attach the calf manually.

[0053] The guide element 50 according to the invention is large enough that the mammal can position at least the front part of its head (from the tip of the snout to the eyes) underneath it to search for the teat. This essentially corresponds to the normal rooting reflex in mammals. In one embodiment, the guide element 50 for calves therefore has a width (B) of 30 to 40 cm and a depth (T) of 15 to 30 cm. In a preferred embodiment, the guide element 50 for calves has a size of 40 x 20 cm (B x T). If the drinking system 100 according to the invention comprises not just one teat 20, but several, then the dimensions of the guide element 50 must be adapted to the number of teats 20. If the drinking system according to the invention is not intended for calves, but for other mammals (e.g.,If the mammals are lambs, kids, dromedary foals, or camel foals, the dimensions of the guide element 50 must be adapted to the anatomical conditions of the respective mammals. It is important that the guide element 50 is longer than the teat 20 so that, when searching for a teat, the mammal first encounters the guide element and is then automatically guided to the teat by the guide element. It is equally important that the guide element 50 leads directly to the base of the teat 20. Since the teat has a teat angle α in a range of -40° to -20° and is positioned such that the teat opening points towards the outer end of the guide element 50 (i.e., directly towards the mammal's mouth), the device according to the invention brings the mammal into a physiological posture in which it can suckle most effectively.with splayed front legs, lowered shoulder, stretched head in extension to the slightly arched neck and slightly raised nose, which is thus higher than the forehead).

[0054] The inventive guide element 50 can be permanently mounted to the reservoir chamber 10 or detachably, i.e., reversibly attached. This does not change the inventive function of the guide element 50. The detachable attachment of the guide element 50 to the reservoir chamber 10 can be achieved by means of a connecting element or a suitable flexible material. Hinges, hooks, plug-in or click connections are possible connecting elements, provided they allow a reversible connection of the guide element 50 to the reservoir chamber 10. Permanent mounting of the guide element 50 to the reservoir chamber 10 has the advantage of making the entire drinking system more robust. Detachable mounting of the guide element 50 to the reservoir chamber 10 has the advantage that existing reservoir chambers 10 (e.g., commercially available teat buckets) can be retrofitted with a guide element 50.Similarly, in the event of a defect, only the defective component needs to be replaced, and the entire drinking system does not need to be replaced. A further advantage of the removable guide element 50 is that it can be completely removed from the drinking system, for example, for cleaning or once the calf can reliably locate the teat independently and therefore no longer requires a guide element. The guide element 50 is freely connectable to the reservoir chamber 10 or the housing partition (calf igloo grid) by means of a connecting element, so that the guide element 50 can be removed from the drinking system 100 as soon as the calf can reliably locate the teat independently. Hinges, hooks, plug-in connections, or click connections are suitable connecting elements. In one embodiment, the guide element 50 is connected to the reservoir chamber 10 by means of a flexible material. This allows the guide element 50 to be bent upwards from the reservoir chamber 10 or removed.Fold up.

[0055] The inventive guide element 50 can be rectangular. This has the advantage of being more cost-effective to manufacture. The disadvantage lies in the corners and edges, which pose a certain risk of injury. To eliminate this disadvantage, the corners and edges can be chamfered or ground down, provided with a protective covering in the form of padding, or a guide element 50 with rounded corners can be used. This does not change the inventive function of the guide element 50.

[0056] The inventive guide element 50 can be designed to be flat. This has the advantage of being more cost-effective to manufacture. However, the inventive guide element 50 can also be curved or funnel-shaped. This has the advantage that the contours of the guide element 50 more closely mimic the physiological features of a cow's belly.

[0057] The inventive drinking system 100 must be positioned at a suitable distance from the ground so that a mammal standing on the ground can reach the outer end of the guide element 50 with its head. This is important because head contact with the guide element 50 triggers the mammal's searching behavior towards the teat 20, analogous to head contact with the mother's belly.

[0058] The requirements set out in the problem relating to the invention with regard to the intuitive search of the calf for the suckling nipple 20 and with regard to the practicality for employees when assisting the calf are achieved with an angle of +10 to +40° of the guide element open towards the young animal. Figure captions and list of reference symbols

[0059] Figure 1 shows the drinking system 100 in its most general embodiment Figure 2The drinking system 100 is shown with a holding element 60 for attachment to a box or calf igloo wall 300. Figure 3a The drinking system 100 with stand elements 70 for placement on the base 200 is shown. Figure 3b shows a cross-section of the drinking system 100 with stand elements 70 for placement on the base 200 in plane A. Figure 3a . Figure 4 The drinking system 100 according to the invention is shown with the guide element 50 in a guide angle β of +20° between the guide element 50 and an imaginary horizontal line. Reference sign

[0060] 10 Reservoir chamber 10a Underside of reservoir chamber 11 Connecting element 20 Suction nipple 50 Guide element 60 Holding element 70 Stand element 100 Drinking system 200 Base 300 Box or calf igloo wall

Claims

1. A feeding system (100) for feeding mammals that drink while standing, comprising at least - a reservoir chamber (10) with a bottom side (10a) suitable for holding liquids or containers for liquids, - a connecting element (11) arranged in such a way that it connects the reservoir chamber (10) to an artificial teat (20) so that liquid can flow through, - an artificial teat (20) connected to the reservoir chamber (10) via the connecting element (11) in such a way that a mammal standing on a surface can ingest liquids from the reservoir chamber (10) through this artificial teat (20) when it sucks on it, characterized in that the artificial teat (20) is aligned at a teat angle α of 20° to 40° to the horizontal, while the feeding system (100) further comprises a guiding element (50) which is connected to the reservoir chamber (10), in such a way that the connection of the guiding element (50) to the reservoir chamber (10) is located above the artificial teat (20) and the guiding element (50) is aligned at a guiding angle β of +10° to +40° to the horizontal, so that a mammal can be guided to the artificial teat (20) by means of the guiding element (50).

2. Feeding system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the feeding system (100) further comprises at least one retaining element (60), whereby the retaining element (60) can be connected to the reservoir chamber (10) and is designed in such a way that the feeding system (100) can be mounted directly onto a calf pen or calf igloo wall (300).

3. Feeding system (100) according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the feeding system (100) further comprises at least one stand element (70), whereby the stand element (70) is connectable to the bottom side (10a) of the reservoir chamber (10) and is arranged in such a way that it forms a distance between the bottom side (10a) of the reservoir chamber (10) and a surface (200) so that a mammal can reach the artificial teat (20) while standing.

4. Feeding system (100) according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the guiding element (50) comprises a plate made of wood, plastic, or metal.

5. Feeding system (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that the guiding element (50) comprises a padding made out of foam.

6. Feeding system (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that the guiding element (50) has a washable and waterproof cover made out of plastic over the foam padding.

7. Feeding system (100) according to one of the previous claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the guiding element (50) is made out of foam.

8. Feeding system (100) according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the guiding element (50) is designed in a flat shape.

9. Feeding system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the guiding element (50) is designed in a curved shape at least in sections.

10. Feeding system (100) according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the guiding element (50) and the reservoir chamber (10) are constructed as one single piece.

11. Feeding system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the guiding element (50) is designed to be connectable to the reservoir chamber (10) by means of a connecting part, so that the guiding element (50) is movable relative to the reservoir chamber (10).

12. Feeding system (100) according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the reservoir chamber (10) is suitable for holding milk, milk substitute, milk replacer, water, electrolyte solutions, or liquid medications, or for holding containers for milk, milk substitute, milk replacer, water, electrolyte solutions, or liquid medications.

13. Feeding system (100) according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the guiding element (50) has a size between 40 x 30 cm and 30 x 15 cm.

14. Feeding system (100) according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the guiding element (50) has a size of 40 x 20 cm.