Method and system for cooling dairy or beef cattle

Abstract

A cow cooling system includes cow scanning equipment, sensors for sensing parameters related to precise cooling of a cow, a water delivery unit for providing water on the cow, and a controller configured to control operation of the water delivery unit in accordance with feedback from the cow scanning equipment and the sensors. The controller limits how much water is delivered to the cow so that a support surface on which the cow is located remains sufficiently dry so that the cow is not wetted by the support surface.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COOLING DAIRY OR BEEF CATTLEFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to handling of cows, in particular, dairy cows, and more specifically to a method and system for cooling dairy or beef cattle.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Dairy cows eat a large amount of food to produce a lot of milk. Cows suffer greatly from heat and this has adverse effects on milk production, ability to conceive, quality of gestation, and other health issues. Accordingly, it is important in dairy cow husbandry to provide cooling for cows. Digestion creates a very large internal heat in the cow, so even at relatively low temperatures the cow needs to be cooled. An ambient temperature of 30°C is problematic for the cow; 40°C and above is a nightmare. This is true for US and European breeds of dairy cows, such as Holstein and Friesian, and many others. (It is noted that some breeds in India cope well with heat but will hardly give meat or milk.) The more extreme the weather becomes, the greater the need to find a solution to the problem.

[0003] In terms of energy-efficient heat transfer, the most efficient way to cool cows is evaporation. Cows are sprayed with water and fans are turned on, causing the cow to lose heat. For cooling to be effective, the water must penetrate the fur and come into contact with the skin. Some have thought that presenting a “fog” of small water droplets is the best way to penetrate the fur and come into contact with the skin. However, the natural cooling of cows is largely based on humidification, meaning that the air the cow breathes meets internal sweat glands, causing evaporation, which cools the cow. This mechanism is very sensitive to humid air. Humid breathing impairs the cow’s ability to lose heat. Thus there is a problem with “fogging”: although it may get to the skin, it also causes humid breathing, with the result that fogging is sometimes more harmful than helpful. It has been found that wetting the cow and then fanning the cow with an air flow is more effective than fogging.

[0004] However, wetting cows has other problems. Water placed on the cow flows to the ground, which creates mud and / or wet straw or other material used for her bedding. Wet bedding and / or mud can create many health problems for the cow. A possible solution is to cool the cow while it is standing on concrete. In such a case, the water would drain intoa sewer or a cesspool (cows do not like to lie on concrete, so it is not a problem that the concrete is wet). However, this solution has other problems. Treatment of the “runoff’, i.e., the water that flows on the concrete and is contaminated with cow dung, as well as the treatment of the sewage is very expensive, both for drainage to the sewer system and to the cesspool. Furthermore, cows do not lie on concrete, cows lie on dry, soft bedding. Dairy cows must lie for about 12-14 hours a day. If they constantly get up and stand in the showers, they are prone to many health problems.

[0005] Another problem is the limited space on the concrete surfaces. In the prior art, on a drained concrete surface, water and air are massively applied for as short a period as possible (usually 50 minutes) in order to quickly lower the heat and return the cows to the possibility of lying down. When it is really hot and humid, the space between showers becomes so dense that it is impossible to cool the cows in a way that prevents them from suffering from heat stroke. As mentioned before, treatment of runoff water is expensive.SUMMARY

[0006] The present invention seeks to provide a novel method for cooling cows that solves the abovementioned problems of the prior art, as described in detail below. Unlike the prior art, in the present invention, by very precisely spraying water on the cow, surprisingly the water does not collect on the floor, and there is no need to treat runoff water and no need for concrete. The invention thus significantly saves on water and significantly improves the health and output of the cows. The method and system are applicable not just for standing cows; they are applicable even for cooling cows lying down, for example, on a soft substrate, such as straw. Throughout the description and claims, the term “cow” encompasses cattle raised for milk or meat or for breeding, that is, dairy or beef cattle, including both male and female beef cattle.

[0007] In order to spray the cow precisely, the system identifies the exact location and position of the cow, and then wets only those parts of the body that are allowed to be wetted (for example, the udder and teats should not be wetted), and in the right amount so that water does not drip onto the ground.

[0008] The system of the invention may be used not just for cooling any kind of cattle raised for milk or meat or breeding, that is, dairy or beef cattle, but also for cooling other farm animals and / or pets.

[0009] It is noted that the term “water” as used herein encompasses any liquid coolant suitable for cooling the animal, and is not limited to just water. The water may contain substances (dissolved or suspended in the water) for improving the cooling effect, health care, cleaning, or productivity of the cow.

[0010] There is provided in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention a cow cooling system including cow scanning equipment, sensors for sensing parameters related to precise cooling of a cow, a water delivery unit for providing water on the cow, optionally a fan for blowing air towards the cow, and a controller configured to control operation of the water delivery unit (and optionally the fan) in accordance with feedback from the cow scanning equipment and the sensors, wherein the controller has an operative mode that limits how much water is delivered to the cow so that a support surface on which the cow is located remains sufficiently dry so that the cow is not wetted by the support surface. The phrase “not wetted by the support surface” and its equivalent phrase “the water does not collect on the floor” are defined as follows: The operative mode limits how much water is delivered to the cow such that after wetting the cow the support surface remains sufficiently dry in accordance with accepted health standards so as not to adversely affect hygiene and health of the cow.

[0011] There is provided in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention a cow cooling method including locating a cow, spatially defining areas on the cow which are to be wetted and areas which are not to be wetted, and determining an amount of water to be delivered to the cow in accordance with feedback from sensors, wherein the amount of water delivered is limited so that a support surface on which the cow is located remains sufficiently dry so that the cow is not wetted by the support surface.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

[0013] Fig. 1 is a simplified illustration of a cow cooling system, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a simplified flow chart of a cow cooling method, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, using the system of Fig. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which illustrates a cow cooling system 10, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention.

[0016] The system 10 may include cow scanning equipment 12, such as cameras, thermal or infrared cameras, radar, GPS and others. The system 10 may include sensors 14 for sensing different parameters related to precise cooling of the cow (as is explained below). The sensors 14 may be placed on the cow (contact sensors) or may be non-contact sensors (e.g., located in the barn, shed, watering area, feeding area, milking parlor, etc. - the invention can be used in any location). The system 10 may include a water delivery unit 16 and one or more fans 18. It is noted that the fans do not need to be part of the system of the invention, and instead, the system of the invention can make use of existing fans in the area of the cows. The cow scanning equipment 12, sensors 14, water delivery unit 16 and fan 18 may be in communication (wired or wireless) with a controller 20, which controls the operation of the water delivery unit 14 and fan 16 in accordance with feedback from the cow scanning equipment 12 and sensors 14 to achieve precise water spraying on the cow.

[0017] Sensors 14 may include without limitation, position sensors for sensing the position and location of the cow (e.g., RF tags, optical sensors, camera, image processing sensors and many others), temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors, thermocouples, thermal radiation sensors) for sensing the temperature of the cow and the environment (the invention can be carried out without any environmental sensors), sensors capable of providing information when the cow has become dehydrated and should be re-hydrated (e.g., skin moisture sensors, and sensors that sense signs of dehydration, such as cameras that sense position of ears, tongue, head, etc.) The sensors provide feedback to controller 20 for data processing of cooling, cow temperature, heat load, milk production and other health and productivity parameters to determine an optimal cooling protocol. The sensors can be used to choose between cooling while standing or lying down. The system is thus suitable for “spatial shed” barns, “total shed” barns, “laying cubicle” sheds and many others.

[0018] Precise cooling while the cow is lying down may include the use of an electromechanical device (e.g., servomotors that move the water delivery unit 16 or itsnozzles to direct the water precisely) cooperating with sensors 14 that define and limit the area that will receive water spray (e.g., in terms of quantity of water and spraying time or frequency) as opposed to specific areas where there will be no wetting. For example, as seen in Fig. 1, no water is applied to the udder and teats.

[0019] The water delivery unit 16 may include, without limitation, a water spraying drone (depending on the ability of the drone not to scare the cow), spray nozzles that can move along the shed in slow motion in real time if there is a need, so that one or more spray nozzles are activated only at the right moment on lying or standing cows. The water delivery unit 16 may include, without limitation, a spraying arm that moves on a rail along the shed. The water delivery unit 16 may move in any pattern or motion (linear or circular or other patterns) to spray each cow accurately. Alternatively, water delivery unit 16 may include, without limitation, wetting with a wet cloth without spraying at all, in which a wet cloth is placed on the cow in order to soak the cow without spraying at all. Alternatively, water delivery unit 16 may include, without limitation, sprinklers, foggers, drippers, shower heads and the like, and may include pressure control systems.

[0020] As seen in Fig. 2, the method may include locating the cow, spatially defining areas on the cow which are to be wetted and areas which are not to be wetted, determining an amount of water to be delivered to the cow in accordance with feedback from sensors, wherein the amount of water delivered is limited so that a support surface on which the cow is located remains sufficiently dry so that the cow is not wetted by the support surface. In other words, the water delivery unit precisely wets the cow, the fan blows air on the cow to cool the cow (again the fans are not necessarily part of the invention; natural convection without fans can also be used to carry out the invention), and little or no residual water remains on the support surface, so that if the cow lies on the support surface, the cow is not wetted by the support surface, which is sufficient to prevent any health issues to the cow, and eliminates the problems of draining excess water from the cooling process. The embodiments of the invention do not need any shields for preventing water from wetting areas of the cow which are not to be wetted. In another embodiment of the invention, it may not be necessary to spatially define areas on the cow which are not to be wetted. Rather without defining areas on the cow which are not to be wetted, the controller has an operative mode that limits how much water isdelivered to the cow so that the support surface on which said cow is located remains sufficiently dry so that the cow is not wetted by the support surface.

[0021] The system may have provisions for starting the wetting process. For example, a sensor may sense when the cow puts her head in a headlock and initiate the delivery of the coolant. A sensor may sense when the cow arrives at the waiting area or other locations and initiate the delivery of the coolant. In another example, the cow may be locked or captured in a yoke or cage, etc., in order to carry out cooling for an extended time.

[0022] The system may communicate with the cow and provide an incentive or motivation that will cause the cow to come to the cooling location. For example, withholding food at certain hours may motivate the cow to come to a feeding are for cooling at appropriate hours.

[0023] The system may wet the cow by taking into consideration if the cow has dried out from the previous wetting. In this manner, the system can take into consideration that the cow still has some residual water on its body, and adjust the amount of cooling water delivered to the cow to save water and runoff, and to ensure no moisture is created under the cow. The system may thus activate wetting as often and as much as needed so that the skin of the cow is maintained wet with no moisture created under the cow.

[0024] The system may take into account additional parameters such as weather conditions, wind direction, wind strength, the daily behavior of the animal, the internal heat load of the animal, and the condition of the animal (for example, pregnancy, milk production, growth, heat, health, indications of movement , heart rate, etc.).

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A cow cooling system comprising: cow scanning equipment; sensors for sensing parameters related to precise cooling of a cow; a water delivery unit for providing water on the cow; and a controller configured to control operation of said water delivery unit in accordance with feedback from said cow scanning equipment and said sensors, wherein said controller has an operative mode that limits how much water is delivered to the cow so that a support surface on which said cow is located remains sufficiently dry so that the cow is not wetted by the support surface.

2. The cow cooling system according to claim 1, wherein said sensors comprise contact sensors.

3. The cow cooling system according to claim 1, wherein said sensors comprise non-contact sensors.

4. The cow cooling system according to claim 1, wherein said sensors comprise position sensors for sensing a position and a location of the cow.

5. The cow cooling system according to claim 1, wherein said sensors comprise temperature sensors for sensing a temperature of the cow.

6. The cow cooling system according to claim 1, wherein said sensors comprise sensors capable of providing information when the cow has become dehydrated and should be rehydrated.

7. The cow cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a fan for blowing air towards the cow.

8. A cow cooling method comprising: locating a cow; spatially defining areas on the cow which are to be wetted and areas which are not to be wetted; and determining an amount of water to be delivered to the cow in accordance with feedback from sensors, wherein the amount of water delivered is limited so that a support surface on which the cow is located remains sufficiently dry so that the cow is not wetted by the support surface.

9. The cow cooling method according to claim 8, comprising keeping the support surface sufficiently dry to eliminates a need for draining excess water after cooling the cow.

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