CATTLE MANAGEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20090031961A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Micro Beef Technologies Ltd (MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/51.20
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0023 Sorting gates
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0209 Feeding pens for pigs or cattle
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/02 Automatic devices automatic identification devices for stock A01K11/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A highly automated method and system for providing individual animal electronic identification, measurement and value based management of cattle in a large cattle feedlot. Through the use of (1) a computer system integrated with (2) automatic individual animal identification (3) multiple measurement and remeasurement systems with automatic data input and (4) a cattle handling and sorting system, animals are individually (a) identified and (b) measured by weight, external dimensions and characteristics of internal body tissue. With this information together with animal physiological characteristics and historical data, the computer system calculates the optimum (c) slaughter weight, (d) economic end point and (e) marketing date for shipment to a packing plant. After measurement, individual animals are (f) sorted by direction of the computer in response to calculations from the measurements. The computer system also calculates from individual animal data and other data (g) each animal'"'"'s pro rata share of total feed intake for the animal'"'"'s feed group. The computer system (h) stores individual animal measurement, performance and location data, which is used by management to (i) select animals for shipment from the feedlot for slaughter at the optimum time. Following an animal'"'"'s shipment to a slaughter facility, its identification in the computer system is used to (j) correlate the live animal physical characteristics and performance data to the measured and evaluated carcass characteristics data obtained during the slaughter process and (k) build a data base to more accurately identify and measure value-based characteristics in subsequent animals produced and fed for more effective value-based selection and management of those animals.

Claims

1. A method for managing animals for commercial food production which includes a time period in which groups of animals are fed in pens in feedlots prior to shipment from the feedlot for processing into food products, comprising:

entering into a computer system information relating to a group of animals;

directing animals from the group to a measurement location and through a one-way chute which has gates for separating one animal at a time;

measuring individual animals at a measurement location and entering measurement characteristic data in a computer system including at least weight;

correlating in the computer system the weight and measurement characteristic data for an individual animal;

determining in the computer system, from at least the measurement characteristic data, a projected target condition for individual animals;

entering the target condition for individual animals into the computer system and correlating the target condition with at least the weight measurement characteristic data for the individual animal;

determining in the computer system for the individual animals a projected feed intake, a projected gain and an estimated time required to reach the target condition, from at least the measured characteristic data, the projected target condition, feed ration information, and if used, growth promotants;

entering into the computer system a predetermined animal capacity for multiple feed pens and determining in the computer a number of measured individual animals per pen so that the feed pen capacity is approximated;

selecting measured individual animals for one of multiple sort groups of animals which have been selected for a sort group based at least in part on the estimated time required to reach the projected target condition;

directing measured animals from the measurement location to one or more feed pens, and there feeding a group of animals for a feeding period;

entering into the computer system an identification for the sort group into which each measured individual animal is sorted;

entering into the computer system for each sort group an estimated time required to reach the target condition and correlating it with the recorded identification of the sort group;

determining in the computer system for the individual animals or sort group a revised estimated time required to reach the target condition, following measurement and during the time the animals are being fed for the feeding period based in part on the ration composition, feed fed and estimated feed intake; and

selecting measured animals for further processing or management including at least selecting and removing the animals from a feed pen for shipment to slaughter utilizing at least in part the estimated time required to reach the target condition.