Cattle management method and system

• US 8,261,694 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US13/215,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20120158463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 119/51.02, 119/502, 119/511, 119840-842, 452/52, 452/53
• US Class Current: 119/51.02
• 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

An automated method and system for individual animal electronic identification, measurement, and management of cattle in a feedlot. Through the use of a computer system integrated with individual animal identification, multiple measurement and remeasurement systems, and a handling and sorting system, animals are individually identified and measured. The computer system calculates optimum slaughter weight, economic end point and marketing date for shipment to a packing plant. Individual animals are sorted by the computer in response to calculations from the measurements. The computer system stores individual animal measurement, performance and location data, which is used to select animals for shipment to slaughter at the optimum time. At the slaughter facility, the animal'"'"'s identification is used to correlate the live animal physical characteristics and performance data to the carcass characteristics data and build a-database to more accurately identify and measure value-based characteristics in subsequent animals for more effective selection and management.

Claims

1. A system for managing animals, comprising:

electronic identification means for identifying an individual animal from other animals in a group of animals;

a measurement location remote from a feed pen, the measurement location including a chute having at least one measuring substation separated by a gate, with a downstream end of the chute communicating with at least one sorting pen;

a computer system at the measurement location, the computer system comprising one or more various computers, the computer system including software operable for storing identification information for an individual animal, storing characteristics concerning the individual animal, including at least weight, and utilizing the characteristics to project for the individual animal a limit or condition and an estimated time or date for the individual animal to achieve the projected limit or condition;

a computerized animal drug inventory control, health history and drug treatment system, a computerized feed additive delivery system operable for delivering feed additives into animal feed rations on a customized basis, a computerized bunk reader system, or each and every combination thereof;

a feedlot business system (FBS) computer operable for accessing and/or storing a database, performing feedlot accounting functions, and receiving and storing data from the computerized animal drug inventory control, health history and drug treatment system, the computerized feed additive delivery system, the computerized bunk reader system, or each and every combination thereof;

a data entry device for entering into the computer system initial characteristics prior to a feeding period and subsequent characteristics following the feeding period during which the individual animal is fed with a feed group of animals; and

a data output device in communication with the computer system.

2. The system of claim 1 where the FBS computer is operable to provide data concerning an identified individual animal to be used by a feedlot in making management decisions and in allocating costs to an animal owner on an individual animal basis.

3. The system of claim 2 where costs include a cost of feed.

4. The system of claim 3 where the FBS computer calculates total feed consumption for all animals in a group, calculates a pro rata share for each animal in the group, compares the total feed consumption to an actual amount fed to the animals in the group, allocates the actual amount fed to the group on a pro rata basis to each animal in the group to provide a pro rata feed allocation, and stores the pro rata feed allocation in the FBS computer.

5. The system of claim 4 where the FBS computer determines a ratio of feed-to-weight gain at least in part from the pro rata feed allocation and weight gain of an identified individual animal, records the ratio in the FBS computer to provide a recorded ratio, matches the recorded ratio to a recorded identification of the identified individual animal, and enables the recorded ratio to be used by a cattle producer for making a management decision concerning genetic change for improving performance of future offspring.

6. The system of claim 3 where the computer system calculates an amount of feed consumption for the identified individual animal using a feed allocation formula that considers the identified individual animal'"'"'s weight measurement, records a calculated consumption, and matches the calculated consumption with a recorded identification for the identified individual animal.

7. The system of claim 6 where calculating the amount of feed consumption includes calculating a rate of weight gain for the identified individual animal.

8. The system of claim 7 where the costs include a cost of gain, and the FBS computer determines the cost of gain for the identified individual animal, stores the cost of gain, and matches it to the identification information for the identified individual animal.

9. The system of claim 2 where the FBS computer determines a disbursement of funds breakdown from a packing plant for the identified individual animal when the identified individual animal is from a group of animals containing individual animals owned by different original owners, records costs and disbursement amounts, and matches the costs and disbursement amounts to the identified individual animal.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a data input device at the packing plant remote from the computer system for recording carcass data for an animal identified at the packing plant and for comparing identification of an animal at a feedlot to identification made at the packing plant.

11. The system of claim 1 where the software is operable for determining a projected feed intake for the individual animal, determining a projected gain for the individual animal, utilizing feed ration information and, if used, growth promotants to project an estimated time or date for the individual animal to achieve the limit or condition, determining a sort group, which is one of multiple sort groups, for the individual animal based at least in part on the estimated time or date and a predetermined animal quantity of the sort group, and selecting the individual animal for further processing based at least in part on the characteristics.

12. The system of claim 11 where the condition is a condition for shipment for slaughter, and the computer system sorts the individual animal into the sort group, which is one of multiple sort groups, and directs the individual animal from the chute and measurement location to one or more feed pens.

13. The system of claim 12 where a predetermined feed pen animal quantity for a feed pen is entered in the computer system, and the computer system determines a number of individual animals to utilize the feed pen and sorts the individual animals to substantially achieve the feed pen animal quantity.

14. The system of claim 13 where the software is operable for recording a feed pen destination.

15. The system of claim 11 where the software is operable for calculating an economic value from a projected condition and based at least in part upon projected production costs, animal performance, feed efficiency, purchase price, cattle futures, basis and premium/discounts, marketing target yield, and combinations thereof.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote data output device to enable an up-to-date cattle inventory to be reviewed at a remote location.

17. The system of claim 16 where the up-to-date cattle inventory is by individual animals within a group by location.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a gate control device for opening or closing a gate for the sorting pen.

19. The system of claim 18 where the measurement location includes an animal position sensing device.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising an ultrasound tissue measuring device at the measurement location that provides internal tissue data for correlation with an animal identification and storage in the computer system.

21. The system of claim 1 where characteristics, in addition to weight, are selected from tenderness, fat, muscling, one or more external dimensions, one or more internal tissue characteristics, weight gain, feed intake, health treatment, nutrition history, consumer eating quality, carcass gain, feed efficiency, prior history, a genetic characteristic, or combinations thereof.

22. The system of claim 21 where at least two physical characteristics are measured.

23. The system of claim 21 where the computer system selects a growth promotant for an identified individual animal based at least in part on recorded characteristics, records the growth promotant, and matches the growth promotant to the identified individual animal.

24. The system of claim 21 where the computer system records sire and/or dam information for an identified individual animal as a prior history genetic characteristic to provide a prior history genetic recorded characteristic, and matches the prior history genetic recorded characteristic with a recorded identification for the identified individual animal.

25. The system of claim 24 where the computer system utilizes the prior history genetic recorded characteristic of the identified individual animal at least in part for selecting the identified individual animal for further processing.

26. The system of claim 24 where the FBS computer is operable to provide data concerning the identified individual animal to a cattle producer to make breeding, selection or purchase decisions.