Livestock management systems and methods

• US 8,642,262 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Inventors: Stroman, Richard D., Afimiwala, Khurshid A., Gibb, James B., Brink, Philip C., Crain, Scott L., Niedecken, Timothy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, GREGORY L
• Application Number:
  US11/977,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/6.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

This invention relates to systems and methods for managing livestock, such as cattle, from conception to consumption. More particularly, this invention relates to systems and methods in which users, such as producers, feedlot managers, packers, buyers, sellers, and consumers, are brought together through shared information and improved communication. Users may access one or more applications, tools, and/or systems to increase the value of each animal, monitor and track each animal, and improve the efficiency of their operation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

comparing, using a computer, at least one animal quality specification for one or more animals to one or more genetics rules;

receiving, using the computer, results of one or more gene-based tests performed on the one or more animals;

determining, using the computer and based on the results, at least one attribute of the one or more animals;

comparing, using the computer, the at least one attribute to one or more genetics rules;

selecting, using the computer, one of the one or more genetics rules based at least in part on the comparison of the at least one animal quality specification to the one or more genetics rules and the comparison of the at least one attribute to the one or more genetics rules;

determining, using the computer and based on the selected genetics rule, a genetics improvement strategy; and

providing to a user the genetics improvement strategy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by two or more computers connected over a network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sorting the one or more animals based at least in part on the genetics improvement strategy.

9. The method of claim 1 where the at least one animal quality specification is selected from dam milking ease, dam calving ease, dam age, calving distribution, calving period, hybrid vigor, calf wean weight, dam pregnancy weight, herd pregnancy rate, dam weight at weaning, ratio of pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 where the at least one attribute is selected from tenderness, marbling, disease resistance, calving ease, feed to gain performance, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 where the genetics improvement strategy is selected from replacement heifers, replacement bulls, sires for artificial insemination, planned mating, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the computer, environmental information including at least nutritional resources; and

wherein determining the genetics improvement strategy is based on the selected genetics rule and the environmental information.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, using the computer, a central database including herd performance information for at least one other herd;

comparing, using the computer, performance of the one or more animals to the herd performance information for the at least one other herd to determine a performance comparison; and

wherein determining the genetics improvement strategy is based on the selected genetics rule and the performance comparison.

2. A system comprising:

a computer configured to,

receive results of one or more gene-based tests performed on one or more animals to screen for one or more attributes;

determine at least one attribute of the one or more animals based on the results; and

sort the one or more animals into at least one subgroup based on the at least one attribute.

14. The system of claim 2 where the computer is further configured to, compare the at least one attribute to one or more genetics rules;

select one of the one or more genetics rules based at least in part on the comparison;

determine, based on the selected genetics rule, a genetics improvement strategy; and

provide the genetics improvement strategy to a user.

3. One or more computer-readable storage media having encoded thereon instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, using the computer, results of one or more gene-based tests performed on one or more animals to screen for one or more attributes;

determining, using the computer, at least one attribute of the one or more animals based on the results; and

sorting, using the computer and based on the at least one attribute, one or more animals into at least one subgroup.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 3, the method further comprising determining a genetics improvement strategy based at least in part on the results of the one or more gene-based tests.

4. A method comprising:

receiving, using a computer, results of one or more gene-based tests performed on one or more animals to screen for one or more attributes;

determining, using the computer, at least one attribute of the one or more animals based on the results; and

sorting, using the computer and based on the at least one attribute, one or more animals into at least one subgroup.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing at least one DNA test to determine the one or more gene-based test results.

15. The method of claim 4 where the one or more attributes are selected from tenderness, marbling, disease resistance, calving ease, feed to gain performance, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

comparing, using the computer, the at least one attribute to one or more genetics rules;

selecting, using the computer, one of the one or more genetics rules based at least in part on the comparison; and

determining, using the computer and based on the selected genetics rule, a genetics improvement strategy.

17. The method of claim 16 where the genetics improvement strategy is selected from replacement heifers, replacement bulls, sires for artificial insemination, planned mating, or a combination thereof.