CATTLE MANAGEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20090031960A1
• 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 7,827,934 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 feedlot animals for commercial food production, comprising:

directing feedlot animals to a processing location and through a one-way chute which has gates for separating one animal at a time at a location remote from a feed pen;

entering characteristic data in a computer system for at least some of the feedlot animals;

determining, from at least in part the characteristic data, a projected target condition for at least some of the characterized animals;

directing at least some of the projected animals from the processing location to one or more feed pens, and there feeding feed pen animals from the directed animals for a feeding period;

determining an estimated time required to reach the target condition for at least some of the feed pen animals in a feed pen considering at least in part feed ration information, a projected feed intake, a projected gain, production value and production costs;

determining an optimum economic value for the at least some of the feed pen animals; and

using a computerized feed additive delivery system to administer a feed additive growth promotant to feed additive growth promotant fed animals selected from the at least some of the feed pen animals in a feed pen based at least in part on the estimated time required to reach the target condition, where the feed additive growth promotant is administered at a determined optimum time for achieving the optimum economic value prior to shipment of at least some of the feed additive growth promotant fed animals.