Birth monitoring system for piglets

• US 7,548,169 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conception Ro-Main, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Conception Ro-Main, Inc.
• Inventors: Henry, Marjolaine
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/401,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.3, 340/573.7, 340/573.1, 340471-474, 340/572.1, 340/571, 340/573.2, 119502-503, 119/505, 119/509, 119/506, 119/308
• US Class Current: 340/573.3
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0218 Farrowing or weaning crates
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 17/08 for weighing livestock
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00

Abstract

The number of piglets dying at birth is reduced by providing a motion or weight sensor in a farrowing crate at the piglet area thereof so that, when the sow is expected to give birth, the motion sensor is located in the crate at a location to detect motion of one or more piglets after birth and, on detection of motion of the one or more piglets, causing the motion sensor to wirelessly communicate a signal to a pager carried by an operator indicating to the operator that birth of piglets is in progress.

Claims

1. A method for raising piglets comprising:

providing a farrowing crate having a sow containing area and at least one piglet area into which the piglets can move;

locating a pregnant sow in the sow containing area of the farrowing crate;

and detecting the commencement of birth of the piglets by locating in the crate a sensor at a location to detect the presence of one or more piglets in the piglet area after the birth;

the sensor being located in the farrowing crate at a position to detect the presence of the piglets and not the presence of the sow;

and, on detection by the sensor of presence of the one or more piglets, communicating a signal to an operator indicating to the operator that birth of piglets is in progress in the farrowing crate.

2. A method for raising piglets comprising:

providing a farrowing crate having a sow containing area and at least one piglet area into which the piglets can move;

locating a pregnant sow in the sow containing area of the farrowing crate;

detecting the commencement of birth of the piglets by providing a motion sensor at a location to detect the motion of a piglet in the piglet area after the birth;

the motion sensor being located in the farrowing crate at a position to detect movement of the piglets and not movement of the sow;

and, on detection of motion of the piglet by the sensor, communicating a signal to an operator indicating to the operator that birth of piglets is in progress in the farrowing crate.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein there is provided a plurality of farrowing crates in a farrowing room each having a sow containing area and at least one piglet area into which the piglets can move, wherein the method includes providing to the operator arranged to work within the farrowing room a portable signaling device to be carried with the operator and wherein the signal is a wireless signal to the portable signaling device and the signal contains signal information identifying the crate concerned.

4. A method for raising piglets comprising:

providing a farrowing crate having a sow containing area and at least one piglet area into which the piglets can move;

locating a pregnant sow in the sow containing area of the farrowing crate;

detecting the commencement of birth of the piglets by providing a weight sensor in the piglet area to detect the presence of a piglet in the piglet area after the birth;

the weight sensor being located in the farrowing crate at a position to detect weight applied by the piglets and not weight applied by the sow;

and, on detection of presence of the piglet, communicating a signal to an operator indicating to the operator that birth of piglets is in progress in the farrowing crate.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein there is provided a plurality of farrowing crates in a farrowing room each having a sow containing area and at least one piglet area into which the piglets can move, wherein the method includes providing to the operator arranged to work within the farrowing room a portable signaling device to be carried with the operator and wherein the signal is a wireless signal to the portable signaling device and the signal contains signal information identifying the crate concerned.

6. A method for raising piglets comprising:

providing a plurality of farrowing crates in a farrowing room each having a sow containing area and at least one piglet area into which the piglets can move;

locating a pregnant sow in the sow containing area of at least some of the farrowing crates;

detecting the commencement of birth of the piglets in a farrowing crate by locating in the crate a sensor at a location to detect the presence of a piglet in the piglet area after the birth;

the sensor being located in the farrowing crate at a position to detect the presence of the piglets and not the presence of the sow;

providing to an operator arranged to work within the farrowing room a portable signaling device to be carried with the operator;

on detection of the presence of the one or more piglets, communicating a wireless signal to the to the operator indicating that birth of piglets is in progress in the farrowing crate;

and providing in the signal information identifying the crate concerned and causing the portable signaling device of the operator to indicate from the signal the crate to the operator.