FR2756141A1

FR2756141A1 - Automatic identification of cows on heat

Info

Publication number: FR2756141A1
Application number: FR9614823A
Authority: FR
Original assignee: LALY MICHEL
Current assignee: LALY MICHEL
Priority date: 1996-11-27
Filing date: 1996-11-27
Publication date: 1998-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-27
Also published as: FR2756141B1

Abstract

As each cow visits an automatic milking parlour (1), a knoll of foam (9) is deposited at the base of its back. The foam dries quickly in free air and its shape is detected by a laser (2) or similar equipment and then stored for future reference. When the same cow returns to the automatic milking parlour, the laser again detects the shape of the lump of mousse and compares it to the initial shape. If there is a difference due to covering the cow is signalled as on heat. The foam is deposited by a rigid tube (8) which is lowered and raised by an electrically or hydraulically driven rack and pinion (10).

Description

La présente invention concerne un dispositif pour identifier les vaches en chaleur, ceci de façon entièrement automatique. The present invention relates to a device for identifying cows in heat, this entirely automatically.

Actuellement, il n'existe pas de systèmes fiable permettant cette identification. Seul le chevauchement de l'animal en chaleur par un autre animal du troupeau permettait à l'éleveur de repérer les animaux à saillir. Currently, there are no reliable systems allowing this identification. Only the overlapping of the animal in heat by another animal in the herd allowed the breeder to identify the animals to be bred.

Avec l'apparition du robot de traite, l'éleveur est moins présent avec ses animaux et de ce fait éprouve des difficultés à repérer les animaux en chaleur. With the appearance of the milking robot, the farmer is less present with his animals and therefore has difficulty locating animals in heat.

Le dispositif de cette invention permet de remédier à cet inconvénient, il permet en effet d'identifier les animaux qui ont été chevauchés au moins une fois, ceci en dehors de l'observation de l'éleveur. The device of this invention makes it possible to remedy this drawback, it in fact makes it possible to identify the animals which have been overlapped at least once, this apart from the observation of the breeder.

Ce dispositif consiste en un dépôt de mousse, séchant à l'air libre, sur le dos de l'animal au niveau du bassin. This device consists of a deposit of foam, drying in the open air, on the back of the animal at the level of the pelvis.

Cette opération s' effectue lorsque l'animal se présente dans le robot de traite. La forme de ce monticule est aussitôt mémorisé par le robot de traite à l'aide d'un laser ou par tout autre appareil permettant de faire un relevé topographique de ce monticule.This operation is carried out when the animal is present in the milking robot. The shape of this mound is immediately memorized by the milking robot using a laser or by any other device allowing a topographic survey of this mound.

Puis lorsque l'animal se représente dans le robot de traite après avoir été chevauché, (le monticule se trouve donc aplati). Le robot mémorise la nouvelle forme du monticule, et la comparant avec celle qu'il a mis précédemment en mémoire permet d'en déduire le chevauchement de l'animal. Then when the animal represents itself in the milking robot after being overlapped, (the mound is therefore flattened). The robot memorizes the new shape of the mound, and comparing it with the one it previously saved allows to deduce the overlap of the animal.

Le dessin annexé illustre l'invention
La figure 1 représente schématiquement, le dispositif de l'invention.The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention
Figure 1 shows schematically the device of the invention.

En référence à ces dessins, le dispositif comporte -Un boîtier contenant un laser (2) (ou tout autre appareil de mesure capable de faire un relevé topographique de la partie arrière du dos de l'animal), de ce fait le boîtier est fixé sur le robot de traite (1), en dessus de la zone à mesurer. With reference to these drawings, the device comprises -A housing containing a laser (2) (or any other measuring device capable of making a topographical survey of the rear part of the back of the animal), therefore the housing is fixed on the milking robot (1), above the area to be measured.

-Un réservoir de mousse sous pression (5) est fixé sur le robot de traite (1). -A pressure foam tank (5) is attached to the milking robot (1).

-A la sortie du réservoir un tuyau souple (3) est relié à un tuyau rigide (8) descendant à quelques centimètres du dos de l'animal, par un système à crémaillère (10), actionné par un moteur électrique (7),(ou par un vérin pneumatique), afin de déposer un monticule de mousse (9), puis le tuyau remonte. L'ouverture du réservoir est commandé par une électrovanne (6). Après utilisation le tuyau dans lequel circule la mousse est nettoyé par injection d'air ou d'un liquide approprié prélevé dans un réservoir (4).-At the outlet of the tank a flexible pipe (3) is connected to a rigid pipe (8) descending a few centimeters from the back of the animal, by a rack system (10), actuated by an electric motor (7), (or by a pneumatic cylinder), in order to deposit a mound of foam (9), then the pipe rises. The opening of the tank is controlled by a solenoid valve (6). After use, the pipe in which the foam circulates is cleaned by injecting air or a suitable liquid taken from a tank (4).

-Le tout est relié au système d'identification des animaux du robot de traite et asservi par celui-ci. -The whole is connected to and enslaved by the animal identification system of the milking robot.

Claims

I) Device for automatically detecting overlaps of cows in heat, characterized in that it comprises a device depositing on the back of the animal a mound of foam (9), drying in the open air; mound whose topography is analyzed by a laser beam (2) (or an equivalent device) to be memorized, so that when the animal represents itself in the milking robot (I) after being overlapped, the laser analyzes the new shape of the mound and transfer this data to the milking robot (1) which, comparing this data to that recorded when the mound is deposited on the back of the animal, allows the robot to signal the animal in heat because the mound will have been flattened.

2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it combines a device depositing a mound of foam on the back of the animal and a device for measuring the topography of this mound.

3) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the foam is deposited by a rigid tube (8) mût by a rack (10) driven by an electric motor (7) (or by a pneumatic cylinder).

The rigid tube being connected to a pressure foam tank (5) by a flexible tube (3).

4) Device according to claiml characterized in that the tube channeling the foam is cleaned by pressurized air or one by a suitable liquid contained in a tank (4).

5) Device according to claim 1 characterized by a three-way valve (6) alternately allowing the sending of foam and then air or a suitable liquid for cleaning the tube channeling the foam.

6) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the whole is connected to the animal identification system by the milking robot (1) and controlled by it.