GB2257886A

GB2257886A - Indicating imminent birth of animal young.

Info

Publication number: GB2257886A
Application number: GB9112305A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Thomas Ratcliffe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-06-07
Filing date: 1991-06-07
Publication date: 1993-01-27
Also published as: GB9112305D0

Abstract

An indication of imminent birth of young to an animal is given by a sensor arranged to detect at least one of the intrinsic changes in the animal's behaviour at this time, e.g. angle of the animal's tail, a signal being generated upon such detection and giving rise to radio transmission to a remote location where an alarm is generated.

Description

Apparatus for and a Method of Indication Imminent Birth of Animal Youna This invention relates to apparatus for and methods of indicating the imminent birth of young to an animal. It is particularly, although not exclusively, related to such apparatus and methods when applied to livestock such as horses and cattle. It is also applicable to other animals such as sheep for example.

Birth of young to animals can cause considerable management difficulties for animal workers because of the unreliable and unpredictable nature of the event. It is not uncommon for farm management personnel to spend many wasted hours awaiting animal birth in case of difficulties. Although in the normal course of events the presence of animal management personnel is unnecessary, with a difficult birth the presence of animal personnel is essential to prevent the loss of the mother and/or the young, both in terms of preventing unnecessary animal suffering, and also in economic terms.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least substantially reduce this difficulty.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for providing an indication of imminent birth of young to an animal comprising a sensor arranged to detect at least one of the intrinsic changes in the animal's behaviour at the imminent approach of birth of young; a transmitter linked with the sensor, and arranged to transmit a signal upon the sensor detecting the at least one change: a receiving station arranged for detection and reception of an animal change indicating signal from the sensor and its associated transmitter: and an alarm signal arranged to give an audible and/or visible signal upon receipt by the receiving station of a signal from the sensor transmitter indicating detection by the sensor of the at least one change in the behaviour of the animal.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for providing indication of the imminent birth of young to an animal comprising a sensor arranged to detect at least one known change in the animal's behaviour at the imminent approach of birth; a radio transmitter linked with the sensor and arranged to transmit a signal indicative of the detection of the at least one change in behaviour of the animal; and a base receiving station and relay arranged to receive signals from the transmitter associated with the sensor, the relay having a transmitter and being arranged to transmit amplified signals, on receipt of signals from the sensor transmitter, to a remote receiver incorporating an alarm system and arranged, on receipt of signals from the relay transmitter, to provide an audible and/or visual alarm signal.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of providing indication of the imminent birth of young to an animal comprising arranging a sensor arranged to detect at least one known change in the animal's behaviour at the imminent approach of birth and a signal indicative of the detection of the at least one change in behaviour of the animal and to a base receiving station and relay, the relay transmitting amplified signals, on receipt of signals from the sensor transmitter, to remote receivers incorporating an alarm system, whereby on receipt of signals from the relay transmitted, to provide an audible and/or visual alarm signal.

The relay station transmitter may be a radio transmitter.

The relay station may itself incorporate an alarm signal which may be visual and/or audible.

Where the present invention is used in relation to providing alarm indication of the imminent birth of young to stock animals, such as on a farm, the relay station may be located within a stock holding barn, shed or similar building or area and may be provided with an alarm siren type device.

The receiver may be a personal, hand or pocket held, receiver of the kind commonly known as a "pager" and may be provided to give an intermittent audible signal as well as a visual light signal which may also be intermittent.

Whilst the sensor may be used to detect any of the changes in behaviour characteristic in any given animal of imminent birth of young, it has been found particularly useful, where for example the invention is applied to stock animals such as cattle or horses, to provide a sensor located on the tail of the animal closely adjacent the body of the animal. Such a sensor relies on the known behaviour change at imminence of birth of young that cattle or horses will hold their tails outwardly from their bodies, presumably so that the tails do not interfere with the birth process. A detector making use of this change of behaviour will preferrably include a tilt switch aligned within the body of the sensing device, and on the tail of the animal, such that it will be closed upon the appropriate movement of the tail prior to birth.

This can be arranged such that the switch is closed whether the animal is upright or in a prone position. In order to differentiate from other times when the tail is raised by the animal, the sensor preferrably also includes a delay circuit such that the associated sensor signal transmitter is not activated unless the tilt switch is closed for a predetermined time, or a number of instances within a predetermined time. Such times can be determined with respect to relevant animals by experiment and can vary from a few seconds to many minutes, but with cattle for example it has commonly been found that a continuous time period of the order of three minutes with the tail held out from the body at a generally horizontal disposition is good indication of imminent birth of young.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood one embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of apparatus in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of the sensor used in the apparatus of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, in Figure 1 there is shown three combined sensors and battery powered radio transmitters 1 each of which is arranged in use to be attached to the upper end of the tail of an animal (not shown) in the late stages of pregnancy. The circuit of the sensor, shown in Figure 2, includes a tilt switch 2 coupled in series with a 9 volt battery 3, leading to a radio transmitter (not shown) via a time delay circuitry 11 and then lines 4.

Upon an animal wearing the sensor raising its tail away from its body to a generally horizontal disposition the tilt sensor switch closes and the circuit is then actuated. The circuit includes, before the transmitter can be activated, time delay sub-circuitry 11 including two timing chips 4,5. In the sub-circuit 11, resistor 6 is of importance, the value of this resistor being chosen to give the required time delay before of transmission signals from the associated transmitter transmission. Thus, this can vary between say 1.25 and 2.75 minutes depending, from experiment, on the safe time period for the particular animal concerned to distinguish between transient tail lifting in the normal pattern of behaviour of the animal, and the tail lifting pattern symptomatic of imminent birth of young.

It is to be appreciated that the sensor can operate either with animals upright or in a lying position, since in practice an animal such as a cow tends to lie in a semi-vertical position as opposed to completely horizontal, and with appropriate orientation of the sensor on the tail of the cow, activation in either disposition of the cow can be assured.

The sensing device may be attached to a cow (as an example) by any convenient means and in practice the sensing device can be strapped to the cows tail by appropriate elasticated bandaging and adhesive coated material.

The combined sensor and transmitter 1 upon actuation from any given cow will transmit a signal to a base unit 7 located within short range radio link from the sensors, such as within or mounted upon the wall of the stock shed or barn within which the relevant pregnant cow. amongst other such pregnant cows, is located, or alternatively within range of an outdoor yard or field within which the pregnant cows are located. On receipt of the signal from the appropriate sensor transmitter the base unit 7 will itself give audible and visual indication by means of a flashing light 8 and a horn 9 of the receipt of that signal. Additionally, the base unit 7 will, by means of the receiver amplifier and radio transmitter within it, transmit a stronger signal than that received from the appropriate sensor 1.This stronger signal can be received by animal management personnel on one or more remote receivers such as pocket or hand held alarm devices 10 arranged to give an visual and/or audible signal on receipt thereof.

It will be appreciated that the base unit can include indicator means (not shown) for showing that it is connected to mains electrical power, together with indicators for when the inputs are enabled or disabled together with remote status indicators. Again, switches may be provided at the base unit for disconnecting the audible warning, siren or horn.

By means of the invention we have provided a simple and effective apparatus and method for enabling the imminent birth of young to an animal to be detected with considerable saving in time for the relevant animal management personnel.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is merely exemplary of apparatus for and methods of providing an alarm for the imminent birth of young of an animal and that modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention. Thus for example, by appropriate use of circuitry within the base unit 7 opening on different frequencies for example, and with each of the sensor transmitters acting on different frequencies, and perhaps with the remote receivers 10 acting on different frequencies, the base unit can handle simultaneously signals from more than one sensor, and send on alarm signals to different remote receivers.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing an indication of imminent birth of young to an animal comprising a sensor arranged to detect at least one of the intrinsic changes in the animal's behaviour at the imminent approach of birth of young: a transmitter linked with the sensor, and arranged to transmit a signal upon the sensor detecting the at least one change; a receiving station arranged for detection and reception of an animal change indicating signal from the sensor and its associated transmitter: and an alarm signal arranged to give an audible and/or visible signal upon receipt by the receiving station of a signal from the sensor transmitter indicating detection by the sensor of the at least one change in the behaviour of the animal.

2. Apparatus for providing indication of the imminent birth of young to an animal comprising a sensor arranged to detect at least one known change in the animal's behaviour at the imminent approach of birth: a radio transmitter linked with the sensor and arranged to transmit a signal indicative of the detection of the at least one change in behaviour of the animal; and a base receiving station and relay arranged to receive signals from the transmitter associated with the sensor. the relay having a transmitter and being arranged to transmit amplified signals, on receipt of sianals from the sensor transmitter, to a remote receiver incorporating an alarm system and arranged, on receipt of signals from the relay transmitter ! to provide an audible and/or visual alarm sianal.

3. Apparatus claimed in Claim 2 wherein the relay station transmitter is a radio transmitter.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claims 2 or 3 wherein the relay station incorporates an alarm system.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 2. 3 or 4 wherein the receiver is a personal hand or pocket held receiver.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the sensor is arranged for mounting upon the tail of the animal concerned and includes a tilt switch closeable upon appropriate movement of the tail prior to birth of young.

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the sensor includes a delay circuit such that the associated sensor signal transmitter is not activated unless the tilt switch is closed for a predetermined time, or a number of instances within a predetermined time.

S. Apparatus for providing an indication of imminent birth of young to an animal substantially as shown in and suitably hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of providing indication of the imminent birth of young to an animal comprising arranging a sensor arranged to detect at least one known change in the animal's behaviour at the imminent approach of birth and a signal indicative of the detection of the at least one change in behaviour of the animal and to a base receiving station and relay. the relay transmitting amplified signals. on receipt of signals from the sensor transmitter. to remote receivers incorporating an alarm system. whereby on receipt of sianals from the relav transmitted, to provide an audible and/or visual alarm signal.

10. A method as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the sensor is located on the tail of the animal concerned closely adjacent the body of the animal.

11. A method as claimed in Claim 10 wherein the sensor includes a tilt switch which is closed upon appropriate movement of the tail prior to birth of youna to the animal.

12. A method of providing indication of the imminent birth of young to an animal substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.