SU1727741A1 - Device for automated assessment of physiological condition of animals in process of feeding - Google Patents

Abstract

Use: veterinary and livestock for the organization of automatic monitoring of the physiological state of animals. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: When an animal approaches a device, it is identified by block 1, the output of which is fed to block 3 of the start time of feeding. The signals from blocks 1 through 3 are converted in block 5 to specify the normative value of the duration of breaks between subsequent feedings, which sends to the block 6 of the comparison a signal characterizing the standard duration of breaks during feeding for the animal at that time of day. In accordance with the information received from block 3, the start time of feeding and from block 1 about the number of the animal, block 4 determines the actual value of the duration of the break between this and the previous feeds and sends this information to block 6, which compares the output signals of block 4 and 5. If the deviation of the changed value from the norm

Description

the value of this parameter exceeds the set limit, then block 6 sends to block 7 a warning signal that an animal ... has such a deviation in its feeding behavior. Block 7 signals the operator to pay special attention to the animal No. .... The device improves the accuracy of determining physiologically weakened animals that still lack external signs of physiological disorders or pathologies by taking into account the daily cyclicity in the feeding mode of each animal, 2 sludge.

The invention relates to agriculture, veterinary medicine and industrial fishing, particularly to the automation of preventive monitoring of young farm animals, and can be used both on large complexes and on small farms.

The purpose of the invention is to improve the accuracy of determining physiologically impaired animals.

Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a device for the automated assessment of the physiological state of animals during the feeding process; Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a unit for determining the start time of feeding.

The device contains an animal identification unit (BI) 1, a feed dispenser control unit (ECU) 2, a unit 3 for determining the start time of feeding (BNK). block 4 of memory (PSU); unit 5 of setting the standard value of the duration of the intervals between successive feedings of the animal (BDS). block 6 comparison (BS) and block 7 alert (BO). The outputs of block 1 are connected to the inputs of blocks 2 and 3 and the first input of block 5, the outputs of block 3 to the input of block 4 and the second input of block 5, as well as to the input of block 6, while the outputs of blocks 4 and 5 to the second and third the inputs of block 6, and the output of block 6 - with the input of block 7.

As feed control unit 2, any of the known control units can be used, for example, in the form of a memory unit, to the input of which a signal about the animal number from unit 1 is given, and the output of this unit (in which information on the dose values for animals with the corresponding code numbers) is connected to the inputs of digital-analogue converters, which form the control signal for the actuators of the feed dispensers for the delivery of portions of food to each animal.

Unit 5 assigning the required (normative) value of the interval between subsequent feeding of the animal is

function performed by the memory block. It stores information about the normative values of the intervals between feedings for each of the animals of the group served. Moreover, for each animal, a pair of data is stored: the value of the break between daytime feeding (starting from 9-10 am) and the value of the interval between the last evening and first morning

feedings (it should occur before 9am), having received information from block 3 about the time of the start of feeding, block 5, in accordance with the current time of day, determines the signal about which of these two

pass the standard interval values further to block 6.

Unit 3 for determining the start time of feeding includes a unit 8 for comparison (BSR), unit 9 for memory of current animal code numbers (BPN), block timer 10 and element 11 for determining the start time of feeding (OWC). The first input of block 8 is associated with the output of block 1, the second input and the first output respectively with the output and the input

block 9, the inputs of element 11 are connected to the second output of block 8 and the output of block 10, and the output of element 11 is connected to the inputs of blocks 4-6.

A device for automated assessment of the physiological state of animals in the process of feeding works as follows.

When the animal approaches the feeding apparatus, unit 1 identifies it and sends a signal to unit 2 to issue a portion of food corresponding to that animal. At the same time, the signal from block 1 goes to block 3, which determines at what time the next feeding of this animal began.

and transmits a signal to block 5. Block 5, receiving a signal from block 1 about the number of the animal and a signal from block 3 about the time of the start of feeding, selects the standard value of the duration of interruptions between

successive feedings of this animal for a given period of days (for example, if it happens in the evening, the standard value will be 3 hours, and if early in the morning it will be 8 hours). In addition, block 3 transmits

signal of the fact of the beginning of feeding (and the time of the beginning of feeding) to block 4, which will determine the actual break between the previous feeding of the given animal and the present one. All these signals, characterizing the number of the animal (from block 3), the actual size of the break (from block 4) and the normative (from block 5), go to block b, which compares the last two values, and if they differ from each other by more than 30-40%, transmits a signal to block 7, which notifies the operator that an animal ... has some kind of deviation in feeding.

Let us consider in more detail the operation of block 3. It is included in the work on the signal from block 1, while the information enters block 8. comparing this information with the information stored in block 9, i.e. with the number of the previous animal approaching the trough. If the signals are different, then a new animal has come, and block 8 sends a new number to block 9, erases the old one, and a signal to element 11, which determines the animal's current approach time (it comes from the timer block 10) and sends signals that characterize this time, and blocks 4 and 5, and in block 6 - a signal about the number of the animal that approached the dispenser.

The operation of the proposed device is based on studies of the behavior of the bodies of the dairy period when feeding in the mode of free access to the discharge apparatus and the normalized distribution of portions. The intervals between feedings are: from 6 to 22 hours, on average, 4 hours between approaches, and at night, the break is 8 hours (i.e., feeding takes place at 6 to 10 to 14 to 18 to 22 to 6-10 hours ). Deviations from the feeding time should be no more than 1-1.5 hours, and 1.5 hours is the maximum deviation from the feeding time for healthy animals, noted by experts. For healthy animals, the deviation in the period between subsequent feedings is on average ± 35 minutes.

Thus, if the animal is found to deviate from the feeding time

more than 1.5 hours i. 37.5% of the normal duration of the break during the day or 18.5% of the normal duration of the break at night, then the physiological state of the animal

can be assessed as requiring the attention of a specialist. Deviation can be caused by various reasons and the general physiological weakening of the animal, and the animal’s disease, and the fact that

clogging, not starting up to the trough, but in all cases, to establish and subsequently eliminate the cause, specialist intervention is required, i.e. person

It is also obvious that the record of the work day

On the other side, if the night break (a. is twice as long as the day break), the device will call the operator to all the bodies there, without distinguishing between the healthy and the sick.

Thus, the invention allows

improve the accuracy of assessing the physiological state of animals by taking into account daily periodicities in feeding young farm animals.

Claims (1)

Invention Formula A device for automated assessment of the physiological state of animals during the feeding process, comprising an identification unit, the outputs of which are connected to the inputs of the feed control unit of the feed unit, the unit for determining the start time of feeding, and the first input of the setting unit for the standard value of the period between consecutive feeds of the animal, last, the memory unit and the first output of the unit for determining the start time of feeding through the comparison unit are connected to the input of the notification unit, and the second the output of the feeding start time determining unit is connected to the memory unit input, characterized in that, in order to increase the accuracy of determining physiologically weakened animals, the third output of the feeding start time determining unit is connected to the second input of the standard setting unit for the duration of the period between successive feeds of the animal. FIG. 2