WO2008130218A1

WO2008130218A1 - Excrement collector, environment, method and software for keeping an animal

Info

Publication number: WO2008130218A1
Application number: PCT/NL2007/000105
Authority: WO
Inventors: Arbel Ben Ari; Amnon Zahavi; Meir Uri
Original assignee: Refet Nikia Ltd.
Priority date: 2007-04-18
Filing date: 2007-04-18
Publication date: 2008-10-30
Also published as: WO2008130218A8

Abstract

A collector (21) for containing excrement of an animal (20), such as an agricultural animal, comprises an excrement container (1 ) for containing excrement to be excreted by the animal (20). The collector (21) further comprises a harness (4) for fastening the container (21) to the animal, and a sensor (11) for measuring a parameter on the excrement. An environment for keeping an animal (20), such as an agricultural animal, comprises an animal accommodation for keeping the animal therein and a collector (21) to be connected to the animal (20) to be kept in the animal accommodation for collecting excrement of the animal (20). Furthermore, a sensor (11) may be provided for measuring a parameter on the excrement to be excreted by the animal (20).

Description

EXCREMENT COLLECTOR, ENVIRONMENT, METHOD AND SOFTWARE FOR KEEPING AN ANIMAL

The invention relates to a collector for containing excrement of an animal, such as an agricultural animal, an environment for keeping an animal, such as an agricultural animal, a method of keeping an animal, such as an agricultural animal, and a software program product for performing the method.

Agricultural animals such as cows, goats, sheep or others are kept by man from time immemorial. In the past decades, many developments took place in this field. For example, the milking robot was introduced to assist in milking dairy animals. Other examples are animal recognition systems that make it possible to recognize an animal, for example by means of an identification label or electronic identification, in order to attune in this manner an action, such as a milking, or a milking point of time to the animal, or feeding systems that determine, for example in combination with a recognition of an animal, an amount of feed to be offered to the animal and/or to record an amount of feed consumed by the animal.

In spite of the great progress that has been made in such fields, great problems occur in the field of contamination, in particular in case of factory farming, as a result of faeces and urine, to be excreted by the animals and the handling of said faeces, urine and bedding materials used because of their presence. In the first place, faeces and urine constitute a source of diseases and infection for the animals themselves, so that health problems may occur that may also lead to a reduced yield, such as milk from the animal, to additional veterinary treatment costs; however, in addition to this, many other undesired effects may be observed, such as contamination of a floor at the place where the animals are kept, odour nuisance by the faeces and urine, contamination of the animals by the faeces, etc. In order to face this problem in the best possible manner, there is used, for example, an accommodation for the animals that is provided with a grid floor, so that the faeces excreted by an animal will fall at least partially through the floor, in order to obviate the above-mentioned problems to a largest possible extent. However, it has been found that such grid floors frequently lead to complications for the animals themselves; for example, such a grid floor makes it impossible for the animals to lie on the floor in a rather comfortable manner. Another solution that has frequently been applied in the state of the art, is the use of a concrete floor that is frequently cleaned manually or with the aid of mechanical support. In addition to the costs aspects and working hours aspects related to such a regular cleaning of the floor, it has also been found that such a hard floor frequently leads to health problems with the animals. For example, lameness or other complications may occur when the animals are lying on such a hard floor.

Furthermore, from the state of the art devices are known for collecting faeces of a horse. U.S. patent 718 915 describes, for example, a collecting device that is fastened by means of a loop to a tail of the horse and by means of belts to a trunk of the horse, a pouch being provided for collecting the faeces. When the horse lifts its tail, the pouch will be kept open by means of the loop and the faeces to be excreted by the horse will be collected in the pouch. Another example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. patent 1 175 773, showing a pouch that comprises side walls that are capable of being unfold like an accordion. When the horse lifts its tail, this will lead to the pouch being unfold by means of a loop fastened around the horse's tail, so that it will be possible for the faeces to be collected in the pouch. Although such solutions may be advantageous for an individual animal, such solutions and the labour intensity related thereto are little efficient in the case of, for example, keeping animals on a large scale or in an efficient manner.

Furthermore, management systems are known in which data are recorded for an animal, such as milk yield or feed consumption of the animal.

The invention aims at obviating one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks at least partially. In order to achieve this object, the collector according to the invention comprises an excrement container for containing excrement to be excreted by the animal, a harness for fastening the excrement container to the animal, and a sensor for measuring a parameter on the excrement.

In this document, the term excrement is to be understood as to consist of faeces, urine or both faeces and urine. The invention may thus be understood as to comprise the collection of faeces, the collection of urine, or the collection of faeces as well as urine.

By collecting the excrement of the animal in the collector, a contamination of the environment in which the animal is accommodated may be reduced. This means that the risk of occurrence of diseases may be reduced. As will be described hereinafter in further detail, this also offers the possibility of switching to an environment for keeping the animal in which, instead of making use of a grid floor, concrete floor (and bedding materials) or the like, a more animal-friendly floor may be applied, since by collecting the excrement in the collector the occurrence of contamination of the floor may be prevented, so that the requirements the floor had to meet until now as to discharge or removal of excrement, may be cancelled at least partially or may be formulated in another manner. The collector may preferably be provided with a sensor for measuring a parameter on the excrement, although this is not necessary per se in a broad sense of the idea according to the invention. The sensor is capable of measuring a plurality of parameters in order to supply in this manner relevant information. For example, the sensor may be arranged to measure an acid content, such as a pH, of the excrement, since information may be derived therefrom regarding the digestive process of the feed by the cow, occurrence of diseases, eating behaviour, and the like. In another embodiment, the sensor may be arranged to measure a temperature of the excrement from which, for example, information regarding the condition of health of the animal may also be derived. It is also possible, by means of a sensor suitable for the purpose, to determine a content of urea, to measure a viscosity of in particular faeces, to measure a weight of the excrement by determining a weight increase of or in the excrement container, to measure an electrical conductivity, to detect a concentration or presence of a predetermined chemical composition such as a harmful or undesired substance, etc. In this manner it is also possible, for example, to establish a condition of health of the animal or, as will be explained hereinafter in further detail, to make a relation between a feed consumption by the animal and an excretion by the animal. Furthermore, it is possible that, on the basis of the parameter or parameters measured by the sensor, a process for processing the excrement, in particular, for example concentrating them, producing biogas, or any other arbitrary way of processing them, is adjusted on the basis of the information obtained by means of the sensor. When, for example, the sensor is arranged to measure a content of a particular component in the excrement, a processing process for processing the excrement may be controlled on the basis of such a content; for example, in the case of production of biogas in which a particular temperature is desired in a biogas reactor, it may be advantageous to achieve, on the basis of a temperature of the faeces excreted by the animal and to be supplied to the gasification process, an improved temperature control in the gasification process. Of course, it is possible to measure many other parameters, for example a number of excretions by the animal within a particular period of time, by providing the collector, for example, with a weight sensor, for example linked to a time recording means, such as a clock or other counter, by means of which a weight increase in combination with a corresponding point of time is recorded. It is also possible that the occurrence of an excretion of excrement by the animal is recorded by means of the sensor, so that it is possible, for example, to proceed, either automatically or not, to a discharge of the collector. In another embodiment, a volume of the excrement may be detected. The above advantages may be applicable to faeces collection as well as to urine collection by means of the collector. The collector may comprise a guide means connected to the excrement container for guiding the excrement of the animal to the excrement container, so that, for example, a container with a sufficiently large capacity may be provided and may be disposed at a place where the relevant animal will experience no or little hindrance by it, for example, hanging between the hind legs of the animal. It is also possible to dispose, by means of the guide means, the excrement container at such a place, for example between the hind legs or under an abdomen of the animal, that the excrement container may be emptied in a simple manner, for example mechanically. By the guide means, exposure to air may be at least partly prevented while spilling may be avoided and sealing of the collector may be provided. The guide means may comprise an abutting element for abutting against a rear part of the animal, so that a good connection with the animal may be achieved in this manner and contamination by spilling or loosing excrement in another manner is thus prevented. By means of such an abutting element it may be ensured, for example, that the excrement container, either or not in combination with the guide means, forms a substantially closed space, so that odour nuisance, if any, or contamination by draining away of excrement, for example in the case that the animal lies down, may be reduced or may be limited at least to a certain extent. The abutting element may comprise a first aperture for attachment to at least the anus of the animal, the first aperture debouching into the guide means in order to enable in this manner an effective collection of the excrement in the collector. The abutting element may further comprise a second aperture for its attachment to the vulva of the animal, the second aperture debouching into a urine guide means of the collector. In this manner there may also be provided a collecting device for collecting urine of the animal. Of course, it is also possible to dimension the first aperture in such a way that it allows the collection of both faeces and urine. In that case a separate urine guide means can, for example, be omitted, and the urine can, for example, be guided by the guide means to the collector. By also collecting urine, additional advantageous effects may be achieved. Before explaining these effects in further detail, it is pointed out that, in an embodiment, the collector may be arranged to collect urine, it not being necessary per se for the collector to be arranged at the same time to collect faeces. It has been found that components present in urine sometimes lead to the occurrence of contamination of the environment in which the animal is kept occurs, because components of the urine may penetrate into the ground. Collecting urine by means of the collector prevents at least partially such a contamination and offers at the same time the advantage of being able to switch to a floor that is, for example, more animal friendly by the use of a softer material, or makes it possible to reduce or totally to avoid a labour-intensive and/or cost-intensive regular cleaning of the floor.

For collecting urine the collector may be provided with a separate urine container into which the urine guide means debouches in order to enable in this manner a separate collection of urine and faeces. Instead of or in addition to this, the collector may also be provided with a passage for separating urine and faeces. It is thus possible to separate, in a manner suitable for the purpose, the solid components, in other words faeces, from liquid components, inter alia urine, by means of such a passage: this not only enables to effect a separation of faeces and urine, but also enables to effect, for example, a concentration of the faeces by separating solid and liquid components thereof from each other with the aid of the passages.

In a further preferred embodiment, the abutting element may comprise a third aperture that debouches into a tail guide means or a tail ring for guiding through a root of a tail of the animal. There may thus be achieved a proper fastening of the abutting element to the animal since, by fastening to the tail, a risk of shifting of the abutting element or displacement thereof in another manner, for example when the animal lies down or rubs against a fencing, may be reduced. Although the abutting element may be designed in various ways, in a preferred embodiment, the abutting element may comprise an abutting plate in which at least the first aperture is provided, and in which the abutting plate is provided with fastening means for connecting the abutting plate to the harness, so that by means of the connection with the harness a stable abutment against the animal may be achieved.

The abutting element may be made of a flexible material in order to be able to follow movements of the animal or differences in size of the individual animals, so that a comfortable and not stressful abutment against the animal is possible, and/or an effective collection of excrement may be stimulated. The harness may comprise any arbitrary shape: it is possible, for example, to make the harness of flexible, solid, deformable and/or different elements and/or materials. The harness is capable of covering a trunk of the animal at least partially in order to achieve in this manner for example a distribution of weight and pressure, or in order to protect the animal in this manner against the effects of cold, heat, solar radiation, aggression by other animals, rubbing against fencings, walls and the like; however, it is also possible for the harness to have a substantially open structure in order to cover the animal only to a very small extent whereby a contact with the animal's body may be minimized while a weight distribution over the animal's body may be provided. In a preferred embodiment, the harness comprises a central belt so as to extend along a back of the animal in a position in which it is attached, so that a weight of the collector and excrement and the like that are possibly present therein may be distributed in an effective manner over the back of the animal. Furthermore, in order to achieve a proper abutment at the rear side of the animal, the harness may be provided with two belts which are disposed at an end of the central belt facing the rear side of the animal and which extend to respective sides of the excrement container or the abutting element in a position in which they are attached A ring, ring shaped belt or similar may be provided at an end of the central belt facing the tail of the animal, for securing to a root of the tail of the animal. In order to prevent the collector from shifting and/or to achieve a distribution of the weight of the either or not filled collector over the animal, it is possible to dispose two belts at an end of the central belt facing the head of the animal so as to be interconnected before a breast of the animal. Said belts may connect to a piece of material cut to a shape that may adapt itself to the contours of a breastbone of the animal between its front legs. In this manner the breastbone, which is solid and located at a lower part of the front end of the animal's body, may be used as an anchor which may stabilize the harness and may also provide a counter balance to the weight of the container. As mentioned, many embodiments of the harness are possible, in particular an embodiment being mentioned here in which the harness comprises a canvas or a net to cover the animal at least partially, so that a proper distribution of the weight and/or a protection of the animal are made possible in a cost-effective manner. In addition to this or in another embodiment, the harness may comprise a series of balls, such as balls of synthetic material or wooden, balls, so that in fact a structure is offered that is comparable to a certain extent with the known balls, usually made of wood, which are interconnected by threads and may be disposed on a seat of, for example, a car in order to bring about, for example, a massaging effect and/or ventilation of the skin. Furthermore, the harness may be provided with side stabilizers (e.g. bars), e.g. for placement at either side of the animal's body, thereby preventing rotational movements of the harness.

In order to prevent or to limit an accumulation of dirt, a part of the harness to be disposed near the anus of the animal may comprise a moisture-repellent material and/or an antibacterial material. Furthermore, the harness may comprise canals that are preferably made of a flexible material or are at least filled with a partially flexible material in order to effect in this manner a comfortable abutment against the animal; examples of flexible material may be a gel or a compressed gas. The excrement container may be designed in various ways. For example, it may be made of a material that retains its shape, so that draining away or spilling of manure may be prevented in the case that pressure is exerted on the container when the animal lies down. In order to prevent load or possible rubbing on the animal, a shape of the excrement container may be such that it fits a part of the body of the animal with which the container comes into contact during use.

The excrement container may be made of a flexible or semi-flexible material enabling a capacity of the container to increase when collecting excrement, for example by means of flexible parts or by means of an accordion included in a wall of the excrement container. The container may comprise a transparent material which may enable to view its contents and/or contents level, whereby the container may be provided with marks forming a scale to indicate a degree of filling of it. Isolation may be provided to reduce noise and/or to prevent urine and/or faeces from freezing in the container.

In order to enable an advantageous emptying of the container, the excrement container may be provided with a closable discharge aperture. For this purpose, many embodiments are possible: the container may be provided, for example, with a flap, for example at a lower side thereof, that is capable of being energized mechanically, magnetically, pneumatically or in an arbitrary other manner, a valve that is capable of being opened pneumatically, electro- magnetically, mechanically or in an arbitrary other manner, or in any other proper manner. It is also possible to design the excrement container detachably, so that for the purpose of discharging the container, the container may be detached from the collector. In a further embodiment, the container may be detachable for emptying it, or a detachable collection bag may be provided, either installed in the container, or forming the container itself.

In order to prevent or at least to limit an accumulation of faeces and/or any remaining urine in the guide means and/or the container, an inner wall thereof may be provided with a smooth, slippery, non stick, preferably moisture-repellent and/or antibacterial finish.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an environment for keeping an animal, such as an agricultural animal, comprising: an animal accommodation for keeping the animal therein, a collector to be connected to an animal to be kept in the animal accommodation for collecting excrement of the animal, and a sensor for measuring a parameter on the excrement to be excreted by the animal, by means of which equal or comparable effects may be achieved as mentioned above regarding the collector according to the invention. The sensor may be included in the collector, in which case the collector may be designed both as an active one and as a passive one. By active is meant here that the sensor is provided with a power supply included in the collector and, for example, with a data communication device, such as a wireless transmitting device or the like, in order to transmit data obtained by means of the sensor to a data processing device. By the term passive is meant here an embodiment of the sensor in which it is provided with an external power supply: it is imaginable, for example, that the power supply for the sensor is offered, for example, at the discharge place or at a milking machine, so that at that place a measurement by means of the sensor and a reading with the aid of the data obtained by the sensor may be carried out. On the one hand, a cost saving is thus possible, since in this manner the collector may be designed more simply, on the other hand, this means that only at the above-mentioned places or other places where power supply and provisions of this kind are provided on behalf of the sensor, it is possible to proceed to reading, and, consequently, to obtain data.

In addition to this or instead of this, it is possible to include the sensor in or at a discharge device for discharging the faeces and/or urine. It is thus possible further to simplify the collectors, because, in this manner, sensors and/or processing electronics, power supply and/or data communication need not be disposed in or on the collector. Central measurement of data on the manure, for example at a discharge place, may be combined, for example, with an identification of the animal by means of, for example, an already known identification device, so that, in this manner, the data measured on the excrement may be linked by a data processing device to the identification of the animal in order to enable in this manner an individual measurement per animal.

The discharge place may be located at any arbitrary place in the environment for keeping the animal; in a favourable embodiment it is possible to make the choice of positioning the discharge place at a milking robot, a milking stall and/or an automatic feeding installation, so that, each time when the relevant animal is handled by the installation in question (milking robot, milking stall, automatic feeding installation, or the like) it is possible to proceed to emptying the collector, if necessary. The emptying may also or instead thereof take place at feeding or drinking trough(s) or along an enforced route leading or exiting from each one of them. The discharge place may be provided with, for example, a pump system or a vacuum system for a quick and effective emptying. In a further embodiment, there may be provided a washing, spraying or disinfecting device for cleaning the container and/or guide means at an inner and/or outer side thereof. In order to enable a comfortable stay of the animals, the environment may be provided with a drainage floor, such as a slanting floor or a floor provided with mats (for example, rubber mats or mats that are flexible in another manner). Such mats may comprise animal friendly characteristics such as draining pores, antibacterial / microbial additives, none slippery structure, heating elements, friendly colours, noise absorption, The environment may also be provided with a floor covered with vegetation and/or imitated, artificial vegetation such as artificial grass, for example in combination with an at least partially transparent cover (coverage, roof, shielding, etc.) thereof.

The environment may be provided with a data processing system for determining, on the basis of a parameter measured on the excrement to be contained by the collector, an environmental condition for keeping the animal, as will be explained in further detail hereinafter.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of keeping an animal, such as an agricultural animal, comprising: a) collecting excrement of the animal by means of a collector connected to the animal; b) measuring a parameter on the excrement, and c) determining an environmental condition for keeping the animal with the aid of the measured parameter.

On the basis of the parameter measured on the excrement, of which examples are mentioned in the foregoing, an environmental condition for keeping the animal may be determined or adjusted, so that in this manner an improvement of living conditions and/or yield of the animal may be made possible. The environmental condition may comprise a plurality of variables, by way of example are mentioned here an amount and/or composition of the feed to be offered to the animal. In this manner it is not only possible to establish, on the basis of the excrement, how a digestion process of the animal has developed (for example by measuring a suitable parameter such as a component of the manure) and to attune the amount of feed, or its composition, to be offered to the animal to said parameter, but it is also possible to correlate data relating to amount and composition of feed, amount and composition of manure and amount and composition of the product (for example milk) to be supplied by the animal with each other and thus to achieve an optimum yield. It has been found from studies that a major cost factor in the production of, for example, milk in the case of dairy cows is constituted by the feed to be offered to the cows. By being able, according to this aspect of the invention, by means of, for example, a data processing system, to make a correlation between amount and/or composition of the feed to be offered to the animal, amount and/or composition of another suitable parameter of the excrement to be excreted by the animal, possibly in combination with amount, composition or another suitable parameter or other suitable parameters of the milk to be produced by the animal, it is possible to proceed to an optimisation and/or a selection of animals from a group of animals showing a better efficiency, so that in this manner a breed or a variety may be bred leading to a higher yield in relation to the amount and/or composition of feed to be offered to the animal.

In addition to or instead of the above-mentioned example of amount and/or composition of the feed to be offered to the animal, there are many other environmental conditions that may be determined by means of the method, such as an environmental temperature, etc.

Examples of the parameters to be measured are already mentioned in the foregoing. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a software program product comprising program instructions for performing, when loaded into a computer, the method according to the invention.

In further embodiments of the invention, the collector, environment, method and software may be specifically directed to the collection faeces, therefore, the invention may further be defined as:

A collector for containing faeces of an animal, such as an agricultural animal, comprising: a faeces container for containing faeces to be excreted by the animal, a harness for fastening the collector to the animal, and a sensor for measuring a parameter on the faeces. An environment for keeping an animal, such as an agricultural animal, comprising an animal accommodation for keeping an animal therein, a collector to be connected to an animal to be kept in the animal accommodation for collecting faeces of the animal, and a sensor for measuring a parameter on the faeces to be excreted by the animal. A method of keeping an animal, such as an agricultural animal, comprising: a) collecting faeces of the animal by means of a collector connected to the animal; b) measuring a parameter on the faeces, and c) determining an environmental condition for keeping the animal with the aid of the measured parameter. A software program product- comprising program instructions for performing, when loaded into a computer, step c) of the method as described above.

With the last mentioned collector, environment, method and software same or similar preferred embodiments and advantages may be achieved as with the corresponding items as described in more detail above.

Further advantages, characteristics and properties of the invention will be elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawing in which a non-limiting embodiment is shown, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a collector according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2a and 2b are schematic, perspective detailed views of a part of a collector according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of an environment for keeping animals according to an aspect of the invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic view of a milking robot according to an aspect of the invention, and

Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method of keeping animals according to an aspect of the invention.

Figure 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a collector 21 , a circumference of an animal 20, more specifically an agricultural animal, in this example a dairy cow, is indicated. Of course, the collector shown here is also applicable to other agricultural animals, for example to pigs, goats, etc. In this embodiment, the collector 21 comprises a container 1 for containing faeces and/or urine of the animal 20, an abutting plate 3 disposed against a rear side of the animal 20, a guide means 2 between the abutting plate 3 and the container 1 , and a harness 4 for fastening to the animal 20. More in detail, the harness 4 comprises a central belt or band extending along a back of the animal 20, a belt or band 6 extending from the central belt or band 5 over a breast of the animal 20, a belt or band 7 of the central belt 5 to the abutting plate 3 and a belt, band or the like '8 from the container 1 to a net or canvas 9 that covers a part of a trunk of the animal 20. A length-adjusting element may be provided in the central belt and/or in the band 7 and/or 8 to adapt the harness to the animal's size, respectively to position the container so as to face an inner curve of a rear udder of the animal. Faeces and/or urine to be excreted by the animal 20 may be guided, by means of a suitable aperture in the abutting element 3 and the guide means 2, to the container 1. The container may be, for example, detachable from the guide means 2, or may be provided with a closable aperture; this embodiment shows a flap 10 at a lower side of the container 1. The container 1 may be provided with a sensor 11 that, in this embodiment, is included in the flap 10. Upon discharging the container 1 , by means of a suitable discharge device, the flap 10 may be opened in an arbitrary, known per se manner (for example, electro-magnetically, pneumatically, mechanically, etc.) and, in this embodiment, the data obtained by the sensor 11 may also be read in a proper (for example wireless) manner. Of course, it is possible to dispose the sensor 11 at any other suitable place in or on the container 1 , the guide means 2 and/or the abutting element 3. As will be explained in further detail hereinafter, it is also possible to dispose the sensor 11 at another place, for example in or on the discharge device. The abutting plate 3, or in more general terms the abutting element 3, will be explained in further detail with reference to Figures 2a and 2b.

Figure 2a is a schematic, perspective view of an abutting element 3 that is provided with an aperture 13 in which an aperture 12 at an end of, for example, the guide means 2 shown in Figure 1 is disposed. Furthermore, Figure 2a shows an aperture 14 into which an end of a second guide means debouches, for example a urine guide means for collecting urine of the animal and guiding urine to, for example, the container 1 or a separate container for collecting urine that is capable of forming, for example, a compartment in the container 1. In the aperture 13 in the abutting element 3 there is further disposed an end of the guide means 16 that, in this embodiment, comprises a flexible tube element, and through which a tail of the animal may be guided in order to stimulate in this manner a fixation of the device. In this embodiment, the flexible guide means 16 is connected, via a ring 17, with the filling element 18 that is intended to be placed under the tail of the animal, a shape of the body being capable of following as much as possible a shape of a space under the tail of the animal in order to stimulate in this manner to maintain the abutting element and consequently also the apertures 13 and 14 in their positions. As shown in Figure 2b, for that purpose, the filling element may have, for example, a rounded shape. Many other alternatives may be applied, for instance, instead of the abutting element, the guide means may be provided with an open end facing the animal, the open end to collect faeces and or urine excreted by the animal.

Figure 3 is a very schematic view of an environment 30 for keeping animals. The environment comprises an accommodation, here consisting of a covering or roof 31 , a floor 33 and walls 32 that comprise an either or not closed area. Of course, it is also possible to provide an open or at least partially open accommodation, in which, for example, a part of the area where the animals are kept is not covered. It is also possible that the animals, in addition to the environment 30 shown here, have the possibility of moving, via a non-shown exit, to an exterior area. The schematically indicated animal 20 is provided with a collector that comprises in this embodiment, according to an aspect of the invention, a harness 4 and a container 1. In this embodiment, the animal 20 comprises a dairy animal. The environment further comprises a milking robot 34 that is provided with very schematically indicated teat cups. In addition, there is provided a discharge device for discharging the collector. When the animal 20, either or not of its own accord, walks to the milking robot 34 and is milked by the milking robot, the collector may be discharged, simultaneously with the milking, prior to the milking or after the milking, by means of a discharge device comprising a discharge means 36 that is provided with, for example, an adapter (that will be explained hereinafter in further detail) and a collecting device 38 for collecting faeces and/or urine. The adapter may be provided with a sensor 43 for measuring a parameter on the faeces or urine, it being possible for measured data or measured values to be transferred to a processing unit 40 via a connection 39. On the basis of the measured data for the animal, the processing unit 40 is capable of determining an environmental condition for the relevant animal or for a group of animals as a whole, and of controlling, for example, by means of connection 41 , a metering device 42a of a feeding system 42, so that an amount of feed to be offered to the animal 20 may be controlled in dependence on a parameter measured by means of the sensor. Of course, the processing unit 40 is further capable of taking various other information, such as historical information, data from other sensors, preferences to be made by a manager, etc., into consideration upon determination of the amount of feed to be supplied or other environmental conditions.

Figure 4 is a very schematic detailed view of a part of the milking robot 34 according to Figure 3. Figure 4 shows the teat cups 35 that are to be connected to the udder of the animal, indicated here symbolically by an interrupted line 22. This figure also shows the collector 1 which, in this embodiment, is provided at its lower side with a flap 10. The flap may be opened by means of a schematically indicated control device 44 (such as a pneumatic, magnetic, electro-magnetic, mechanical or other device) in order to discharge contents of the container 1 via the discharge or guide means 36. The discharge device comprising the guide means 36 further comprises, in this embodiment, a discharge connection 37 for collecting the faeces or urine to be discharged from the container 1. Figure 4 further shows a sprayer 45 for the purpose of performing a cleaning of (for example an inner side of) the container 1 after a discharge. Upon discharging the container 1 , a parameter, such as an acid content, a temperature, a content of urea, or other information may be obtained by means of the sensor 43 that is schematically indicated. Of course, it is also possible to dispose a sensor in or on the container 1 or the guide means 2 in order to obtain in this manner such data or other data, such as a weight or volume of the faeces, a point of time of excretion of the faeces, etc. The data thus obtained may be transferred to the processing device 40 by means of a non- shown data communication device. In order to effect an effective discharge of the faeces it is possible to make use of an energization, such as a vacuum piston, pump or the like to discharge the faeces from the container 1 via the guide means 36.

Figure 5 shows a flow chart of a method according to an aspect of the invention. In step a faeces of the animal are collected by means of a collector that is connected to the animal. In step b a parameter is measured on the faeces. Subsequently, in step c, an environmental condition for keeping the animal is determined with the aid of the measured parameter. The environmental condition may comprise, as mentioned above, for example an amount and/or composition of feed to be offered to the animal, an environmental temperature, an environmental humidity, etc. In the method mentioned here, by means of suitable program instructions, at least step c of the method may be performed. It is also possible for the software to store the measured data in a memory, to link them to an individual animal with the aid of an identification of the animal obtained from an animal identification system, to offer desired data to a manager, etc.

Claims

1. A collector (21) for containing excrement of an animal (20), such as an agricultural animal, comprising: an excrement container for containing excrement to be excreted by the animal (20), a harness (4) for fastening the excrement container (21 ) to the animal (20), and a sensor (11 ) for measuring a parameter on the excrement.

2. A collector (21 ) as claimed in claim 1 , the sensor (11 ) being arranged to measure at least one of a pH, a temperature, a content of urea, a viscosity, a weight, a number of excretions per period of time, an occurrence of an excretion of excrement by the animal, an electrical conductivity, a concentration or presence of a predetermined chemical composition, and a volume of the excrement.

3. A collector (21) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, comprising a guide means (2) that is connected to the excrement container (1), for guiding the excrement of the animal to the excrement container (1 ).

4. A collector (21) as claimed in claim 3, the guide means (2) comprising an abutting element (3) for abutting against a rear part of the animal.

5. A collector (21) as claimed in claim 4, the abutting element (3) comprising a first aperture (12) for its attachment to at least the anus of the animal, and the first aperture (12) debouching into the guide means (2).

6. A collector (21) as claimed in claim 4 or 5, the abutting element (3) comprising a second aperture (14) for its attachment to the vulva of the animal, and the second aperture (14) debouching into a urine guide means of the collector.

7. A collector (21 ) as claimed in claim 6, the collector (21 ) further comprising a urine container for collecting urine and the urine guide means debouching into the urine container.

8. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the collector

(21 ) having a passage for separating urine from faeces.

9. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, the abutting element

(3) comprising a third aperture that debouches into a tail guide means or a tail ring

(17) for guiding through a root of a tail of the animal.

10. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 9, the abutting element

(3) comprising an abutting plate (3) in which at least the first aperture (12) is provided, the abutting plate (3) being provided with fastening means for connecting the abutting plate (3) to the harness (4).

11. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 10, the abutting element (3) being made of a flexible material.

12. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 11 , the abutting element (3) being provided with a filling element (18) for being placed under the tail of the animal, a shape of the filling element (18) substantially following a shape of a space under the tail of the animal, and the first guide means preferably extending through the filling element (18).

13. A collector (21 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the excrement container (1 ) comprising a space that is substantially closed in a position in which it is attached to the animal (20).

14. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the harness (4) comprising a central belt (5) so as to extend along a back of the animal (20) in a position in which it is attached.

15. A collector (21) as claimed in claim 14, two belts being disposed at an end of the central belt (5) facing the rear side of the animal (20), which two belts extend to respective sides of the excrement container (1 ) or the abutting element

(3).

16. A collector as claimed in claim 14 or 15, two belts being disposed at an end of the central belt facing the head of the animal so as to be interconnected before the breast of the animal.

17. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the harness

(4) comprising a canvas or net (9) to cover the animal (20) at least partially.

18. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the harness

(4) comprising a series of balls that are interconnected by a flexible netting.

19. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, at least a part of the harness (4) to be disposed near the anus of the animal comprising a moisture-repellent material and/or antibacterial material.

20. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the harness

(4) comprising canals that are preferably made of a flexible material or are filled at least partially with a flexible material, such as a gel or a compressed gas.

21. A collector (21 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the excrement container (1) being made of a material that retains its shape.

22. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, a shape of the excrement container (1) being arranged to fit a part of the animal's body with which the excrement container (1) comes into contact during use.

23. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the excrement container (1 ) being made of a flexible or semi-flexible material.

24. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, a wall of the excrement container (1) comprising an accordion.

25. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the excrement container (1) comprising a closable discharge aperture.

26. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the excrement container (1) being detachable.

27. A collector (21 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the excrement being faeces.

28. A collector (21) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, an inner wall of the excrement container (1) and/or the guide means being provided with a smooth, preferably moisture-repellent finish and/or none sticking finish.

29. An environment for keeping an animal, such as an agricultural animal, comprising an animal accommodation for keeping an animal therein, a collector (21 ) to be connected to an animal to be kept in the animal accommodation, the collector (21) for collecting excrement of the animal, and a sensor (11 , 43) for measuring a parameter on the excrement to be excreted by the animal.

30. An environment as claimed in claim 29, further comprising a discharge place for discharging the excrement from the collector (21 ), the discharge place being provided with the sensor (43).

31. An environment as claimed in claim 30, the discharge place being provided with at least one of a milking robot, a milking stall and an automatic feeding installation for discharging the collector (21 ) when the animal is handled by the respective milking robot, milking stall or automatic feeding installation.

32. An environment as claimed in claim 30 or 31 , the discharge place comprising a pump system or a vacuum system for discharging the excrement from the excrement container (1 ).

33. An environment as claimed in any one of claims 30 to 32, the discharge place comprising a washing, spraying or disinfecting system.

34. An environment as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 33, the environment comprising a drainage floor, such as a slanting floor or a floor provided with mats.

35. An environment as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 34, the environment comprising an at least partially transparent cover.

36. An environment as claimed in claim 35, the environment comprising a floor covered with vegetation.

37. An environment as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 36, the collector (21 ) comprising the sensor (11 ).

38. An environment as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 37, comprising a data processing system for determining an environmental condition for keeping the animal (20) on the basis of a parameter measured on the excrement to be contained by the collector (21 ).

39. A method of keeping an animal, such as an agricultural animal, comprising: a) collecting excrement of the animal by means of a collector (21 ) connected to the animal; b) measuring a parameter on the excrement, and c) determining an environmental condition for keeping the animal with the aid of the measured parameter.

40. A method as claimed in claim 39, the environmental condition comprising an amount and/or a composition of feed to be offered to the animal.

41. A method as claimed in claim 39 or 40, the environmental condition comprising an environmental temperature.

42. A method as claimed in any one of claims 39 to 41 , the parameter comprising at least one of a pH, a temperature, a content of urea, a viscosity, a weight, an electrical conductivity, a concentration or presence of a predetermined chemical composition, and a volume of the excrement.

43. A software program product comprising program instructions for performing, when loaded into a computer, step c) of the method as claimed in any one of claims 39 to 42.