Livestock management system and method for split-weight feeding based on median weight of herd

Abstract

A livestock management system is provided that sorts animals for split-weight feeding based on a calculated median weight of a herd. The system includes a pen area partitioned into a first feeding area containing at least a first feeder, a second feeding area containing at least a second feeder, and a common watering area containing at least one waterer. First and second one-way gates are respectively provided between the feeding areas and the watering area allowing animals to pass from the feeding areas into the watering area. A walk-through scale has an inlet open to the watering area, and first and second outlets open to the first and second feeding areas, respectively. The walk-through scale has a sort gate for selectively directing animals into the first and second feeding areas based on a comparison of a detected weight of the animal and a calculated median weight of the herd.

1 - 12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . A method of managing livestock, comprising the steps of: 
 placing an animal herd in a pen area having first and second feeders and a waterer;    for a first period of time, allowing the animals in said animal herd to roam freely through said pen area between said first and second feeders and said waterer;    partitioning said pen area into a first feeding area containing said first feeder, a second feeding area containing said second feeder, and a common watering area containing said waterer, and providing a first narrow passageway between said first feeding area and said common watering area, a second narrow passageway between said second feeding area and said common watering area, and a walk-through scale providing third and fourth passageways between said common watering area and said first and second feeding areas, respectively;    for a second period of time, allowing the animals in said animal herd to pass freely through said first, second, third and fourth passageways between said first and second feeding areas and said common watering area;    providing a first one-way gate at said first passageway, a second one-way gate at said second passageway, and a sort gate at said walk-through scale; and    for a third period of time, activating said first and second one-way gates to allow animals to pass through said first and second passageways only in a direction from said first and second feeding areas into said common watering area, and activating said sort gate at said walk-through scale to selectively direct animals through either said third passageway into said first feeding area or through said fourth passageway into said second feeding area.    
   
   
       14 . The livestock management method according to  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of individually weighing each animal passing through the walk-through scale during said third period of time, and activating said sort gate to selectively direct animals through either said third passageway or said fourth passageway based on a detected weight of the animal.  
   
   
       15 . The livestock management method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of calculating a median weight of the animals in the herd, comparing the detected weight of each animal to the calculated median weight during said third period of time, and activating said sort gate to direct animals having a weight above the calculated median weight into the first feeding area and animals having a weight below the calculated median weight into the second feeding area.  
   
   
       16 . The livestock management method according to  claim 15 , further comprising the step of automatically recalculating a median weight of the animals in the herd at predetermined time intervals.  
   
   
       17 . The livestock management method according to  claim 15 , further comprising the step of feeding the animals in said first feeding area a different feed ration than the animals in said second feeding area.  
   
   
       18 . The livestock management method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of selecting a weight percentile of the animal herd to use as a basis for sorting the animals, calculating a sorting weight based on the selected weight percentile, and comparing the detected weight of each animal to the calculated sorting weight during said third period of time, and activating said sort gate to direct animals having a weight above the calculated sorting weight into the first feeding area and animals having a weight below the calculated sorting weight into the second feeding area.  
   
   
       19 . The livestock management method according to  claim 18 , wherein said step of calculating a sorting weight based on the selected weight percentile comprises adding or subtracting a predetermined offset weight to the weight corresponding to the selected weight percentile.  
   
   
       20 . A livestock management system for providing split-weight feeding based on animal weight, comprising: 
 a pen area partitioned into a first feeding area containing at least a first feeder, a second feeding area containing at least a second feeder, and a common watering area containing at least one waterer;    a first passageway comprising a first one-way gate between said first feeding area and said common watering area, said first one-way gate being operable to allow animals to pass from said first feeding area into said common watering area and to prevent animals from passing back through the first one-way gate into the first feeding area;    a second passageway comprising a second one-way gate between said second feeding area and said common watering area, said second one-way gate being operable to allow animals to pass from said second feeding area into said common watering area and to prevent animals from passing back through the second one-way gate into the second feeding area; and    a walk-through scale having an inlet open to said common watering area, a first outlet open to said first feeding area, a second outlet open to said second feeding area, and a sort gate movable between a first position in which animals are directed to the first outlet and a second position in which animals are directed to the second outlet;    said walk-through scale having a controller that automatically moves said sort gate to said first position or said second position based on a measured weight of an animal passing through the scale and a calculated sorting weight.    
   
   
       21 . The livestock management system according to  claim 20 , wherein said controller is operable to direct relatively heavyweight animals into said first feeding area and relatively lightweight animals into said second feeding area, and wherein said first feeder contains a first feed ration which is different from a second feed ration contained in said second feeder.  
   
   
       22 . The livestock management system according to  claim 20 , wherein said survey scale controller calculates a sorting weight based on a selected weight percentile and previously measured weights of the animals in the pen area during a predetermined time interval.  
   
   
       23 . The livestock management system according to  claim 20 , wherein said controller calculates a median weight of the animals in the pen area based on previously measured weights of the animals during a predetermined time interval, compares a measured weight of each animal to the calculated median weight, and moves said sort gate to direct animals having a weight above the median weight into said first feeding area and animals having a weight below the median weight into said second feeding area.  
   
   
       24 . The livestock management system according to  claim 20 , wherein said first and second feeding areas comprise about 80 to 85% of a total area of the system, and said common watering area comprises about 15 to 20% of the total area.  
   
   
       25 . The livestock management system according to  claim 20 , further comprising a means for identifying each animal passing through said walk-through scale, and a means for automatically marking animals that fall behind a target minimum rate of weight gain.  
   
   
       26 . A controller for use in a split-rate livestock feeding system, comprising: 
 a means for calculating a sorting weight based on previously stored weights of the animals being weighed;    means for comparing a detected weight of an animal to said calculated sorting weight; and    means for activating a sort gate to direct the animal to a heavyweight pen if the detected weight is more than the calculated sorting weight and to a lightweight pen if the detected weight is less than the calculated sorting weight.    
   
   
       27 . The controller according to  claim 26 , wherein said means for calculating a sorting weight calculates a median weight of the animals in a herd based on previously stored weights of the animals, and automatically updates the median weight periodically.  
   
   
       28 . The controller according to  claim 26 , further comprising a means for selecting a weight percentile for sorting, and said means for calculating a sorting weight calculates said sorting weight based on the selected weight percentile.  
   
   
       29 . The controller according to  claim 28 , further comprising a means for selecting an offset weight, and said means for calculating a sorting weight calculates said sorting weight by adding or subtracting said selected offset weight to a weight corresponding to said selected weight percentile.  
   
   
       30 . The controller according to  claim 28 , further comprising a means for selecting a sorting weight for sorting market weight animals, and said means for activating the sort gate comprises means for activating the sort gate to direct animals into a market weight pen if their detected weight is more than the selected sorting weight.  
   
   
       31 . The livestock management method according to  claim 18 , further comprising the step of automatically recalculating a sorting weight of the animals in the herd at predetermined time intervals.  
   
   
       32 . The livestock management method according to  claim 18 , further comprising the step of feeding the animals in said first feeding area a different feed ration than the animals in said second feeding area.  
   
   
       33 . The livestock management system according to  claim 20 , wherein said survey scale controller comprises a means for automatically recalculating the sorting weight based on weights of the animals stored in the controller during predetermined time intervals so that the sorting weight is automatically changed periodically as the weight of the animals changes.  
   
   
       34 . The controller according to  claim 26 , wherein said means for calculating a sorting weight automatically recalculates the sorting weight based on weights of the animals stored in the controller during predetermined time intervals so that the sorting weight is automatically changed periodically as the weight of the animals changes.