Appentence Measurement System

Abstract

The invention refers to appetence measurement for animals. In particular, the invention proposes an automated system for measuring the appetence of animals, including at least one feeding area ( 2 ) and an accommodation area ( 1 ), wherein the feeding area includes a room ( 3 ) whose dimensions are chosen so that the animal is able to move therein, and the system also includes access control resources ( 6, 10 - 12 ) that are designed so that the animals can gain access in turn to the room ( 3 ) from the accomodation area.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . An automated method for measuring the appetence of animals, comprising:
 a) identifying an animal whose appetence is to be measured   b) enabling entry into a room of said identified animal   c) preventing entry into said room of any animal other than said identified animal   d) optionally filming said identified animal in the feeding area by the means of a video camera delivering behavior video data to a computer   e) providing a feeding area in said room, said feeding area including at least two receptacles, each holding a different food product, each said food product having a predetermined weight   f) detecting exit from said room of said identified animal   g) determined a weight of each of said different products after said detecting   h) determining the appetence of said identified animal based on a difference between said predetermined weight and said determined weight for each of said different food products   i) possibly analyzing the behavior video data of said animal, so as frequency and duration of the meals, to complete the appetence patterns.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the preventing uses an airlock which is designed so that only one animal at a time can enter said room. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the airlock is a tunnel. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the identifying uses identity tags for each of the animals. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each animal is allowed to enter in the feeding area as much as he wants to, seeing that there is not already an animal in this area. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the room includes an entry door and a separate exit door. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least two receptacles are arranged in the room so that the identified animal is able to bypass each said receptacle. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the feeding area is dimensioned so as an animal is able to move therein. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a rotatable (rotating?) support for said at least two receptacles. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the support includes drive resources that rotate said support.