Monitoring Livestock

Abstract

An apparatus for raising livestock includes one or more confinement pens together with alleyways for transfer of the animals from one location to another. The apparatus includes one or more cameras for obtaining images of all animals in the containment area. A processor is provided for analyzing the images, the processor being arranged to allocate an arbitrary identification to each animal and to track all animals continually to maintain the allocation. From this tracking various data related to individual animals or the animals as a group can be obtained to assess their characteristics and to provide an indication to the worker of the animal to be extracted. The processor can be arranged to detect by image analysis of the image a quantity of feed and/or water in a feeder and to obtain images of the farrowing pen including the sow confinement area and at least one piglet confinement area.

1 . Apparatus for raising livestock comprising:
 a farrowing pen defining a sow confinement area for a sow and at least one piglet confinement area for piglets born from the sow;   a feeder device having at least one feed dispensing trough for feed and/or water to the sow;   a camera system including at least one camera mounted at the farrowing pen and arranged to obtain images of the farrowing pen including the sow confinement area and said at least one piglet confinement area;   a processor for analyzing the images;   and an output communication system for communicating to a worker data related to information obtained from the images.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the processor is arranged to obtain from the images data related to birth of piglet and to provide said data to the output communication system. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the data is obtained by observing in the image the presence of piglets in the farrowing pen. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the data is obtained by detecting changes in positions and/or demeanour of the sow in the farrowing pen. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the processor is arranged to detect by image analysis of the image a quantity of feed and/or water in the feeder. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the processor is arranged to calculate from the images and provide to the worker a body condition score of the sow repeatedly during a period of residence of the sow in the farrowing pen. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein the processor is arranged to modify an amount of feed supplied to the feeder in response to detected changes in body condition score. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the processor is arranged to detect by image analysis of the image a quantity of feed and/or water in the trough to determine whether the amount is within operating limits and to provide a signal in the event that the amount is outside the operating limits. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the feeder is arranged to dispense a required quantity of feed to the animal in a plurality of doses and wherein the processor is arranged to detect whether a previous dose has been taken by the animal before dispensing another dose. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the processor is arranged to detect from the images a location of at least one of the piglets in a crushing position underneath the sow. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the crushing location is observed by detecting a missing one of the piglets from the image indicating that one is underneath the sow. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein there is provided a sound detector for detecting a scream from a piglet being crushed and for communicating sound data to the processor to provide an indication of a crushed piglet. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the processor is arranged to use both the sound data and image analysis of the images for providing a determination of a crushed piglet. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the processor is arranged to use the sound data to trigger an analysis of an image to determine the crushing of a piglet.