An infrastructure arrangement and method for a farm animal shed includes a stationary position determination network having multiple optics-free position determination network points and at least one autonomous shed vehicle. The autonomous shed vehicle has a drive and a charging interface for the drive, an optics-free position determination apparatus, a coupling apparatus for detachably securing various functional units, and a control unit. The infrastructure arrangement and method also includes at least one charging station for charging the drive of the autonomous shed vehicle, at least one fitting station for fitting the autonomous shed vehicle with various functional units and/or work materials, and at least one data transmission unit, wherein the control unit of the autonomous shed vehicle is designed to take information of the position determination apparatus and of the data transmission unit as a basis for generating a schedule for the autonomous shed vehicle.

A milking arrangement includes a milking module having at least two milking places, a front gate assembly, a sequence gate assembly, an entrance gate, an independent first drive device for moving the front gate assembly between lower and upper positions, and a second drive device for moving the entrance gate between open and closed positions. An independent third drive device moves the sequence gate assembly from a first position to a second elevated position in which the sequence gates are located at a level above and behind animals standing in respective milking places. The sequence gate assembly being configured to move from the second position to the first position such that the sequence gates urge animals standing in their respective milking places to leave the milking places. A control arrangement controls opening of the entrance gate on basis of the position of the sequence gate assembly.

An animal enclosure (10) having a partly circular wall or fence (12), at least one barrier (36) located within the enclosure (10), the at least one barrier (36) being rotatable about a vertical axis (26), and actuation means for causing rotation of at least one of the at least one barrier (36), the actuation means being manually operable by an operator, the actuation means including a part or a portion (40) located externally of the enclosure (10) to thereby allow an operator to move the at least one barrier (36) from a location that is external to the enclosure (10). The actuation means includes a handle (40) extending externally of the enclosure (10) and a ratchet wheel operatively connected to the barrier (36).

A hollow polymer stall divider for use in a barn permits lateral flexing when a cow presses against the stall divider while the stall divider asserts a lateral force against the cow to urge the cow to move into a proper position between adjacent stall dividers without causing injury to the cow. The polymer stall divider can be formed of a single polymer material having a unitary density throughout. Alternatively, the polymer stall divider can be formed of multiple sections of different densities of polymer material, and different types of polymer material. The different sections of polymer material can be plastic welded together or connected by plug members inserted into the adjoining ends of the sections and secured with adhesives or other bonding material to form line blanks that can be heated until softened sufficiently to be bent into a proper shape within a pre-formed mold.

A livestock force tub features a perimeter structure delimiting an interior space of said livestock tub, including a main peripheral wall spanning circumferentially around a central upright axis, an exit situated at or proximate a terminal end of the main peripheral wall and a supplemental wall section at an area adjacent the exit on a side thereof opposite the terminal end of the main peripheral wall. The supplemental wall section increases an angular span of the tub around the central axis to create an auxiliary space beyond the exit. This auxiliary space accommodates a possible uncooperative animal during unloading of the force tub while allowing others to still reach the exit. The supplemental wall section and a terminal section of the main peripheral wall have a lesser opacity than more significantly cladded areas of the main peripheral wall, whereby increased light admission and environmental visibility attract livestock toward the exit.

An apparatus, systems, and methods of providing enrichment to poultry during raising or maintaining of the poultry. One or more light sources project beams to generate laser spots at and around the poultry. A control regimen moves the light spots relative the poultry in generally random fashion during timed sessions for each given time period (e.g. each day). The spot movement is designed to promote benefits to poultry and producer in correlation to experimental data related to animal welfare, health, and commercial value.

A penning system including partitions and barriers movable from a deployed configuration, in which the partitions partition an area over a floor into spaces and in which the barriers enclose the spaces to define pens for penning animals, to a collapsed configuration, wherein the partitions and barriers are collapsed for cleaning the floor.

In a headlock system having a plurality of n headlock cells, each of the n cells being adapted to enclose at least one animal; n is an integer greater than 1; a system for locating the position of at least one animal, the system comprising: at least one identification means adapted to transmit at least one identification signal associated with said at least one animal; at least one locating means adapted to generate at least one location signal associated with said at least one animal; and, a data processing system in communication with said at least one identification means and said at least one locating means, adapted to analyze said signals, said analyzed signals comprising the position within a predetermined region in said headlock system of each of said at least one animals as a function of time.

The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for continuously supplying livestock to a processing plant. The disclosed technology can include an enclosure configured to house livestock. The enclosure can include an enclosure entrance, an enclosure exit, and moveable walls to partition the enclosure into separate pens and automatically direct the livestock from the enclosure entrance toward the enclosure exit. A passageway can be connected to the enclosure exit and include moveable walls to automatically direct the livestock from the enclosure exit toward a processing plant. The moveable walls can be configured to move at a predetermined speed such that the plurality of livestock enter the enclosure as offspring, are reared in the enclosure, and are directed through the enclosure exit into the passageway approximately when the plurality of livestock have reached slaughter weight.

An adjustable crowding alley used to route livestock or other animals towards a destination. The adjustable crowding alley includes an adjustable panel that allows the width of the alleyway to vary according to the width of the animals being routed through the adjustable crowding alley. The adjustable crowding alley includes one or more backup blockers that allow animals to move forward through the adjustable crowding alley, but restrict backwards movement of the animals within the adjustable crowding alley after passing each backup blocker.