A growth monitoring system, and method, for livestock animals includes a barn environment that has a floor with bedding material, a 3D camera with a downward looking field-of-view, in which an animal may be present during a visit, to obtain repeatedly a 3D image of the field-of-view, and an image processor to extract a 3D point cloud representation. The image processor detects whether an animal is present in the point cloud representation, and if yes, selects the animal part point cloud of the point cloud representation, and determines a position dependent first height information, being a height above the floor of the animal part point cloud, and determines a position of the front legs and/or the hind legs of the animal, and if no, determines a position dependent second height information, being a height above the floor of the bedding material.

A portable and collapsible modular calf housing system featuring at least one pen comprising a front panel and two side panels and optionally a rear panel forming a pen. The side panels include channels in which the front panel can slide vertically to adjust the height of a feeding pail attached thereto. The channels are disposed on either face of each side panel to enable a front panel from each one of adjacent pens to be joined to form a plurality of interconnected pens.

An animal warming enclosure which is suitable for enclosing large animals, such as newborn calves, and protecting them during inclimate weather. The enclosure can be mounted on a vehicle, such as a truck, and the animal will be transported while other chores are completed. The animal will remain warm and can be returned to an appropriate location, such as a barn, when the chores are completed. The enclosure is fluidically connected to the exhaust system of the vehicle so that warm exhaust is used to provide heat for the enclosure.

A foldable, frameless emergency shelter is constructed from a radial array of bendable yet rigid panels such as of a foamed plastic. Panels have adjoining edges with matching convexly curved profiles. The edges are always held to each other with a flexible fastener such as an adhesive tape. During erection, a flat panel inherently deforms into a curved cylindrical tapered shape enclosing a space. A door and an optional floor are provided. The shelter has a rigid conical cap including holes for guy ropes, a door and an optional window.

A method of assembling a fence unit, where the method includes providing a side panel and a door frame of a fence assembly, where the side panel includes a plurality of vertical wires and a plurality of horizontal wires, and where the door frame including a side hook and side loop, sliding one of the plurality of vertical wires of the side into the side hook of the door frame, rotating the side panel with respect to the door frame such that the side loop of the door frame protrudes through a plane defined by the side panel, and inserting a door frame engagement pin through the side loop, where the door frame engagement pin includes an elongated portion and a fastening portion, and wherein, once inserted, the elongated portion engages at least one of the plurality of horizontal wires of the side panel to prevent the side panel from rotating with respect to the door frame.

A portable and collapsible modular calf housing system featuring at least one pen comprising a front panel and two side panels and optionally a rear panel forming a pen. The side panels include channels in which the front panel can slide vertically to adjust the height of a feeding pail attached thereto. The channels are disposed on either face of each side panel to enable a front panel from each one of adjacent pens to be joined to form a plurality of interconnected pens.

A portable, trapping system for capturing and non-lethally retaining a large number of large animals, such as wild horses or feral hogs. A specialized trailer aligns and secures deployable corral components for transportation. The corral comprises a modular fence erected on-site from multiple fence panels that are hinged together by pinning. The fence panels are configured with voids to prevent animal climbing. A gate with a remotely actuated trap door is similarly pinned between adjacent fence panels. The gate threshold is concealable. Stakes secure panels to the ground, forming a stable enclosure. The trailer comprises a rigid, confining frame structure adapted to constrain and transport corral components. When the corral is disassembled, multiple individual fence panels are slidably captivated between channels on first and second confining surfaces, being maintained in a parallel and stable configuration during transportation.

A modular animal pen system comprises front and rear panels and opposed side panels extending between the front and rear panels to form a primary enclosure. The front panel has adjacent doorway apertures formed therein to receive respective selectively closable gates, and a mullion is disposed between the doorway apertures. The mullion has a first slot, and a second slot in the rear panel is in registration with the first slot. The animal pen system further comprises a removable divider panel whose longitudinal ends are sized to fit removably within the respective slots so that the divider panel can divide the primary enclosure into two secondary enclosures. The side and divider panels may be formed by interchangeable profile panels, and the front and rear panels may be formed by interchangeable face panels connectable end-to-end to form a junction slot therebetween sized to receive the longitudinal ends of the profile panels.

Apparatus and associated methods involve a hangable LED light assembly constructed to provide a selected color output illumination as a function of excitation intensity. In an illustrative example, the color output may be selected to promote biological development throughout livestock development stages (e.g., incubation, growth, and reproduction). The light intensity may controllable, for example, in response to a light dimmer arranged to modulate AC excitation applied to the LED downlight. As the light intensity is decreased in response to a simple dimmer control, the spectral output of the LED downlight may shift its output wavelengths. Accordingly, some exemplary installations may provide controlled combinations of intensity and color to substantially optimize lighting conditions for livestock.

A free-standing plastic livestock confinement system includes hollow plastic panels assembled together to provide interconnected walls that create confinement areas. One of the walls provides a door opening and a door that can be closed across the opening. The door is a hollow plastic panel with an opening for an animal to place its head through for access to food. The door is molded with a bucket holder and the opening in the door over the bucket holder. The bucket holder is recessed such that a bucket received in the bucket holder will extend partially into the confinement area.