A monitoring system is used with one or more hogs in order to monitor the hogs. The system can monitor the health of the hogs to determine, predictively, if a change is occurring such that the change could be a health risk. The system can also determine farrowing, including the number of piglets and weight of the piglets. The system is capable of monitoring movement and eating patters to determine if a change has occurred that may signify a change in the health of the one or more hogs. The data of the system can be compiled and processed to allow the system to become self-learning in order to better predict and analyze the hog or hogs.

An improved biosecurity livestock confinement crate system for safely confining and farrowing livestock. The confinement crate system improves the safety of the livestock and the user. The confinement crate system includes a containment area which houses an animal and is adjoined, and separated, by a rib structure in the configuration of a Flying-W. This configuration protects offspring of the animal in the adjoining safety area from being injured or killed.

An improved biosecurity livestock floor system for safely supporting and farrowing livestock. The floor system improves the safety of the livestock and the user. The floor system includes a containment area with containment panels, and a safety area with safety area floor panels, which house an animal and is adjoined, and separated, by the Flying-W configuration of the rib structure. This configuration protects offspring of the animal in the adjoining safety area from being injured or killed.

A feeder system for feeding and nurturing livestock is presented. The feeder system improves the safety of the livestock by providing a bio-secure device for feeding livestock. The feeder system provides a means for feeding an animal confined in an area, cleaning the area, and replenishing feed without requiring removal of the animal from the confined area. The feeder system is especially adapted for an improved biosecurity livestock confinement crate and floor system.

A method of counting pigs or poultry includes mounting a camera at an alleyway through which the livestock pass with a width such that the livestock can pass at least two abreast and are free to turn to move in an opposite direction against the direction of travel before all livestock of the group complete their movement though the alleyway. An analysis of the images is carried out which takes into account errors caused by livestock which turn in the portion of the alleyway to move in the opposite direction temporarily before continuing to complete the travel through the portion of the single alleyway to the remote location and takes into account errors caused animals being side by side when passing through the portion of the single alleyway.

This invention describes a device method of moving an animal from one location to another by manipulating the local environment. This invention describes a method to use newborns natural instincts to find warmth to move newborns to a safe area. This invention describes an improvement to a nesting or whelping box, constructed with a pig rail and a heat source to protect the newborns to keep them from being smothered or dying from hypothermia.

A system and a method for observing piglet birth is provided. The method comprises detecting at a first detection zone, infrared electromagnetic radiation from a first radiation zone including at least a first area of a first delivery zone of a first farrowing sow or gilt, identifying a first event indicative variation in the detected infrared electromagnetic radiation, the first event indicative variation being indicative of a piglet birth, and determining a first piglet birth event by means of the identification of the first event indicative variation.

A piglet-protection device for a farrowing pen is equipped with a first side part, with a trough console, which is connected to the first side part, and with a second side part, which is connected to the trough console so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis. By pivoting the second side part, the piglet-protection device can be brought into a piglet-protection position, in which the second side part is arranged substantially parallel to the first side part, and into a movement position, in which the second side part is spread away from the first side part. A first door element and a second door element delimit the piglet-protection device at the rear in the piglet-protection position. The first door element and/or the second door element are arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the first and second side part, respectively.

A housing structure with an opening and an adhesive is combined to the bottom of the housing structure for adhering the housing structure to the skin of an animal. A pocket accessible through the opening in the housing structure for inserting and holding a warning device in direct contact with the skin of the animal through the opening. The housing structure of the adhesive patch can comprise a base layer comprising a bottom side on which the adhesive layer is attached.

A vibratory detector for detecting a vibratory signal from one or more feeders. A processor is in communication with the vibratory detector and configured for determining from at least one characteristic of the vibratory signal a possible action event, and for determining from a pattern of possible action events a likely action event. A warning device is in communication with the processor for providing an output in response to the likely action event. In an embodiment, the at least one characteristic of the vibratory signal can comprise the frequency or magnitude of the vibratory signal.