An animal interaction device is provided that includes a food access component which allows and disallows access to at least a portion of the food. In various embodiments, the allowing and disallowing of access to at least a portion of the food is dependent upon the animal's condition. A method is also provided such that the device above is provided to an animal, one or more indicators are optionally activated, the animal's first condition is sensed via one or more sensors, and based upon the animal's condition, the previously protected food is made accessible, and subsequently the protected food is made available again based upon the animal's second condition. A system is also provided for automatically interacting with an animal including at least one animal interaction device each of which comprises an initial interaction algorithm to automatically interact with the animal. Other aspects of the invention are provided.

A feed dispenser for automated dairy feed delivery provides feed material ingredients to autonomous robots which mix and deliver the ingredients to dairy cattle. The containers have a live floor and scale and communicate with the autonomous robots to deliver the material and to schedule and monitor that delivery.

A horizontal feed storage system may comprise an elongated feed container having a length and a width, wherein the length is at least ten times greater than the width. The elongated feed container may have a fill opening through which the feed is deposited into the elongated feed container and a feed removal opening through which feed is removed from the elongated feed container. The elongated feed container may be movable. The elongated feed container may include multiple conveyance mechanisms disposed within the elongated feed container. The multiple conveyance mechanisms may include a first conveyance mechanism and a second conveyance mechanism, wherein the first conveyance mechanism may displace feed by moving the feed in a first direction away from the fill opening, and/or the second conveyance mechanism may displace feed by moving the feed in a second direction toward the feed removal opening.

An automatic net feeding system may contain: a hopper adapted to contain food; an inner hopper adapted to gravitationally receive food from the hopper; a movable screw adapted to rotate at a predetermined time, and extrude food therethrough, the screw containing a periphery, an inlet, and an outlet; a screw housing containing the movable screw whereby the movable screw is adapted to slidably engage an inner wall of the screw housing; and a dish for receipt of the food, whereby the food is provided at a predetermined weight depending on the rotation of the movable screw.

A proximity detector includes a sensor providing a proximity reading. The proximity detector is capable of comparing the reading to a rising threshold level and a falling threshold level, wherein the falling threshold level is less than the rising threshold level. The proximity detector continuously stores a minimum reading value for the proximity reading. The proximity detector will report the presence of granular material only if the proximity reading remains less than the falling threshold level and within an epsilon value of the minimum reading value for a predetermined period of time.

An animal interaction device is provided that includes a food access component which allows and disallows access to at least a portion of the food. In various embodiments, the allowing and disallowing of access to at least a portion of the food is dependent upon the animal's condition. A method is also provided such that the device above is provided to an animal, one or more indicators are optionally activated, the animal's first condition is sensed via one or more sensors, and based upon the animal's condition, the previously protected food is made accessible, and subsequently the protected food is made available again based upon the animal's second condition. A system is also provided for automatically interacting with an animal including at least one animal interaction device each of which comprises an initial interaction algorithm to automatically interact with the animal. Other aspects of the invention are provided.

The present invention relates to an automatic feeder and a feeding pipe thereof. A feeding pipe (1) discharges a feed when a pig gnaws a gnawing block (12) thereon, and when the gnawing block (12) is gnawed, a pressure sensor (14) is triggered; a hopper (2) is configured to be filled with a dry feed material; one end of a spiral conveyor (3) is connected with a motor (4), the other end of the spiral conveyor is located in the feeding pipe (1), and the spiral conveyor (3) is configured to convey the dry feed material in the hopper (2) to the feeding pipe (1); the motor (4) provides power for rotation of the spiral conveyor (3); a water supply pipeline (5) provides water for the dry feed material in the feeding pipe (1) for feed mixing; and after receiving a triggering signal of the pressure sensor (14), a control unit (7) controls the motor (4) to be powered on and the water supply pipeline (5) to be opened simultaneously, and when not receiving the triggering signal of the pressure sensor (14), the control unit (7) controls the motor (4) to be powered off and the water supply pipeline (5) to be closed.

A proximity detector includes a sensor providing a proximity reading. The proximity detector is capable of comparing the reading to a rising threshold level and a falling threshold level, wherein the falling threshold level is less than the rising threshold level. The proximity detector continuously stores a minimum reading value for the proximity reading. The proximity detector will report the presence of granular material only if the proximity reading remains less than the falling threshold level and within an epsilon value of the minimum reading value for a predetermined period of time.

A feeding station for farm animals (45), as in particular for pigs, provided with a first reservoir (3) for a first animal food component, a first conveyor pipe (15) connected to the first reservoir (3), with a first conveyor screw (17) extending internally of the first conveyor pipe (15), and a mouthpiece (7) for reception in the mouth of an animal (45). A first end of the first conveyor screw (17) is coupled adjacent to the first reservoir (3) to a rotatable first drive (21) and a second end of the first conveyor screw (17) ends shortly before the mouthpiece (7). The feeding station (1) is further provided with at least a second reservoir (5) for a second animal food component, a second conveyor pipe (16) connected to the second reservoir with a second conveyor screw (19) extending internally of the second conveyor pipe (16). A first end of the second conveyor screw (19) is coupled adjacent to the second reservoir (5) to a second drive (23) which is rotatable independently of the first drive (21). The second conveyor pipe (16) is joined together with the first conveyor pipe (15) adjacent to a second end of the second conveyor screw (19). The first and second drives (21, 23) are operable by a control unit (33) in accordance with a desired mixing ratio of the first and second animal food components.

An elevated animal feeder assembly includes a hopper for containing granular animal feed. The hopper has a dispensing chute for dispensing the granular animal feed and a plurality of legs for elevating the hopper above a support surface. A feed bucket is suspendable from the hopper facilitating the feed bucket to be filled with the granular animal feed. A pair of grapples is each attached to the feed bucket to suspend the feed bucket from the hopper. An auger chute is disposed in the feed bucket and the auger chute extends into the hopper. An auger is rotatably disposed within the auger chute to transport the granular animal feed upwardly through the auger chute and into the hopper for filling the hopper with the granular animal feed when the auger rotates in a first direction.