An animal rear leg position control device includes a body having a lower side; a first lateral side; a second lateral side; a front end; a rear side, where a longitudinal direction is defined by a line extending from the front end to the rear side; a first transition area defines a first rear corner of said body; and a second transition area defines a second rear corner of said body, where the front end is configured to be turned towards a front part of a milking stable when the body is in an operative position, and the rear side is configured to be turned towards a rear part of a milking stable when said body is in the operative position in the milking stable. The first rear corner and the second rear corner are positioned at different longitudinal positions in the longitudinal direction of the body.

A system for monitoring ruminant animal foraging that utilizes a piezoelectric film sensor in communication with a computer processor to record and characterize jaw movement data for the foraging ruminant animal. The processor applies pattern algorithms to categorize the jaw movement data so that the jaw movements are categorized as at least chewing, biting, ruminating, and/or idling.

An animal feeding pail comprising a bucket, the bucket having an upward handle, the bucket having a sidewall, extending around its circumference, and a bottom secured proximate the bottom of its sidewall, a false bottom wall provided within the bucket, and biasing against the interior of the side wall, to create a volumetric space between it and the bucket bottom wall, and into which granular material may be located to simulate the sound of animal feed when the bucket is shaken.

An expelling device is provided that is configured to incite an animal to exit from of a milking stable in which the animal is standing during a milking session. The milking stable has a front wall element and lateral wall elements and is configured to house an animal that is being milked in the milking stable with the head directed to and close to the front wall element. The expelling device includes a sheet configured to move vertically from an elevated position to a position adjacent to a front end of the milking stable and adjacent to a lateral wall element of the milking stable.

An aversive stimulus collar is configured for fitment around the necks of livestock to counter aggressive tendencies between animals. Each animal can be fitted with a collar that monitors for proximity of other similarly configured collars worn by other animals. When a collar worn by one animal senses that another collar worn by another animal is within a certain distance, the collar can deliver an aversive stimulus to the animal, such as an electric shock. As the distance between collared animals continues to decrease, the level, intensity, and/or frequency of the aversive stimulus can be increased so that the animal learns an association between proximity to other collared animals and the aversive stimulus.

An apparatus for assisting the forward movement of animals in a livestock alleyway includes a pivot structure, an actuator and an arm assembly. The pivot structure is rotatably mounted to the alleyway. The actuator connects between the alleyway and the pivot structure for rotating the pivot structure between first and second positions. The arm assembly is pivotably mounted to the pivot structure for rotation between a first extended position and a second retracted position. The arm assembly is biased toward the first extended position and is able to extend and retract in a telescoping fashion. The pivot structure and the arm assembly are arranged for positioning above livestock animals in the alleyway and yet also for pivoting from such a retracted position to a position for urging the forward movement of a livestock animal without interfering with an animal that may be positioned under the apparatus.

A data communication apparatus comprising: a plurality of data communication devices comprising a sensor operable to output contextual data associated with a wearer, a plurality of haptic energy generators operable to output a haptic energy toward skin of the wearer, and a control system operable to maintain a data feedback loop with the wearer by causing the plurality of haptic energy generators to output the haptic energy responsive to one of the contextual data and an external data source in data communication with the control system; an electrical network operable to transmit data and power between the plurality of data communication devices; and a wearable structure comprising a biocompatible material shaped to house the plurality of data communication devices and the electrical network, maintain a plurality of air gaps between the plurality of data communication devices, and define a skin contacting surface that is directly engageable with the skin.

A method for controlling a stimulus apparatus configured to be worn by an animal, the stimulus apparatus comprising a controller interfaced with a location sensor and at least one stimulus output for providing a stimulus to the animal, the method comprising: receiving a boundary specification and monitoring the location of the stimulus apparatus with respect to the boundary defined by the boundary specification; determining an expanded boundary; identifying a transition condition including a transition zone, the transition zone comprising at least a portion of the expanded boundary; monitoring the location of the stimulus apparatus; determining that the location of the stimulus apparatus is within the transition zone; in response, reducing the size of the boundary such that the boundary includes the transition zone and excludes at least a portion of the boundary before expansion, and associated system and device.

Techniques for autonomous animal movement are described. In some examples, animal tracking and movement software is used to provide input from a physical stimulus to direct movement of the animal coupled to an apparatus along a multi-turn route using physical output of the physical stimulus device based at least in part on a location of the animal with respect to a destination grazing area.

A front element for stalling an animal in a free stall, that is better suited than earlier devices to the morphology and movements of the animal to be contained, helping guide the animal when it is positioning itself, standing up and/or lying down in its free stall. Such a front element can be implemented in a pair in a front structure, in order to delimit the internal space I of said free stall.