DAIRY FARMING SYSTEM

Abstract

A dairy farming system comprises at least one milking device for obtaining milk from dairy animals by means of a milking process, a control unit for controlling the at least one milking device, and a data input for automatically receiving data relating to milk which was obtained earlier and supplied to an external party. The data comprises at least one content of a substance in the milk and/or at least one physical or chemical property of the milk, and a quantity value of the milk, the milking device has at least one adjustable parameter relating to the milking process, the control unit automatically processes at least part of the received data to obtain at least one control parameter value, and the control unit automatically adjusts at least one of the at least one parameter of the milking device on the basis of the at least one control parameter value.

Claims

1. A dairy farming system, comprising: at least one milking device for obtaining milk from dairy animals by means of a milking process; a control unit for controlling the at least one milking device; and a data input for automatically receiving data relating to milk which was obtained earlier and supplied to an external party, wherein the data originates from the external party and comprises at least one content of a substance in the milk and/or at least one physical or chemical property of the milk, in particular also comprising a quantity value of the milk, the milking device has at least one adjustable parameter relating to the milking process, the control unit is configured to automatically process at least part of the received data to obtain at least one control parameter value, and the control unit is configured to automatically adjust at least one of the at least one parameter of the milking device on the basis of the at least one control parameter value.

2. A dairy farming system, comprising: at least one milking device for obtaining milk from dairy animals by means of a milking process; at least one animal-related peripheral device for carrying out an animal-related peripheral process, which is not milking; a control unit for controlling the at least one animal-related peripheral device; and a data input for automatically receiving data relating to milk which was obtained earlier and supplied to an external party, wherein the data originates from the external party and comprises at least one content of a substance in the milk and/or at least one physical or chemical property of the milk, in particular also comprising a quantity value of the milk, the at least one animal-related peripheral device has at least one adjustable parameter relating to the peripheral process, the control unit is configured to automatically process at least part of the received data to obtain at least one control parameter value, and the control unit is configured to automatically adjust at least one of the at least one parameter of the animal-related peripheral device on the basis of the at least one control parameter value.

3. The dairy farming system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one animal-related peripheral device comprises a feed device which is configured to dispense feed, in particular concentrate, to the dairy animals.

4. The dairy farming system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the feed device comprises a concentrate station and/or a system which is configured to dispense roughage.

5. The dairy farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received data comprises a content in the milk obtained of at least one of fat, somatic cells, free fatty acids, urea, protein and lactose.

6. The dairy farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received data comprises external milk data which originate from at least one external dairy farming system, as well as at least one value of an adjustable parameter of said external dairy farming system associated with the external milk data.

7. The dairy farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtained and supplied milk comprises milk samples and the external party comprises a laboratory for milk.

8. The dairy farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtained and supplied milk comprises milk for consumption and the external party comprises a dairy factory.

9. The dairy farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic processing of the data comprises comparing the data to an associated reference value and determining the control parameter value according to a predetermined criterion.

Description

[0021] The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which the sole FIGURE shows a dairy farming system according to the invention in diagrammatic top view.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a dairy farming system according to the present invention in diagrammatic top view.

[0023] The system comprises a milking device 1 for milking a dairy animal 2 having teats 3. The milk obtained passes to the milk tank 6 via milk line 4 and main milk line 5, and a sample thereof goes to the sampling device 7 which is connected to a sample store 8. Furthermore, the milking device 1 comprises a communication device 9 for communicating with the communication device 10 of the control unit 11 which also comprises a data input device 12 for automatically inputting data from an external test device 13 which is provided with a sample intake 14, a data-processing device 15 and a communication device 16.

[0024] In addition, the FIGURE shows a feed trough 17 comprising a feed-providing device 18 and a feed control unit 19, as well as a feeding fence 20 with feeding stations 21-1 to 21-4, separated by fencing 22, and provided with roughage 24 by means of a feeding vehicle 23.

[0025] In use, the milking device 1 will milk a dairy animal 2 having teats 3. The milk obtained enters via the milk line 4 and then passes via the main milk line 5 to the milk tank 6. A sample of the milk obtained is taken and sampled in the sampling device 7. This may comprise one or more analyzing devices, such as a conductivity meter, a somatic cell counter (SCC), a color meter, an optical transmission meter, etc. Details regarding these analyzing devices can be found in the prior art. Alternatively or additionally, a sample can be stored in the sample store 8, after which this sample may be put at the disposal of, for example, an external laboratory in order to perform accurate measurements.

[0026] An example of such a test institute is shown (diagrammatically) in the external test device 13. It comprises a sample intake 14, where the one or more samples from the sample store 8 can be analyzed using accurate analyzing equipment, such as laboratory equipment. The measurement data of the equipment are collected and processed in the data-processing device 15 and are automatically made available by means of the communication device 16.

[0027] The communication device 16 is configured to automatically pass the processed data to the data input device 12 of the control unit 11 of the milking device 1, for example by automatically logging into the control unit 11 via a network. It should be noted that the supply of the samples is usually not automated (yet), but that it is nevertheless possible to achieve a (considerable) time saving and increase in reliability.

[0028] The control unit 11 is configured to control at least the milking device 1. Controlling comprises, for example, an access criterion for the dairy animal 2, the milking regime, that is to say a milking vacuum, a pulsation vacuum and/or pulsation frequency, a pretreatment time, a feed dose in the feed trough 17, etc. It should be noted that constructive details of the milking device 1, such as milking cups, a robot arm, teat-detecting means, etc. are not shown. Details about these can readily be found in the specialist literature by those skilled in the art.

[0029] The invention offers advantages when processing the data of the samples as the measurement results are automatically made available to the control unit 11. As a result thereof, the control unit 11 may automatically, that is to say without interference or interpretation by an operator, process these data to obtain one or more settings for milking an individual dairy animal 2. Thus, least time is lost when operating and adapting the control unit 11, and the risk of errors by the device is also reduced. In particular with large numbers of dairy animals per dairy farm, the risk of the wrong data being input or data being erroneously swapped is considerable and inputting the data would take an unnecessarily long time in any case. In addition, it is interesting to also take control measures, such as adjusting parameter values in the milking regime, feed regime, etc. even with small changes in the measured values of the milk samples. As an example of a control parameter, a control parameter for automatically varying the feed dose in the feed trough 17 by adjusting the composition and/or the amount which is provided by the feed-providing device 18 is mentioned. By examining the effects on, in particular, the milk, per herd, animal group or individual animal, it is also possible to optimize a desired parameter value for each respective group/individual. An example of a parameter value which can be optimized relates to the amount of milk, the fat or protein content of the milk, or the feed efficiency. Optimization may be achieved by maximizing the value and by accordingly regulating the feed dose, the milking regime, etc. or also by, for example, optimizing the value by comparing it to an associated reference value, which may be an individual value or an individual range, and adjusting the control parameter value (feed dose, milking regime, etc.) in order to achieve this value or range.

[0030] An embodiment has been illustrated above in particular, in which the data relating to the milk samples are used to adjust the milking device, optionally using direct peripheral equipment, such as concentrate-providing devices in the milking robot. However, it is also possible to automatically use the data relating to the milk samples in order to control other devices on the dairy farm. An example thereof is also shown in FIG. 1 and relates to a device for supplying roughage. In this case, it comprises a feeding fence 20 with different feeding stations 21-1, 21-2, 21-3 and 21-4, separated by fences 22. This feeding fence 20 with the feeding stations 21 is configured to individualize the roughage dose. To this end, the feeding fence 20 is configured, for example, to only make it possible, for each feeding station 21, for individual animals or animal groups to pass the head through the feeding fence 20 to reach the roughage provided in front of the respective feeding station 21. This may be achieved, for example, by means of individual openable and closable apertures which are operated by means of an animal-identification system which reacts, for example, to the RFID tag in the collar of the animal. It is also possible to make the feeding stations 21 accessible by means of ID-controlled access fences. One of the simplest ways of ensuring individual roughage doses is to keep animals or groups of animals in individual, closed spaces. Whatever the case may be, it is possible to supply roughage 24 separately for each feeding station 21-1 to 21-4, in this case by means of an, optionally autonomous, feeding vehicle 23. An example of the latter is the Lely Vector system.

[0031] The data which are provided to the control unit 11 by the communication device 16 can be used, after processing in the control unit, to operate the feeding vehicle 23 or a device (not shown here) to load roughage onto the feeding vehicle 23. The advantages whereby any adjustment of the roughage dose by, for example, the feeding vehicle 23 can be carried out automatically and quickly and whereby other adjustments, such as control by means of a DLM, can also be carried out automatically and quickly also apply in this case.

[0032] In an alternative embodiment, data are received which relate to the bulk milk from the milk tank 6, as determined by, for example, the dairy producer to whom it was supplied. He will also be able to perform reliable measurements by means of accurate equipment, which values may be useful for adjusting the parameter values of the dairy farming system.

[0033] Another alternative embodiment relates to one in which the external device does not relate to a laboratory, but to one or more other milking devices. In principle, this may also be milking devices on one and the same dairy farm, but these will often already be coupled to the milking device 1. Alternatively or additionally, however, it is possible to use data from other dairy farms which use a similar milking device to milking device 1. The data which have been obtained with the respective sampling devices of the external milking devices can then be used for the milking device 1 of the system shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, and advantageously, the received data may relate to these external milking devices, but originate from the same external party (laboratory, dairy producer) which performs the measurements. In this way, not only is a much greater amount of data made available, but this is also effected automatically and quickly. This results in more and quicker flexibility to adjust the settings of, for example, the milking system 1 as well as of feed-providing devices 18 and feeding vehicles 23.