| 摘要 |
A method and apparatus for treating animals that are milked in an automated milking system. For the animals involved or groups of such animals, there is stored a predetermined desired weight pattern for such animals or groups of animals, which weight pattern is based on the animal's actual weight pattern which extends over a relatively long period of time including, at least, each animal's last lactation period, into a computer memory. An animal is weighed in a milking compartment where it is simultaneously milked and fed two to four times in each twenty-four hour period. On the basis of the animal's ongoing weights, having in view its earlier established desired weight values, there is determined average actual weight values taking into account the weight variations due to contents of the animal's digestive tract and udder to provide expected variations around the average value. Thereafter, when the desired weight value stored in the computer memory applicable to the particular time insofar as the animal's life cycle is concerned is different than the actual average weight of the animal, considering variations, the quantity of feed to be distributed to the animal while it is being milked in the milking compartment is adjusted accordingly. If the actual weight of an animal is sufficiently different from the expected weight, the operator of the automated milking process is informed of such fact by signals provided to capture the operator's attention. |
