Feeding system with UV-B light source for a livestock animal

1 . A consumable product system configured for illuminating a livestock animal with ultraviolet light comprising:

a consumable product provider configured to provide a consumable product for consumption by the livestock animal, wherein the consumable product provider defines a consuming zone within which the livestock animal can access the consumable product provided by the consumable product provider, the consuming zone being proximate to the consumable product provider; and

an ultraviolet lighting system comprising an ultraviolet light source, the ultraviolet lighting system being configured to illuminate a portion of the livestock animal with ultraviolet light produced by the ultraviolet light source whilst the livestock animal is within the consuming zone,

wherein the ultraviolet light produced by the ultraviolet light source has a peak intensity at a wavelength of from 280 nm to 320 nm;

wherein the ultraviolet light system is arranged relative to the consumable product provider such that more than 50% of the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet lighting system is incident upon the portion of the livestock animal within the consuming zone of the consumable product provider;

wherein the portion of the livestock animal is an inner part of a mouth or beak of the livestock animal, or is a foot, leg, and/or shank of the livestock animal; and

wherein the livestock animal is a chicken.

2 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , wherein:

the portion of the livestock animal is the inner part of the mouth or beak of the livestock animal,

wherein the consumable product provider comprises a plurality of nipples for delivering the consumable product to the livestock animal, the consumable product being a liquid, and

wherein the ultraviolet light system is configured to emit the ultraviolet light in or near the plurality of nipples.

3 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet lighting system comprises an output surface configured to emit the ultraviolet light produced by the ultraviolet light source, wherein the output surface is positioned relative to the ultraviolet light source and the consumable product provider such that the output surface is located no further than 0.5 m from the consumable product provider.

4 . The consumable product system of claim 3 , wherein the output surface is positioned relative to the ultraviolet light source and the consumable product provider such that the output surface is located no further than 0.25 m from the consumable product provider.

5 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light system is configured to illuminate the consuming zone with ultraviolet light having an irradiance, on the portion of the livestock animal positioned in the consuming zone, greater than 0.001 W/m 2 .

6 . The consumable product system of claim 5 , wherein the ultraviolet light has, on the portion of the livestock animal positioned in the consuming zone, an irradiance of between 0.001 W/m 2 and 0.1 W/m 2 and an illuminance of no less than 1 lux and no more than 50 lux.

7 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , further comprising a livestock sensor configured to sense a presence or absence of the livestock animal within a vicinity of the consumable product provider,

wherein the ultraviolet lighting system is configured to only emit the ultraviolet light responsive to the livestock sensor sensing the presence of the livestock animal within the vicinity of the consumable product provider.

8 . The consumable product system of claim 7 , wherein the ultraviolet lighting system is configured to prevent emission of the ultraviolet light responsive to the livestock sensor sensing the absence of the livestock animal within the vicinity of the consumable product provider.

9 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , wherein:

the consumable product provider comprises a nipple for delivering the consumable product to the livestock animal, the consumable product being a liquid; and

the ultraviolet light system is configured to emit the ultraviolet light in or near the nipple.

10 . The consumable product system of any claim 9 , wherein:

the consumable product provider comprises a plurality of nipples for delivering the consumable product to the livestock animal, the consumable product being a liquid; and

the ultraviolet light system is configured to emit the ultraviolet light at a position between the plurality of nipples.

11 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light has a peak intensity at a wavelength of from 280 nm to 315 nm.

12 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light system comprises a light guide configured to guide the ultraviolet light towards the inner part of the mouth or beak of the livestock animal whilst the livestock animal is consuming the consumable product provided by the consumable product provider.

13 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , further comprising a livestock identifier configured to determine an identity of the livestock animal, wherein the ultraviolet lighting system is configured to control one or more properties of the ultraviolet light responsive to the determined identity of the livestock animal.

14 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , wherein the consumable product provider comprises a trough for providing feed to the livestock animal.

15 . The consumable product system of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet lighting system comprises one or more beamformers, lenses, mirrors, and/or shielding elements arranged relative to the consuming zone of the consumable product provider to direct more than 75% of the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet lighting system to the portion of the livestock animal within the consuming zone of the consumable product provider.

16 . A consumable product system configured for illuminating a livestock animal with ultraviolet light comprising:

a consumable product provider configured to provide a consumable product for consumption by the livestock animal, wherein the consumable product provider defines a consuming zone within which the livestock animal can access the consumable product provided by the consumable product provider, the consuming zone being proximate to the consumable product provider; and

an ultraviolet lighting system comprising an ultraviolet light source, the ultraviolet lighting system being configured to illuminate a portion of the livestock animal with ultraviolet light produced by the ultraviolet light source whilst the livestock animal is within the consuming zone, wherein the ultraviolet light produced by the ultraviolet light source has a peak intensity at a wavelength of from 280 nm to 320 nm;

wherein the ultraviolet light system is arranged relative to the consumable product provider such that more than 90% of the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet lighting system is incident upon the portion of the livestock animal within the consuming zone of the consumable product provider; and

wherein the portion of the livestock animal illuminated by the ultraviolet light is an inner part of a mouth or beak of the livestock animal, is a cheek of the livestock animal, or is a foot, leg, and/or shank of the livestock animal.

17 . The consumable product system of claim 16 , wherein the ultraviolet lighting system comprises an output surface configured to emit the ultraviolet light produced by the ultraviolet light source, wherein the output surface is positioned relative to the ultraviolet light source and the consumable product provider such that the output surface is located no further than 0.25 m from a location at which the consumable product is made available for consumption.

18 . The consumable product system of claim 16 , wherein the ultraviolet light has, on the portion of the livestock animal positioned in the consuming zone, an irradiance of between 0.001 W/m 2 and 0.1 W/m 2 and an illuminance of no less than 1 lux and no more than 50 lux.

19 . The consumable product system of claim 16 , further comprising a livestock identifier configured to determine an identity of the livestock animal and to monitor a total or cumulative amount of ultraviolet light provided to the livestock animal;

wherein the ultraviolet lighting system comprises a control system configured to control the emissions of ultraviolet light responsive to the total or cumulative amount of ultraviolet light provided to the livestock animal.

20 . The consumable product system of claim 16 , further comprising a livestock sensor configured to sense a presence or absence of the livestock animal within a vicinity of the consumable product provider, wherein the ultraviolet lighting system is configured to prevent emission of the ultraviolet light responsive to the livestock sensor sensing the absence of the livestock animal within the vicinity of the consumable product provider.