Cattle management method and system
View Patent ↗A highly automated method and system for providing individual animal electronic identification, measurement and value based management of cattle in a large cattle feedlot. Through the use of (1) a computer system integrated with (2) automatic individual animal identification (3) multiple measurement and remeasurement systems with automatic data input and (4) a cattle handling and sorting system, animals are individually (a) identified and (b) measured by weight, external dimensions and characteristics of internal body tissue. With this information together with animal physiological characteristics and historical data, the computer system calculates the optimum (c) slaughter weight, (d) economic end point and (e) marketing date for shipment to a packing plant. After measurement, individual animals are (f) sorted by direction of the computer in response to calculations from the measurements. The computer system also calculates from individual animal data and other data (g) each animal's pro rata share of total feed intake for the animal's feed group. The computer system (h) stores individual animal measurement, performance and location data, which is used by management to (i) select animals for shipment from the feedlot for slaughter at the optimum time. Following an animal's shipment to a slaughter facility, its identification in the computer system is used to (j) correlate the live animal physical characteristics and performance data to the measured and evaluated carcass characteristics data obtained during the slaughter process and (k) build a data base to more accurately identify and measure value-based characteristics in subsequent animals produced and fed for more effective value-based selection and management of those animals.
1. A method for tracking animals destined for commercial food production, comprising:
identifying animals using electronic identification devices, where each animal is individually associated with one or more of the electronic identification devices;
entering into a computer system location data for locations occupied by the animals;
correlating in the computer system each animal's location data with its identification; and
identifying in the computer system one or more locations occupied by an initially identified animal.
2. The method of claim 1 where entering into the computer system location data comprises entering into the computer system location data for a time period beginning with an animal's arrival at a feedlot and continuing through the animal's slaughter.
3. The method of claim 1 where entering into the computer system location data comprises entering into the computer system location data for a time period beginning prior to the animal's arrival at a feedlot.
4. The method of claim 1 where entering into the computer system location data comprises entering into the computer system location data with one or more automated data entry devices accessible at various animal locations.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising reviewing the location data in the computer system to obtain an up-to-date inventory of animals from a remote location.
6. The method of claim 1 where the animals have been commingled by mixing from different groups of animals.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising recycling the electronic identification devices.
8. The method of claim 7 where recycling the electronic identification devices comprises:
removing the electronic identification devices from the animals; and
sorting the electronic identification devices.
9. The method of claim 8 where recycling the electronic identification devices further comprises identifying a destination to which each recycled electronic identification device is to be sent, and sorting the electronic identification devices comprises sorting the electronic identification devices based on the destinations.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared at least one location with the initially identified animal.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining a health condition of the subsequently identified animal.
12. The method of claim 10 further comprising entering into the computer system characteristic data for selected identified animals and correlating the characteristic data in the computer for each selected identified animal, where the characteristic data is one or more of health condition and health history data, health treatment administered, drug withdrawal information, feed additive administered, feed ration administered, age, origin location, all locations occupied by an identified animal, growth promotant, selected time to administer growth promotant, product for improving the safety of beef products, selected time for shipment for slaughter, and selected time for further processing or management.
13. The method of claim 10 further comprising entering into the computer system characteristic data for selected identified animals where the characteristic data is one or more of drug inventory control, health history and drug treatment data collected at an animal location, drug withdrawal and safe to ship information, feed additives administered in the feed ration, feed additives administered into the feed ration by a computerized feed additive delivery system, feed additives administered into the feed ration with weight measurement by a computerized feed additive delivery system, measurement data, weight measurement data, weight and internal tissue measurement data, external dimension measurement data, optimum time projected to ship for slaughter using animal characteristic data, amount of feed ration delivered to animals, validation of feed pen animal and vehicle location for using radio frequency triangulation, animal location tracking using radio frequency triangulation, production costs for individual animals using at least drug usage, feed ration usage and feed additive usage data from computerized health, feed additive and feed delivery systems, Beta Agonist use, Beta Agonist administered into the feed ration, prorata share of feed ration for individual animals in a pen calculated by computer using individual animal calculated energy intake based upon individual animal weight and gain, and energy content of the feed ration, which is comprised of plural computers defining a computer network, and an up to date inventory of individual animals or groups by location reviewable from a remote location.
14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
entering into the computer system age data and birth location data for identified animals;
correlating in the computer system each animal's age data with its identification; and
enabling an operator to review the age data and birth location data for an identified animal.
15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
entering into the computer system age data and birth location data for identified animals;
correlating in the computer system each animal's age data and birth location data with its identification; and
reviewing the age data and birth origin location data for an identified animal.
16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
entering birth dates for identified animals; and
correlating in the computer system each animal's birth date with its identification.
17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
entering birth dates for identified animals;
correlating in the computer system each animal's birth data with its identification; and
determining ages for identified animals from the birth date.
18. The method according to claim 1 where identifying comprises identifying all animals which shared a location with the initially identified animal.
19. The method according to claim 1 further comprising initially recording at least two characteristics of identified animals, including a measured weight, and matching in the computer the recorded characteristics with the animal's recorded identification.
20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising:
feeding identified animals with a group of other animals;
storing in the computer for the identified animal a limit or target condition;
making a computer projection of an estimated time or date for the identified animal to achieve the projected limit or target condition based at least in part on the characteristics; and
selecting identified animals for further processing based at least in part on the estimated time or date.
21. The method according to claim 19 further comprising recording at least two characteristics of identified animals at least a first time and at least a second time, the two characteristics including a measured weight, and matching in the computer the recorded characteristics with the animal's recorded identification.
22. The method according to claim 19 further comprising entering into the computer system location data for plural identified individual animals for locations occupied by the identified animals.
23. At least one computer readable medium having stored thereon program instructions executable on a computing device to perform the method of claim 1 .
24. The method of claim 1 further comprising entering into the computer system characteristic data for selected identified animals and correlating the characteristic data in the computer for each selected identified animal, where the characteristic data is one or more of health condition and health history data, health treatment administered, drug withdrawal information, feed additive administered, feed ration administered, age, origin location, all locations occupied by an identified animal, growth promotant, selected time to administer growth promotant, product for improving the safety of beef products, selected time for shipment for slaughter, and selected time for further processing or management.
25. The method of claim 1 further comprising entering into the computer system characteristic data for selected identified animals where the characteristic data is one or more of drug inventory control, health history and drug treatment data collected at an animal location, drug withdrawal and safe to ship information, feed additives administered in the feed ration, feed additives administered into the feed ration by a computerized feed additive delivery system, feed additives administered into the feed ration with weight measurement by a computerized feed additive delivery system, measurement data, weight measurement data, weight and internal tissue measurement data, external dimension measurement data, optimum time projected to ship for slaughter using animal characteristic data, amount of feed ration delivered to animals, validation of feed pen animal and vehicle location for using radio frequency triangulation, animal location tracking using radio frequency triangulation, production costs for individual animals using at least drug usage, feed ration usage and feed additive usage data from computerized health, feed additive and feed delivery systems, Beta Agonist use, Beta Agonist administered into the feed ration, prorata share of feed ration for individual animals in a pen calculated by computer using individual animal calculated energy intake based upon individual animal weight and gain, and energy content of the feed ration, which is comprised of plural computers defining a computer network, and an up to date inventory of individual animals or groups by location reviewable from a remote location.
26. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
entering into the computer system age data and birth location data for identified animals;
correlating in the computer system each animal's age data with its identification; and
enabling an operator to review the age data and birth location data for an identified animal.
27. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
entering into the computer system age data and birth location data for identified animals;
correlating in the computer system each animal's age data with its identification; and
reviewing the age data and bit origin location data for an identified animal.