A METHOD OF COOLING ANIMALS

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of cooling animals, such as cows, whereby a liquid is applied between the hairs and/or on the skin of the animal, whereupon air is blown over the liquid. For wetting the animal the liquid is atomized to a fine spray.

Description: A METHOD OF COOLING ANIMALS The invention relates to a method of cooling animals. Such a method is known. In the known method, water droplets are directed through the stable by means of ventilators for the purpose of cooling the animals. Such a method has the disadvantage that the water is distributed throughout the stable, so that relatively much water is required. A further disadvantage of the known method is that the air flow is only used for transporting the water droplets . The invention aims at a method in which the above- mentioned drawbacks are obviated or at least minimized. In accordance with the invention, this is achieved in that a liquid is applied between the hairs and/or on the skin of the animal, whereupon air is blown over the liquid. In this manner the evaporation of the liquid is optimally utilized, so that an optimal cooling of the animal is obtained. According to a further inventive feature, there is obtained an even better cooling if the liquid is atomized to a fine spray. According to another inventive feature, it is also possible to rub the liquid between the hairs and/or on the skin of the animal. According to again another inventive feature, it is further possible to apply the liquid between the hairs and/or on the skin of the animal by rubbing and/or brushing. In order to avoid the use of too much liquid, according to an inventive feature, a previously fixed maximum amount of liquid per animal is applied to the animal. Upon wetting the animal it is important to avoid the formation of unevenly large droplets, because such droplets evaporate less readily. Furthermore, formation of droplets may result in the liquid reaching undesired places, such as e.g. the teats of an animal to be milked. Therefore, according to an inventive feature, during wetting the animal it is checked whether droplets are formed on the animal's skin or fall from the animal. According to an inventive feature, wetting of the animal is stopped if formation of droplets is ascertained during wetting. Formation of droplets can be recorded e.g. optically by means of e.g. picture recognition. According to another inventive feature, the back of the animal is cooled. In order to avoid that during wetting certain other parts of the animal come unintentionally into contact with the liquid, according to an inventive feature, during wetting and/or cooling the animal said other parts of the animal are shielded. It is desirable e.g. to shield the head and the udder and/or the teats of the animal. Therefore, the invention also relates to a method of protecting certain parts of an animal, such as a cow, during treating the animal, such as e.g. cooling the animal, whereby at least during part of the treatment the parts of the body to be protected are shielded against the relevant treatment with the aid of shielding means. According to a further inventive feature, the udder or the teats of the animal and/or the animal's head are shielded. For the purpose of following carefully the cooling process of the animal, according to an inventive feature, during cooling the animal the temperature, in particular the temperature of the skin and/or the body and/or the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the part of the animal to be cooled, is determined. According to another inventive feature, cooling is stopped when a previously set temperature is reached. In order to avoid that the animal is exposed to stress during cooling, according to an inventive feature, the animal's behaviour is observed during cooling, and cooling is stopped if the animal ' s behaviour changes . According to an aspect of the invention, the animal's behaviour can be deduced from deviations from the previously set number of movements of the animal per unit of time. In practice it has been found that the animals experience cooling as a pleasant sensation during and/or prior to milking. According to the invention, it has further been found that the animals go to the milking stall spontaneously if they are cooled there. The invention also relates to a method in which stress, such as e.g. heat stress, of the animals to be cooled is ascertained, whereupon it is decided whether or not to cool the animal as described in the foregoing. The invention also relates to a method in which heat stress is ascertained on the basis of an infrared picture of the animal. The invention also relates to a method in which the period of time during which the animal is cooled and/or the intensity of cooling depend(s) on a heat stress factor which is i.a. derived from the infrared picture. The invention further relates to a method in which stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the position of the animal's ears. According to the method, stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the wetness of the animal's coat. According to a further aspect of the method, stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the activity of the animal. According to another feature of the method, stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the expression of the animal's eyes. According to again another aspect of the method, stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the animal's breath. According to another aspect of the method, stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the tension of the muscles, in particular of the back muscles, of the animal. According to again another aspect of the method, stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the fact that the animal is walking with its tongue out. The invention also relates to an implement for applying the method as described above, whereby the implement is provided with wetting means with the aid of which a liquid reduced to a fine spray is applied to at least part of the animal, in particular between the hairs and/or on the skin of that part of the animal, whereupon an air flow is directed over the wetted part with the aid of air displacing means. According to a further inventive feature, the wetting means comprise a liquid ato ization device. By means of the liquid atomization device it is possible to apply a fine spray of e.g. water to the animal. The wetting means may further comprise a brushing device. According to again another inventive feature, the air displacing means comprise setting means with the aid of which the amount of air to be displaced and/or the velocity of the air to be displaced are/is set. In combination with temperature measurement it is thus possible to control cooling of the animal very accurately. According to a further inventive feature, the implement is arranged in a milking stall and/or a foremilking stall and/or a cleaning box for cleaning certain parts, such as the teats, of the animal, and/or in a post-treatment box. According to again another inventive feature, there is disposed a milking robot in the milking stall, by means of which teat cups are automatically connected to the teats of the animal to be milked. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the implement comprises means with the aid of which stress, in particular heat stress, of an animal is ascertained. According to another inventive feature, the means comprise a camera, such as e.g. an infrared camera. According to again another inventive feature, the means comprise a hydrometer. According to a further inventive feature, the means comprise an odour meter. The invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 is a second embodiment of an implement according to the invention. Figure 1 is a side view of a milk box 1 with a cow 2 present therein. The milk box 1 comprises a milking robot 3 with teat cups 4 which are connected automatically to the teats of the cow 2 by means of the milking robot 3. Near the front side of the milk box 1 there is further disposed a feeding trough 5 to which concentrate can be supplied in metered portions. The milk box 1 is further provided with regulating means 6 with the aid of which at least one previously determined climate parameter is set artificially in the milk box 1. The regulating means 6 comprise wetting means 7 with the aid of which at least the back of the cow 2 is wetted. The wetting means 7 comprise a sprayer beam 8 with nozzles 9, by means of which a liquid can be atomized to a fine spray. After the liquid reduced to a fine spray has been applied to the back of the cow 2, air is directed over the wetted surface by means of the sprayer beam 8 and the nozzles 9. In this manner the back of the cow 2 is cooled. During wetting the cow 2 it is checked with the aid of the detection means 10 whether or not formation of droplets takes place. To that end the detection means 10 comprise a camera 11. In order to prevent certain parts of the cow 2 from coming into contact with the liquid, the milk box 1 is further provided with shielding means 12. In the present embodiment the shielding means 12 comprise a transparent shielding cap 13 which covers the head of the cow 2 during wetting. The shielding means 12 further comprise a second shielding cap 14 by means of which the udder of the cow 2 can be shielded. The second shielding cap 14 is pivotably fitted to the milk box 1. Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention, in which parts corresponding to those of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals . In the second embodiment of the invention, the wetting means 7 comprise motor-drivable brushes 15 which are provided with (non-shown) liquid supply means with the aid of which liquid can be supplied to the brushes 15 during brushing. Thus, the liquid is rubbed in the hair of the cow 2 by means of the brushes 15. The motor-drivable brushes 15 are disposed on a pivotable arm 16 which is connected to the milk box 1. The pivotable arm 16 is further provided with air displacing means 17 with the aid of which air is directed over the wetted surface of the cow 2 after or during brushing.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method of cooling animals, such as cows, whereby a liquid is applied between the hairs and/or on the skin of the animal, whereupon air is blown over the liquid. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the liquid is atomized to a fine spray. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the liquid is rubbed between the hairs and/or on the skin of the animal. 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the liquid is applied between the hairs and/or on the skin of the animal by rubbing and/or brushing. 5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for wetting an animal a previously fixed maximum amount of liquid is used per animal. 6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during wetting the animal it is checked whether droplets are formed on the animal ' s skin or fall from the animal. 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that wetting of the animal is stopped if formation of droplets is ascertained. 8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the back of the animal is cooled. 9. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during wetting and/or cooling the animal certain parts of the animal are shielded. 10. A method of protecting certain parts of an animal, such as a cow, during treating the animal, such as e.g. cooling the animal, whereby at least during part of the treatment the parts of the body to be protected are shielded against the relevant treatment with the aid of shielding means (12). 11. A method as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the udder or the teats of the animal are shielded. 12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the animal's head is shielded. 13. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during cooling the animal the temperature, in particular the temperature of the skin and/or the body and/or the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the part of the animal to be cooled, is determined. 14. A method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that cooling of the animal is stopped when a previously set temperature is reached. 15. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the animal's behaviour is observed during cooling, and cooling is stopped if the animal ' s behaviour changes . 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the animal ' s behaviour is deduced from deviations from the previously set number of movements of the animal per unit of time. 17. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that cooling of the animal is carried out just before and/or during milking the animal. 18. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that stress, such as e.g. heat stress, of the animals to be cooled is ascertained, whereupon it is decided whether or not to cool the animal as described in any one of claims 1 to 17. 19. A method as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that heat stress is ascertained on the basis of an infrared picture of the animal. 20. A method as claimed in claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the period of time during which the animal is cooled and/or the intensity of cooling depend(s) on a heat stress factor which is i.a. derived from the infrared picture. 21. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the position of the animal ' s ears . 22. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the wetness of the animal ' s coat. 23. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 22, characterized in that stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the activity of the animal . 24. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 23, characterized in that stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the expression of the animal ' s eyes . 25. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 24, characterized in that stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the animal's breath. 26. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 25, characterized in that stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the tension of the muscles, in particular of the back muscles, of the animal. 27. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 26, characterized in that stress, such as heat stress, of the animal is ascertained on the basis of the fact that the animal is walking with its tongue out. 28. An implement for applying the method described in any one of claims 1 to 27, which implement is provided with wetting means (7) with the aid of which a liquid reduced to a fine spray is applied to at least part of the animal, in particular between the hairs and/or on the skin of that part of the animal, whereupon an air flow is directed over the wetted part with the aid of air displacing means (8; 17). 29. An implement as claimed in claim 28, characterized in that the wetting means (7) comprise a liquid atomization device (8, 9). 30. An implement as claimed in claim 28 or 29, characterized in that the wetting means (7) comprise a brushing device (15). 31. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 30, characterized in that the air displacing means (8; 17) comprise setting means with the aid of which the amount and/or the velocity of the air to be displaced is set. 32. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 27 to 31, characterized in that the implement is arranged in a milking stall and/or a foremilking stall and/or a cleaning box for cleaning certain parts, such as the teats, of the animal, and/or in a post-treatment box. 33. An implement as claimed in claim 32, characterized in that a milking robot (3) is disposed in the milking stall. 34. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 33, characterized in that the implement comprises means with the aid of which stress, in particular heat stress, of an animal is ascertained. 35. An implement as claimed in claim 34, characterized in that the means comprise a camera, such as e.g. an infrared camera. 36. An implement as claimed in claim 34 or 35, characterized in that the means comprise a hydrometer. 37. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 34 to 36, characterized in that the means comprise an odour meter.

Inventors: FRANSEN RENATUS IGNATIUS JOSEP, VAN DEN BERG KAREL, VAN DER LELY ALEXANDER, VERBURG CARLO, FRANSEN, RENATUS, IGNATIUS, JOSEPHUS, VAN DEN BERG, KAREL, VAN DER LELY, ALEXANDER, VERBURG, CARLO
Applicants: BERG KAREL VAN DEN, FRANSEN RENATUS IGNATIUS JOSEP, LELY ALEXANDER V D, LELY RES HOLDING, VERBURG CARLO, FRANSEN, RENATUS, IGNATIUS, JOSEPHUS, LELY RESEARCH HOLDING AG, VAN DEN BERG, KAREL, VAN DER LELY, ALEXANDER, VERBURG, CARLO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A01K13
IPC codes: A01K1, A01K13