Patent ID: 7726258

Claim:
A method for managing animals for commercial food production which includes a time period in which groups of animals are fed in pens in feedlots prior to shipment from the feedlot for processing into food products, comprising: entering information relating to a group of animals into a computer system, where the computer system is capable of performing feedlot accounting functions; directing animals from the group to a processing location and through a one-way chute which has gates for separating one animal at a time at a location remote from a feed pen; entering characteristic data for individual animals into a computer at the location, where the computer is part of the computer system; measuring the individual animals at the processing location and entering measurement characteristic data into the computer including at least weight; determining in the computer system, from at least in part the measurement characteristic data, a projected condition for the individual animals; recording the condition for the individual animals in the computer system and correlating the condition with at least the weight measurement characteristic data for the individual animals; determining in the computer system for the individual animals a projected feed intake, a projected gain and an estimated time required to reach the projected condition, from at least in part the measured characteristic data, the projected condition, feed ration information, and if used, growth promotants; entering into the computer system a predetermined feed pen animal quantity for multiple feed pens and determining in the computer system a number of measured individual animals per pen to substantially achieve the feed pen animal quantity; selecting measured individual animals for one of multiple sort groups of animals which have been selected for a sort group based at least in part on the estimated time required to reach the projected condition; directing animals from the processing location to one or more feed pens, and there feeding directed animals for a feeding period; entering into the computer system for each sort group an estimated time required to reach the projected condition; and determining for the measured individual animals or sort group an estimated time required to reach the projected condition, following measurement and during the time the directed animals are being fed for the feeding period, based at least in part on composition of the ration and projected feed intake.