Method and means for keeping cattle in a stall barn

摘要

A method and means for keeping cattle in a stall barn is provided. The barn has feeding and resting places where each animal is kept during feeding and rest in a separate stall defined by vertical parallel side stall partitions, the animals being free from restraining connections to the feeding table and said partitions and being confined at the rear of the stall by a closing means controlled by power transmissions means which lifts it to a level above the standing height of the animals to allow them to back out from their individual stalls and move to a common collecting place along a predetermined route of a way system, the animals being subsequently returned to their stalls by the same or a different route, and the closing means being returned to confining position behind the animals, said routes being established by a plurality of adjustable gates within said way system, the gates being set in different positions by individual power transmission means. The animals are divided into a plurality of individual groups having a small number of animals in each group, the groups being distributed along said feeding and resting places, said power transmission means for both the closing means and the gates being automatically controlled by control means of a common control station. Said control means is permitted to actuate the power transmission means for the closing means in a predetermined sequence depending on the particular group of animals being selected and at the same time actuate the power transmission means for those gates which are to be set to establish said predetermined route for the group selected when this is to be moved to or from said collecting place.