TOP 5
The modern dairy cow is sometimes described as a top-flight athlete, with the dairy farmer as her coach. Lely supports the coach with tools that provide insight into the cow’s health, and her ability to perform at her best. In this context, Lely has developed countless concepts, but not every innovation ends up in the barn. Sometimes a patent is even sold to another company or sector. A small selection of Lely's most memorable inventions and concepts for healthy and vital cows.
Fitness in the barn
You might think you’re up to date by wearing a Fitbit, but Lely has had a pedometer in its package for 20 years. Lely even devised a Fitbit for the muzzle. Not only does it measure temperature, oxygen and heart rate, it can also dose nutrients and medicines directly into the muzzle and also identifies the animal. Unfortunately, this idea was never used in practice.
Keep moving
while you work
Sitting for too long is unhealthy, it’s better to keep moving.That must have been what Cornelis van der Lely also thought, when he put the first ideas for a milking robot on paper in a patent in 1984. The teat cups of this milking machine are always connected to the cow, and the milking process is started automatically a few times a day. The cow would have been locked in the milking box, which would have been fitted with a built-in treadmill to keep the animal healthy. Fortunately, the final version of the Astronaut allows much more movement than this initial idea. With an Astronaut, a cow can eventually move freely, and decide for herself when she wants to eat, drink, rest or be milked. This ultimately puts more milk in the tank. Happy cow, happy farmer.
Fit for fertilisation
These days, cows are typically put back in calf by artificial insemination, so it’s important for farmers to know exactly when cows are fertile. Many animals, including cows, show standing reflex behaviour if they are stimulated when fertile. This stimulation can be generated by contact, by an image of the male animal, or by male odours. Lely has incorporated these insights into a patent: the female is stimulated by contact, sight and smell, and you can immediately see whether she has a standing reflex. This idea didn’t just remain on paper, but was built in Germany as a test pig sty.
People often use the BMI score to determine whether they are overweight or underweight. Dairy cows produce so much milk these days they cannot eat enough at the beginning of lactation and run the risk of becoming seriously underweight. Cows at the end of lactation, on the other hand, are at risk of becoming overweight, because milk production decreases at this time. It’s essential, therefore, that farmers know the BMI of their cows; the body condition score. Lely has developed and patented a system with a 3D camera that looks at the curves around the hip to determine this score easily and automatically. It’s exactly the same area that is relevant to people, so would such a system also work with us?
A healthy mind
in a healthy body
A person performs better when both their bodies and minds are healthy, and it’s no different with cows. If cows are stressed, for example as a result of heat or a low ranking in the herd, they yield less milk. This invention calculates cow stress with a camera, temperature measurements and heart-rate readings. If the cow is highly stressed, the teat cups are connected more slowly and carefully.
TOP 5
Fitness
in the barn
The modern dairy cow is sometimes described as a top-flight athlete, with the dairy farmer as her coach. Lely supports the coach with tools that provide insight into the cow’s health, and her ability to perform at her best. In this context, Lely has developed countless concepts, but not every innovation ends up in the barn. Sometimes a patent is even sold to another company or sector. A small selection of Lely's most memorable inventions and concepts for healthy and vital cows.
You might think you’re up to date by wearing a Fitbit, but Lely has had a pedometer in its package for 20 years. Lely even devised a Fitbit for the muzzle. Not only does it measure temperature, oxygen and heart rate, it can also dose nutrients and medicines directly into the muzzle and also identifies the animal. Unfortunately, this idea was never used in practice.
Keep moving
while you work
Sitting for too long is unhealthy, it’s better to keep moving.That must have been what Cornelis van der Lely also thought, when he put the first ideas for a milking robot on paper in a patent in 1984. The teat cups of this milking machine are always connected to the cow, and the milking process is started automatically a few times a day. The cow would have been locked in the milking box, which would have been fitted with a built-in treadmill to keep the animal healthy. Fortunately, the final version of the Astronaut allows much more movement than this initial idea. With an Astronaut, a cow can eventually move freely, and decide for herself when she wants to eat, drink, rest or be milked. This ultimately puts more milk in the tank. Happy cow, happy farmer.
Fit for fertilisation
These days, cows are typically put back in calf by artificial insemination, so it’s important for farmers to know exactly when cows are fertile. Many animals, including cows, show standing reflex behaviour if they are stimulated when fertile. This stimulation can be generated by contact, by an image of the male animal, or by male odours. Lely has incorporated these insights into a patent: the female is stimulated by contact, sight and smell, and you can immediately see whether she has a standing reflex. This idea didn’t just remain on paper, but was built in Germany as a test pig sty.
People often use the BMI score to determine whether they are overweight or underweight. Dairy cows produce so much milk these days they cannot eat enough at the beginning of lactation and run the risk of becoming seriously underweight. Cows at the end of lactation, on the other hand, are at risk of becoming overweight, because milk production decreases at this time. It’s essential, therefore, that farmers know the BMI of their cows; the body condition score. Lely has developed and patented a system with a 3D camera that looks at the curves around the hip to determine this score easily and automatically. It’s exactly the same area that is relevant to people, so would such a system also work with us?
A healthy mind
in a healthy body
A person performs better when both their bodies and minds are healthy, and it’s no different with cows. If cows are stressed, for example as a result of heat or a low ranking in the herd, they yield less milk. This invention calculates cow stress with a camera, temperature measurements and heart-rate readings. If the cow is highly stressed, the teat cups are connected more slowly and carefully.
