# US 10,477,834 B2 · Grazing system and method

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- Number: US 10,477,834 B2
- Document ID: US10477834B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/262,788
- Filed: 2019-01-30
- Published: 2019-08-01
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-31
- Assignees: Pasturebird, Inc.
- Applicants: Pasturebird, Inc.
- Inventors: Raymond Paul Greive; Jeffrey Lane McDaniel; Mitchell Robert Combs; Cory Michael Combs
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10477834B2

## CPC

- A01K 1/105: {Movable feed barriers}
- A01G 25/092: {movable around a pivot centre}
- A01K 1/0035: {Transportable or mobile animal shelters}
- A01K 1/0209: {Feeding pens for pigs or cattle}
- A01K 1/123: {Mobile milking parlours}
- A01K 5/02: Automatic devices {(automatic identification devices for stock A01K11/006)}
- A01K 7/02: Automatic devices
- A01K 9/00: Sucking apparatus for young stock {; Devices for mixing solid food with liquids}
- A01K 31/22: Poultry runs {; Poultry houses, including auxiliary features, e.g. feeding, watering, demanuring (air-conditioning, e.g. ventilation, of animal housings A01K1/0047)}
- G01S 19/215: {issues related to spoofing}
- G01S 19/23: Testing, monitoring, correcting or calibrating of receiver elements
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS}
- G05D 1/248: generated by satellites, e.g. GPS
- G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control
- H04K 3/90: {related to allowing or preventing navigation or positioning, e.g. GPS}
- A01J 5/003: Movable milking machines
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- H04K: SECRET COMMUNICATION; JAMMING OF COMMUNICATION
- A01J: MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS

## Abstract

A circular grazing system for poultry and/or livestock. The circular grazing system including a center pivot structure installed at a field. The center pivot structure may have a center pivot axis. The field may be a poultry and/or livestock grazing field. The circular grazing system for poultry and/or livestock may include an enclosure for containing poultry and/or livestock. The enclosure may extend generally radially from the center pivot structure to a circumference of the field. The enclosure may be rotably coupled to the center pivot structure such that the enclosure rotates around the center pivot axis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A grazing system comprising:
a poultry enclosure for containing poultry that extends generally across a side of a field, the field comprising a grazing field for one or both of poultry and livestock, the poultry enclosure comprising:
two side walls including a first side walls and a second side wall extending generally across the side of the field,
a third wall coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall that connects the two side walls, and
a fourth wall coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall, opposite the third wall, that connects the two side walls to form the poultry enclosure, wherein the poultry enclosure moves one or both of linearly and laterally over the field;
a motor; and
one or more processors configured by machine readable instructions to actuate the motor causing the poultry enclosure to move at least partially over the field, wherein actuation of the motor is programmatic such that movement of the poultry enclosure over the field is initiated via the machine readable instructions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, wherein the poultry enclosure is floorless.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, wherein the poultry enclosure includes a chassis with wheels that facilitates movement of the poultry.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, wherein there is a clearance between (i) a bottom of at least a portion of at least one of the two side walls and (ii) the field such that at least a portion of the poultry enclosure may pass over one or both of deceased livestock and poultry lying in the field.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The grazing system of claim 4, further comprising one or more flaps coupled to the bottom of the at least one of the two side walls.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, wherein a lower portion of at least one of the two side walls is resiliently flexible so that live animals are maintained in the poultry enclosure, but the lower portion passes over dead animals.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, further comprising one or both of a pressurized perforated airline pipe and one or more sound devices coupled to the poultry enclosure and oriented in the direction of the movement of the poultry enclosure.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The grazing system of claim 7, wherein one or both of: the pressurized perforated airline pipe releases compressed air from airline perforations in the pressurized perforated airline pipe, and the one or more sound devices are automated to induce one or both of poultry and livestock movement responsive to the poultry enclosure moving.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, further comprising a feeding system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The grazing system of claim 9, wherein the feeding system is automated to distribute one or both of food and milk within the poultry enclosure.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, further comprising a water supply.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The grazing system of claim 11, wherein the water supply is automated to distribute water within the poultry enclosure.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile milking station system including one or more milking stations that move one or both of linearly and laterally over the field and include one or more conduits that transfer milk radially to one or more central collection vats.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1,
where in the machine readable instructions actuate the motor causing the poultry enclosure to move one or both of linearly and laterally over the field in accordance with one or more of a schedule, speed, and rate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, wherein the poultry enclosure is rectangular-shaped.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, further comprising a ground support structure for the poultry enclosure that facilitates movement of the poultry enclosure over the field.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The grazing system of claim 16, wherein the ground support structure comprises rails.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The grazing system of claim 16, wherein the ground support structure comprises skids.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The grazing system of claim 1, wherein the walls comprise one or more of netting, wood, paneling, mesh, cloth, chicken wire, metal sheeting, shingles, tarpaper, windows, canvas, plastic, tarp, and rubber.