Animal forage handling arrangement and method of controlling the same

A method of controlling an animal forage handling arrangement (2), the method comprising the steps of:

• starting a first conveyor (20) of the animal forage handling arrangement (2), wherein the animal forage handling arrangement (2) comprises a first forage dispensing arrangement (4) comprising a first container (18), the first conveyor (20), and a first separator (22) adapted to separate and distribute forage, wherein the first container (18) comprises two opposed lateral side surfaces (24), and a first dispensing end portion (26) and a first loading end portion (28) arranged between the two opposed lateral side surfaces (24), wherein the first separator (22) is arranged at the first dispensing end portion (26) of the first container (18), and wherein the first conveyor (20) is arranged at a bottom of the first container (18), the animal forage handling arrangement (2) further comprising a control unit (16), the control unit (16) connected to and operative to control a driving of the first conveyor (20) and comprises a first forage presence sensor (30) arranged at the first loading end portion (28), wherein the starting (100) the first conveyor (20) moves an upper side of the first conveyor (20) towards the first loading end portion (28), and
• automatically stopping (102) the first conveyor (20) when a loading condition is fulfilled, to prepare the first conveyor (20) to be loaded with forage,
• wherein the control unit (16) comprises a timer (34) and the loading condition is a second loading condition, which second loading condition is fulfilled when the timer (34) reaches an end of a first time period, and wherein the method comprises:
• starting (104) the timer (34) to count the first time period when starting the first conveyor (20) to move the upper side of the first conveyor (20) towards the first loading end portion (28).

A method of controlling an animal forage handling arrangement (2), the method comprising the steps of:

• starting a first conveyor (20) of the animal forage handling arrangement (2), wherein the animal forage handling arrangement (2) comprises a first forage dispensing arrangement (4) comprising a first container (18), the first conveyor (20), and a first separator (22) adapted to separate and distribute forage, wherein the first container (18) comprises two opposed lateral side surfaces (24), and a first dispensing end portion (26) and a first loading end portion (28) arranged between the two opposed lateral side surfaces (24), wherein the first separator (22) is arranged at the first dispensing end portion (26) of the first container (18), and wherein the first conveyor (20) is arranged at a bottom of the first container (18), the animal forage handling arrangement (2) further comprising a control unit (16), the control unit (16) connected to and operative to control a driving of the first conveyor (20) and comprises a first forage presence sensor (30) arranged at the first loading end portion (28), wherein the starting (100) the first conveyor (20) moves an upper side of the first conveyor (20) towards the first loading end portion (28), and
• automatically stopping (102) the first conveyor (20) when a loading condition is fulfilled, to prepare the first conveyor (20) to be loaded with forage,
• wherein the control unit (16) is connected to a first notification device (36), and wherein the method comprises:
• keeping (114) track of a progress of the movement of the upper side of the first conveyor (20) towards the first dispensing end portion (26), and
• indicating (116) by means of the first notification device (36) a progress of a portion of the first conveyor (20) along a distance between the first loading end portion (28) and the first dispensing end portion (26).