Livestock management system and method for split-weight feeding based on median weight of herd

A method of managing livestock, comprising the steps of:

• placing an animal herd in a pen area having first and second feeders and a waterer;
• for a first period of time, allowing the animals in said animal herd to roam freely through said pen area between said first and second feeders and said waterer;
• partitioning said pen area into a first feeding area containing said first feeder, a second feeding area containing said second feeder, and a common watering area containing said waterer, and providing a first narrow passageway between said first feeding area and said common watering area, a second narrow passageway between said second feeding area and said common watering area, and a walk-through scale providing third and fourth passageways between said common watering area and said first and second feeding areas, respectively;
• for a second period of time, allowing the animals in said animal herd to pass freely through said first, second, third and fourth passageways between said first and second feeding areas and said common watering area;
• providing a first one-way gate at said first passageway, a second one-way gate at said second passageway, and a sort gate at said walk-through scale;
• and
• for a third period of time, activating said first and second one-way gates to allow animals to pass through said first and second passageways only in a direction from said first and second feeding areas into said common watering area, and activating said sort gate at said walk-through scale to selectively direct animals through either said third passageway into said first feeding area or through said fourth passageway into said second feeding area.

A livestock management system for providing split-weight feeding based on animal weight, comprising:

• a pen area partitioned into a first feeding area containing at least a first feeder, a second feeding area containing at least a second feeder, and a common watering area containing at least one waterer;
• a first passageway comprising a first one-way gate between said first feeding area and said common watering area, said first one-way gate being operable to allow animals to pass from said first feeding area into said common watering area and to prevent animals from passing back through the first one-way gate into the first feeding area;
• a second passageway comprising a second one-way gate between said second feeding area and said common watering area, said second one-way gate being operable to allow animals to pass from said second feeding area into said common watering area and to prevent animals from passing back through the second one-way gate into the second feeding area;
• and
• a walk-through scale having an inlet open to said common watering area, a first outlet open to said first feeding area, a second outlet open to said second feeding area, and a sort gate movable between a first position in which animals are directed to the first outlet and a second position in which animals are directed to the second outlet;
• said walk-through scale having a controller that automatically moves said sort gate to said first position or said second position based on a measured weight of an animal passing through the scale and a calculated sorting weight.

A controller for use in a split-rate livestock feeding system, comprising:

• a means for calculating a sorting weight based on previously stored weights of the animals being weighed;
• means for comparing a detected weight of an animal to said calculated sorting weight;
• and
• means for activating a sort gate to direct the animal to a heavyweight pen if the detected weight is more than the calculated sorting weight and to a lightweight pen if the detected weight is less than the calculated sorting weight.