Automated cubicle cleaner

奶牛乳房炎是英国和英国农业面临的一个重大问题，每年给该行业造成1.7亿英镑的损失（Volac，2022）。引起乳腺炎的病原体可以通过挤奶设备的污染传播，但两种主要的乳腺炎病原体，大肠杆菌和沙门氏菌。疟疾通过环境传播，包括通过垫料传播（NADIS，2022年）。因此，为奶牛提供尽可能清洁的垫料至关重要。英国奶牛的主要垫料类型是隔间，因为它们可以在畜舍中提供高饲养密度，并且与失去秸秆垫料相比相对清洁（AHDB，2022）。然而，隔间必须精心设计并保持清洁，以确保最干净的床上用品环境。工作间的清洁度取决于清洁的频率和方法，以及所使用的垫料类型和空调器。工作间的清洁可以使用手动刷或自行式或拖拉机安装的旋转刷进行。这些清洁方法不能提供消毒，实际上会在两个人之间传播病原体。许多用于覆盖隔间垫或床垫的垫料通常是有机材料（也使用无机材料），这些材料可能培养乳腺炎病原体，特别是在粪便和泄漏的牛奶严重污染的隔间中。该项目旨在开始开发一种创新的新型自清洁隔间设计，它将自动为奶牛提供消毒隔间。走向自动化的隔间清洁进一步推动了乳品业务的自动化，但也将有助于减少农场乳腺炎。由于使用抗生素来控制感染，乳房炎对行业来说是昂贵的，这导致在抗生素撤药的情况下奶牛排乳，以及排乳具有高体细胞计数。因此，自动清洁隔间系统可能会受到业界的欢迎。消除传统的针织机的劳动力和材料成本也将为该行业节省大量成本。

Mastitis in dairy cattle is a massive issue facing English and British Agriculture, costing the industry £170 million per year (Volac, 2022). Mastitis-causing pathogens can be spread through the contamination of milking equipment but two of the major mastitis pathogens, E.coli and S. uberis are spread through the environment, which includes transmission via bedding (NADIS, 2022). Therefore, providing the cleanest possible bedding to dairy cows is paramount.The dominant bedding type for dairy cows in the UK is the cubicle due to the high stocking density they can provide in housing and the relative cleanliness compared to lose straw bedding (AHDB, 2022). However, cubicles must be well-designed and kept clean to ensure the cleanest possible bedding environment. Cubicle cleanliness is dependent on the frequency and method of cleaning and the bedding type and conditioners used.Cubicle cleaning is carried out either using a manual brush or a self-propelled or tractor-mounted rotary brush. These methods of cleaning offer no disinfection and can in fact spread pathogens between cubicles. Many bedding materials, used to coat the cubicle mat or mattress are often organic materials (with inorganic materials such in use also) which can culture mastitis pathogens, particularly where cubicles are heavily soiled with manure and leaked milk.This project seeks to start the development of an innovative new self-cleaning cubicle design, which will automatically provide a sterilised cubicle for cows. A move towards automated cubicle cleaning furthers the automation of dairy operations but will also aid in the reduction of on-farm mastitis. Mastitis is costly to the industry due to the use of antibiotics to control infection which leads to a rejection of milk from cows under antibiotic withdrawal, as well as the rejection of milk with a high somatic cell count. Therefore, an auto-cleaning cubicle system could be well-received by the industry. Removing the labour and material cost of conventional cubicles would also represent considerable cost savings to the industry.