A method and system enhances automated management and breeding of animals.
The animals are identified by system of radiotelemetric communication of
identification data and location. When the animals are ready to be bred,
they can be fitted with a heat cycle detection and transmission system for
communication of the data in concert with the identification data. The
system thus appropriately determines when an animal is ready to be bred so
that it can be caught in a catch pen system having system controlled
access gates. The animal's natural inclination to go to a bait is
exploited so that upon such normal and routine movement to bait, such as
water, the access gates can be selectively controlled to direct animals
into a plurality of catch pens wherein they are somewhat segregated so
that the inventory therein is generally associated by common optimal times
for breeding. The system detects and monitors the animals within the
individual catch pens and will signal a pen rider that a particular catch
pen inventory should be forwarded to a pre-breeding sorting pen area, also
including system controlled access gates for enhanced sorting of the
breeding animals by optimal times for the breeding. Egress gates from the
pre-breeding sorting pens are also system controlled for releasing animals
to a breeding barn for technician assisted breeding. The system allows
supplemented identification of each animal's data file with the relevant
breeding information.