The present invention relates to a device for use in artificial insemination of livestock, particularly pigs, and comprising a first part which is attachable on the farm animal, and a second part connected with the first part, and where the free end of the second part is designed for retaining a container with semen.

For simplicity ^' s sake the following description of the invention is based on the conditions of artificial insemination of sows, but the device may be used in other contexts in connection with artificial insemination of livestock.

From FR 2 828 644 (POIRIER) such a device is known in shape of a form- pressed bar of steel with a protruding steel bar the free end of which comprises a hook for suspending a bag or a container with semen. The bar is pressed down over the groin on a current sow to be inseminated. The steel bar is expected in some extent to stimulate the sows heat by touching the sows side flanks. However, the drawback by the device is that the sow might twist off the bar during the insemination with consequent loss of semen and time, as the bar shall be replaced on the sow, and the catheter which is connected with the container with semen shall be re-arranged. These actions are time consuming and lead to inefficiency. The bar also requires relatively much space when stored between the artificial inseminations.

From US 5,690,060 (DUMOL!N et al.) is known a nylon strap suited for lash- ing around the sow's groin where the ends of the nylon strap comprises interacting parts of Velcro® so that the nylon strap can be maintained in the sow ^' s groin. The nylon strap comprises approximately in the middle a transverse directed smaller nylon strap in the free end of which is arranged a X-shaped strap the free ends of which comprises interacting parts of Velcro® suited for retaining a container with semen upon the back of the sow, said container being connected to the vulva of the sow by a catheter. The device has the disadvantage that the Velcro® tape easy is soiled in use, particularly in the view of the relatively dirty and dusty conditions in a piggery. This will cause a noticeable weakening of the nylon strap ability to be maintained in proper position during insemination, and as the staple capacity is reduced, the sow might rub off the strap during the insemination with consequent loss of semen and time, as the strap shall be remounted and the catheter which is connected with the container with semen shall be rearranged. Further- more, the mounting of the strap will be difficult since it does not include an outright tightening device which ensures a certain restraint of the strap.

In US 6,116,193 (GOECKNER) is disclosed a breeding saddle for use in connection with artificial insemination. The breeding saddle affects advantageously the vibration and birth rate, and thereby improves the productivity. The saddle comprises first and second straps and a vibrator on the straps. The first strap transmits vibrations to the belly of the animal and the second strap transmits vibrations to the catheter inserted in the vulva of the sow which improves the fertility. The disadvantage of the breeding saddle is that the straps are fastened with Vetera®, which will inevitably be soiled in the relatively dirty environment occurring in a serial section, which will lead to the straps will eventually ineffective and needs replacement. Further the breeding saddle comprises relatively many different parts which will make it relatively expensive to produce, and further it is complicated to arrange it correctly on the sow which will be time consuming.

The state of the art in this area leaves something back in terms of an effective retention of straps and possibility of tightening thereof in an easy and effortless manner for the person who shall mount the device in a manner that it is not displaced or fall of during the mating procedure caused by the sows movements. Also it would be desirable to provide a device for use in artificial insemination which is substantially maintenance-free and which is operable with one hand, and which in an easy way can be tightened to the sow ^' s groin, so that the container and the catheter for supply of semen are not displaced if the sow moves during the mating procedure. Moreover it will be useful to provide a simple and inexpensive solution to said problem. Thus it is the object of the invention to provide a device for use in artificial insemination which offer a solution to said problems.

It is by the invention realized that this object will be achieved by a device as stated in the preamble which is characterized in, that the first part comprise a strap with a mechanical tightening part which after arranging the strap around the sow ^' s groin is one-hand operated, and where the second part comprise a rod shaped body protruding from the mechanical tightening part, and where the free end of said rod shaped body comprises facilities for fastening of a container or bag with semen in a level above the vulva of the farm animal. This provides for an opportunity for achieving an effective fastening of a container with semen and catheter during the mating procedure without risking that the container and catheter will be brought out of optimal position by the sow ^' s movements. Using the one-hand operable mechanic tightening part it is further achieved that tightening the strap around the sow ^' s groin to an appropriate level can be conducted quickly and efficiently, together with the fact that the mechanical tightening part is not sensible to dirt, but remains efficient in contrast to the known straps where Vetera® tape are used to connect the strap ends. The one-hand mechanical tightening part further provides for that the device in an easy and effort- less manner can be removed after the mating procedure is completed.

In a preferred embodiment of the device, the first part may comprise a lashing strap with a mechanical tightening part, par example a lashing of the kind used for lashing of cargo in the transport sector, and a second part of a upwards sloping rod shaped body protruding from the mechanical tightening part, the free end of said rod shaped body having facilities for attaching a container or a bag with semen. The mechanical tightening part is one-hand operable when applied around the sow's groin, as the tightening mechanism can be served with one hand, as well as it also is releasable served with one hand.

The advantage of this embodiment is that it, in addition to ensuring an effective retention of the container with semen and catheter during the mating procedure, is easy to operate, reliable, as soiling of the mechanic tightening part does not lead to any reduction of the retention ability on the sow during the mating pro- cedure, and finally, it is cheap to manufacture and thus it can produce and sell in those parts of the world, where the economics in pig production is not sufficient to invest in the known devices for use in artificial insemination.

In a particularly simple embodiment of the device according to the invention, the facilities for retaining a container or bag with semen in the free end of the rod shaped body may be obtained by a folding of the free end of the rod shaped body.

The advantage thereof is that more or less complicated retain devices for fastening of a container for semen and catheter thereby becomes superfluous. Without renouncing the right to other embodiments of the device according to the invention, the first part may comprise a ribbon-shaped nylon strap which cooperates with the mechanical tightening part. Furthermore the mechanical tightening part may comprise a one-hand operable belt tightener, resulting in substantial benefits and time savings for the operator in connection with arranging and removal of the device on sows.

In another embodiment of the device according to the invention suited for fur- ther stimulation of the belly of the sow during the mating procedure, at least a part of the one side of the ribbon-shaped strap may comprise protrudings, such as knobs, so that this part of the surface of the ribbon is nubbly.

The advantage thereof is that the nubbly surface stimulates the sow in espe- daily sensible areas which makes her more receptive for the semen supplied via the catheter, resulting in an increase in fertility.

With intent to protect the bellow of the sow, and further to improve the stimulation of the sow, the protrusions may be designed in soft elastic material, such as neoprene rubber.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the device for use in artificial insemination of livestock, according to the invention, the first and/or the second part of the device may comprise a vibrator unit.

Use of a vibrator unit is known in connection with the more complicated device known from UD 6,116,193 (GOECKNER), and the vibrating unit has definitely an impact on the result of the mating procedure resulting in increased fertility, as the sow are stimulated by the vibrations on the similar areas on the body which occurs through natural fertilization by a boar, but the use of a vibrator unit on the device according to the invention may be regarded as new.

With intent to be able to perform an optimal control of the vibrator unit during the mating procedure, the vibrator unit may be provided with a control unit for con- trolling the frequency and the amplitude. This provides in a certain extent a simulation of the boar ^' s movements during natural fertilization, leading to that the sow will be more receptive. In a preferred embodiment of the device, the control unit may be associated with a remote which can control the vibration on a plurality of control units. This makes it possible by using one remote to control the vibrations on one or more control units on one or more devices according to the invention during the mating procedure, and thus to optimize the mating procedure for each animal.

With the intent to achieve further stimulation of relevant areas on the sow, the strap may comprise protruding elastic resilient organs transverse oriented relative to the length axis of the strap.

The invention is further explained in the following referring to the drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the device for use in artificial insemination of livestock, according to the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side view of a second embodiment of the device for use in artificial insemination of livestock, according to the invention.

I fig. 1 is shown a first embodiment of the device for use in artificial insemination of livestock, according to the invention.

The device 2 comprises in the shown embodiment of a first part 4 consisting of a nylon strap 6 and a therewith connected cooperating mechanical tightening part 8. The tightening part 8 comprises a basis 9, with a drum 10 with a slit 12 for introducing of the free end 14 of the nylon strap 6, and a pivotal mounted lever 15 connected to the drum 10, said lever comprising a spring loaded locking pawl 16 which cooperates with serrations 18 on the sides 20 of the drum 10, by which the nylon strap 6 can be tightened around a member, e.g. a sow ^' s groin (not shown) operating the lever 15 with one hand with a to and fro directed movement of the lever. On basis 9 there is a spring loaded locking device 22 cooperating the serrations 18 in the sides of the drum 20 for releasing the locking pawl 16 in connection with loosening of the nylon strap 6.

The device 2 comprises in the shown embodiment a protruding organ 24, extending from the basis 9 on the mechanical tightening part 8, which in the shown embodiment of the device consists of a piece of round steel, the free end 26 of which has a hook-shaped bending 28 and the end of which is folded in direction away from the course length 32 of the round steel. When the device according to the invention is fastened around the groin of a sow, and after introducing the free end 14 of the nylon strap 6, it will be possible to tighten the nylon strap in an adequate extent serving the lever 14, the mechanical tightening device will subsequently be located on the sow's back, and with the protruding organ from the mechanical tightening part 8 oriented backwards in a posi-0 tion behind an above the sow's vulva. A container with semen can subsequently be suspended in the hook-shaped bending 28, and be provided with a catheter, the free end of which can be introduced in the sow ^' s vulva, where after the semen steady will flow into the sow and she will be fertilized. 5 In fig. 2 is shown a further embodiment of the device 2 according to the invention, wherein it is suited for use together with semen in bags. The hook-shaped bending 28 is here extended with a transverse straight course 34 on which is affixed a clamp 36 in which a bag witti semen (not shown) May be clamped/retained, and be provided with a catheter, the free end of which can be introduced in the o sow ^' s vulva as described above.

Results of experiments with the device 2 according to the invention has shown that the average of live-bom piglets is significant better than using the devices according to the prior art, and therefore using the device according to the5 invention in addition to make the mating of sows easier, it also improves the sows fertility and causes an increase in production.

I should be noticed that the inventor have realized that the invention may assume other embodiments than the ones shown in the drawing and described o above, e.g. the nylon strap may be provided with a textured surface on the side adjacent to the side of the sow, which may stimulate the sow further, and the mechanical tightening part may be provided with a vibrating unit with a control unit which may simulate some of the movements the boar is doing in connection with natural fertilization of the sow, and further the control unit may be remote con-5 trolled. Further the area of the nylon strap 6, which after mounting of the device 2 according to the invention is located in the sow ^' s belly area, be provided with protruding organs of soft material for stimulating the sow. But this does not change the inventive aspect, which is to realize that a strap 6 with a mechanical tightening part 8 of the kind used for lashing cargo in combination with a blunt protruding organ 24 extending from the basis 9 of the tightening part the free end 26 of which comprises a bending 28 for retaining a container or a bag with semen during artificial insemination of sows.