Patent Application
20190343088
The present invention relates to devices configured to catch and separate chickens from a flock.
Culling is a necessary process in raising and growing fowl and chickens. Culling enables the grower to remove sick, lame or injured chickens, as well as runts, from the flock which, in the end, increases efficiency and productivity. One of the challenges in culling and euthanizing sick, lame or injured chickens, for the poultry industry and growers, is being able to cull and euthanize in an appropriate or humane way. One of the problems in culling and euthanization is that in some cases identifying the runt, sick, lame or injured chicken to be euthanized and actually euthanizing the chicken take place at the same time among the flock. This sometimes results in an inappropriate euthanization. This process can be improved by separating the sick, lame or injured chicken from the flock and after separation, performing the euthanization in an environment outside the flock where euthanization can be appropriately performed in the most humane way.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for an efficient and appropriate way of culling the chickens by separating sick, lame or injured chickens from the flock, after which appropriate euthanization can be performed.
The present invention relates to a basket, referred to as a chicken retrieval basket, that can be used to separate sick, lame or injured chickens from the flock. The basket is designed such that it can be used in the midst of the flock and can retrieve targeted chickens without frightening the chickens and making retrieval even more difficult and time consuming.
In one embodiment, the chicken retrieval basket comprises an open metal frame that includes a top circular ring, a bottom circular ring, and a plurality of vertical ties interconnected between the top and bottom circular rings. A wire mesh panel extends across the bottom and sides of the metal frame. This wire mesh panel includes an array of galvanized steel wires twisted together to form an array of openings across the mesh panel. In this particular embodiment, the mesh panel extends over the exterior side of the bottom circular ring and upwardly therefrom to where the wire mesh panel extends between the circular rings. Thus, the wire mesh panel forms a bottom of the chicken retrieval basket, as well as the side wall of the basket. To secure the wire mesh panel to the metal frame, an outer edge of the wire mesh panel is secured to the top circular ring. This effectively secures or suspends the wire mesh panel around the open metal frame and encloses the open metal frame except for the top.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.
With further reference to the drawings, a chicken retrieval basket is shown therein and indicated generally by the numeral 10. As explained below, the chicken retrieval basket is utilized to catch and retrieve sick, lame or injured chickens among a flock. By retrieving such targeted chickens, the grower can then carry the chicken to a euthanizing area. This separates the catching and retrieving of the chicken from the euthanization process and by separating the two, more appropriate ways can be employed for both catching and retrieving and euthanization.
The chicken retrieval basket comprises a main frame. The main frame forms the frame of the basket and can be constructed of various suitable materials. In preferred embodiments, the main frame is a metal (such as aluminum) or plastic frame. As seen in the drawings, it is of an open construction and is designed such that its components are relatively small or thin. Viewing the metal of plastic frame in more detail, it comprises a top circular ring 12, a bottom circular ring 14 and an array of vertical ties 16 that extends between the top circular ring and the bottom circular ring. The vertical ties are actually interconnected between the two rings 12 and 14 and are uniformly spaced around the side of the chicken retrieval basket 10. Circular rings 12 and 14, along with the vertical ties 16, form a generally rigid structure.
The side wall and bottom of the chicken retrieval basket 10 are formed by a wire mesh panel indicated generally by the numeral 18. See
The outer edge 24 of the wire mesh panel 18 is connected to the top circular ring 12. This connection can be made in various ways. In one example, the outer edge portion 24 of the wire mesh panel 18 includes a plurality of wires that are wrapped around and tied to the top circular panel 12. This effectively suspends the wire mesh panel 18 from the top circular ring 12. The suspension of the wire mesh panel 18 is done such that the wire mesh panel generally conforms to the shape of the metal or plastic frame. While there may be some flexibility in portions of the wire mesh panel that extend around the main frame, the various portions of the wire mesh panel still contribute to forming a basket-like structure.
Once the wire mesh panel 18 is suspended from the top circular ring 12, a portion of the wire mesh panel forms a wire mesh bottom that is maintained relatively taunt but with some slight flexibility that encourages a retrieved chicken to sit and rest in the bottom of the chicken retrieval basket. Another portion of the wire mesh panel 18 forms a wire mesh side wall that extends around the side of the chicken retrieval basket.
Thus, as appreciated from viewing the drawings, once the wire mesh panel has been suspended to the top circular ring 12, this leaves an open top 30 that enables the targeted chicken to pass through during a retrieval operation.
In order to manipulate and carry the chicken retrieval basket 10, there is provided an elongated handle 32. Handle 32 is connected to the main frame of the chicken retrieval basket 10 and extends therefrom. As shown in the drawings, in one embodiment, the handle includes a curved end portion that is secured by fasteners, weldment, or other suitable means to one of the vertical ties 16. Handle 32 can be designed such that its length is adjustable. In one embodiment, handle 32 may comprise a plurality of telescoping sections that enable the length of the handle to be adjusted.
It is appreciated by those skilled in the art that the size and dimensions of the chicken retrieval basket 10 can vary. In one example, the top circular ring 12 has a diameter of 12 inches while the bottom circular ring 14 has a diameter of 10½ inches. The height of this exemplary basket is approximately 10 inches. In this example, it is noted that the wire mesh side wall, as well as the main frame, taper inwardly from the top ring 12 to the bottom ring 14. This facilitates catching the targeted chicken and confining the chicken in the basket after being captured.
It is beneficial for the entire basket 10, including the main frame and the wire mesh panel 18, to be of a light weight construction. This makes the basket 10 easy to handle and manipulate around a targeted chicken. At the same time, by employing relatively small and lightweight materials, the basket as a whole is made generally transparent, that is the side wall and the bottom are not opaque but are of an open wire mesh construction that enables light to be transmitted through the entire basket. Thus, in one example, the galvanized steel wire that comprises the wire mesh panel 18 can be constructed of 19-22 gauge steel wire.
The chicken retrieval basket 10 is used by a worker walking through a chicken house among the flock and identifying sick, lame or injured chickens. Once the worker identifies such a chicken, then he or she moves to capture the chicken in the chicken retrieval basket 10. A number of different basket designs have been tested and it was found that a design that was generally open and transmitted light worked better than other designs because the basket could be directed at the targeted chicken without unduly scaring the chicken and causing the chicken to run away from the basket. In any event, once the targeted chicken is retrieved in the basket (see
The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the scope and the essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
