The present invention generally relates to the field of feeder systems for feeding livestock. More particularly, the invention relates to devices and methods for feed distribution in a controlled pan feeder system used in conjunction with poultry feeder systems.
Automated feeding systems for poultry and like domestic animals have proven to be highly successful in modern animal husbandry operations. These systems can supply feed mixtures to a large poultry flock with minimum effort by the poultry grower. Both the amounts of feed delivered, and the proportions of feed ingredients can be regulated, thus permitting the flock to be inexpensively raised from chicks to mature, commercially valuable birds in a relatively short time.
Among the important parts of such automated feeding systems are the feeder assemblies. These assemblies receive feed flow from a feed conveyor, and are located on or near the poultry house floor to afford the birds ready access to the feed.
Some chickens, called “broiler breeders” are bred for their meat production. Immature broiler breeders are often called “pullets.” In the husbandry industry, it is important to manage the timing of physical and sexual development of pullets.
Feeding pullets has been a challenge in the industry. Control of their feeding during development is very important to their health and productivity as an egg laying hen. While broilers, roasters, and fryers can be allowed to eat with few restrictions since the idea is to have them gain weight as safely and quickly as possible, pullets must be fed in a more controlled manner. When pullets do not feed well, they suffer stress and that can have detrimental effects on their health and lifespan productivity. As such, the amount of feed that is provided is restricted to help control the bird's physical development. More specifically, feed restriction is required to slow the physical development of the chickens so that they reach physical maturity at the same time they reach sexual maturity, at roughly 19 weeks of age. To accomplish this, typically the birds are fed roughly half of the amount of feed they would eat if the feed were available ad lib. The genetics of birds compels them to want to eat constantly. Attempting to dispense this small amount of feed causes a problem for feeding systems that are designed to dispense a large amount of feed. A small amount of feed can only travel so far in the feeder system before all the feed has fallen out into the feeder pans. Therefore, only a small percentage of the feeder pans receive feed. This contrasts with the need to maximize feeder space so all birds can eat at the same time.
Another challenge relates to the fact that the feed drops sequentially into the feeder pans as the auger moves the feed down the feed tube. The birds can actually eat the feed faster than it travels down the feed tube, further reducing the number of feeder pans that contain feed. An additional problem is the hoppers for each feed line are sequentially filled by the fill system. As a result, whole lines must wait to distribute feed while the first hopper is being filled. Yet another problem is that the feed line will only run when the control pan allows it. Problems inherent to control pans cause delays in the feed line auger running, causing uneven distribution.
In the end, there are many ways that the actual amount of feeder space is reduced in practice. Skip-a-day feeding is a method used to increase the amount of feed put into the house during a feeding session. Basically, double the feed is dispensed one day and then no feed is dispensed the next day, so overall the amount of feed (over time) remains the same.
Pullets in a feed house compete for the feed that is provided. As such, the larger birds tend to exclude the smaller birds from the feed. Bird weight uniformity, a key performance indicator of potential fertility, is difficult to optimize when smaller birds are excluded from feed by larger birds. Disease challenge and stress is high in this environment. The prospect of every-day feeding, instead of providing feed every other day, means even less feed is distributed on a daily basis. Another issue with this competition is, with the birds being so frantic to get to the feed, if the feeders are not designed to prevent entrapment, the birds can climb into the feeders, become entrapped, and die. Obviously, a dead bird is the ultimate loss of fertility and must be avoided.
Pan feeders such as the pan feeder 10 shown in
The pan feeder 10 shown in
All that being said, the pan feeder 10 when used in connection with a system, such as the system 40 shown in
Also, the system 40 shown in
Instead of providing different sized holes for controlling the amount of feed that is released into a given pan feeder, some systems provide that a hanger is provided above each pan feeder and the hanger is adjustable to cause a portion of the long tube, and also the hole provided therein, to be rotated such that the hole is not aimed directly downward. The more directly downward a hole is aimed, the more feed that will fall through the hole as the auger pushes the feed past the hole. Unfortunately, this system requires the manual adjustment of a plurality of hangers, and also results (when the hole is not aimed directly downward) in the feed being dispensed more to one side of the pan feeder than the other.
An embodiment of the present invention comprises a poultry feeding system that comprises pan feeders which allows feed to be distributed throughout the entire house and then release feed simultaneously. Specifically, an embodiment of the present invention comprises a pan feeder that is configured to be opened and closed in a controlled manner. Not only is the timing of the release of feed controlled, but so is the amount of feed that gets released. The fact that the system provides feed to all the pan feeders simultaneously allows the birds to train to that fact, instead of every feeding day basically being a random act of finding a feeder with feed therein.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises:
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises:
While the present invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is described herein in detail, a specific embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that described herein.
Much like the pan feeder 10 shown in
It should be understood that although the term “cone” was used with reference to the cone member 100, the cone member 100 may not truly be of a geometric conical shape, but rather preferably has the general tapered configuration of a cone and is preferably of the preferred configuration and construction as shown and described herein.
As shown in
Preferably, each of the skirt member 300 and excluder member 400 includes an opening for slidably receiving the cone member 100. In an alternate embodiment, the skirt member 300 may be formed integrally with the cone member 100 and not be a separate component.
Although the pan feeder 700 of the present invention is preferably much like the pan feeder 10 shown and described in United States Patent Publication No. 2018/0263221 (and shown in
While
Preferably, the position of each of the dampers 702 is controlled by a damper actuation mechanism 704, which preferably comprises a torque device in the form of a rod 706 over the pan feeders 700, wherein the rod 706 rotates in one direction or the other, resulting in each of the dampers 702 of the pan feeders 700 either raising or lowering. While
Preferably, the rod 706 is effectively connected to the dampers 702 via wound lift strings 710 which engage the damper 702, preferably one lift string or cord 710 connected to each end of the damper 702. Preferably, each lift string 710 is connected to a string clamp 712 which engages the rod 706. When the rod 706 is rotated in one direction, the lift strings 710 pull the damper 702 up into the closed position as shown in
Preferably, the pan feeder also includes compression springs 714, preferably one spring 714 connected to each end of the damper 702, and the compression springs 714 function to push the damper 702 open when the rod 706 is rotated in the other direction (i.e., causing the lift strings 710 to unwind). Because the damper 702 can be pulled closed by the lift strings 710 or be pushed open by the compression springs 714, any level of opening of the damper 702 can be achieved by the amount that the lift strings 710 are wound. It is contemplated that alternative biasing members may be used in connection with or to replace springs 714.
In an alternative embodiment, a more rigid string, such as a cable, cord, or rod may be used to replace lift strings 710 and compression springs 714. In other words, a device with certain rigidity could provide force required in both directions as required for the opening and closing of the damper 702.
Regarding the upward (i.e., closed) position of the damper 702, preferably that is limited by the damper 702 contacting the upper cone segment 102, thereby effectively closing off the feed from dropping out the cone member 100, past the damper 702, into the feed pan 200. While the damper 702 is shown in
Rotation of the torque rod 706 can be controlled using any suitable control system. Preferably, the extent to which the torque rod 706 is rotated (i.e., one way or the other) is precisely monitored by the control system, such as by using one or more limit switches. For example, one or more no contact limit switches can be employed, such as one or more Reed switches, to detect the angular position of the torque rod 706 and provide feedback to the control system wherein the feedback is used to either keep rotating the torque rod 706 in one direction or the other, or to stop rotation of the torque rod 706.
By having feed drop into the pan feeders 700 simultaneously, the birds have no motivation to rush to the pan feeders that are located closest to the feed bin 42. Additionally, feed does not tend to jam, such as in the smaller holes that are provided above certain pan feeders in an attempt to reduce the feed that is dispensed. The pan feeder 700 also provides that feed is not restricted to a small area in the pan (such as when feed is fed through holes that have been rotated out of a directly downward direction using hangers), thereby allowing the feed to be more evenly released into the feed pan 200, and allowing more feeder space to be available to the pullets.
The system disclosed herein provides that a small, controlled volume of feed can be provided simultaneously to all the pan feeders 700 in the feed house. The simultaneous feed drop maximizes the feed available at the start of the feeding time and removes the motivation of the birds to rush to the pan feeders 700 which are closest to the feed hopper 42. The system provides a consistency of feed availability.
While the present system of simultaneous feed to a plurality of pan feeders is novel, the system can be retrofit onto existing feed systems. Additionally, the system uses standard fill and control systems. As such, the feeding process remains familiar to the grower.
While the pan feeder 700 and feed system 40 has been described with regard to feeding pullets, the present invention is definitely not limited to that application and can, of course, by used to feed other livestock.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a method for distribution of feed in a livestock house. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing feed in a receptacle, such as feed bin 42; (ii) providing a plurality of feeders 700 along a feed line 506, wherein the feeders 700 comprise a cone member 100, a pan 200, and a damper 702 preferably housed by the cone member 100 and connected to a damper actuation mechanism 704; (iii) conveying the feed along the feed line 506, such as by way of an auger in the feed line 506; (iv) distributing the feed conveyed in the feed line 506 in desired quantities into the feeders 700 at the cone members 100, wherein the immediate flow of feed into the pans 200 is blocked by the dampers 702; and (v) actuating the damper actuation system 704 to move the dampers 702 and allow the feed to flow into each feeder 700 along line 506 simultaneously.
While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/079,272 filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Sep. 16, 2020.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63079272 | Sep 2020 | US |