EP3793351A1

EP3793351A1 - Incubator for incubating and rearing chicks

Info

Publication number: EP3793351A1
Application number: EP19725116.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Martin Janssen; Michael Brinkmann
Original assignee: Big Dutchman International GmbH
Current assignee: Big Dutchman International GmbH
Priority date: 2018-05-18
Filing date: 2019-05-16
Publication date: 2021-03-24
Also published as: DE202018102779U1; WO2019219806A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an incubator for incubating eggs, comprising: a container (10) having a container floor (16), container side walls (11, 12a, 12b, 13, 14) and a container ceiling (15) which enclose a container interior; multiple incubation levels (42a-e, 43a-e) situated in the container interior, each incubation level having egg-holding devices for holding a plurality of eggs; accommodation areas which are situated adjacent to the egg-holding devices and preferably at each incubation level; watering devices (48a-e) assigned to the accommodation areas, each incubation level being formed to allow a chick hatched from an egg in the egg-holding device access to an accommodation area, preferably to an accommodation area situated at the incubation level; and an air-conditioning unit, which is designed to keep the container interior within a predefined climate range.

Description

Breeding device for hatching and raising chicks

The invention relates to a breeding device and a method for hatching eggs and raising the chicks hatched therefrom.

Devices and methods for hatching eggs are known in principle. In such hatcheries, eggs previously collected in a parent animal husbandry facility are used and kept under controlled climatic conditions until hatching of the chicks. The hatched chicks are removed from the brooder and then transported to a husbandry house such as a rearing house or a fattening house. However, a disadvantage of such previously known brooding devices is that the chicks typically hatch in a hatching time window that extends over several days. The early removal of chicks that have hatched early within the hatching window will affect the hatching climate within the hatcher and may interfere and disrupt the hatching of the subsequently hatching chicks. The removal of all chicks only at the end of the hatching process again entails the danger that early hatched chicks dehydrate. It is known to shorten the hatching time window by prior selection of the eggs incubated together in a hatching operation in order to reduce the problem of dehydration. In this breeding process, eggs are sorted according to their size, since small eggs rather shorter breeding times and larger eggs rather longer breeding times. However, you can With such a brood process the danger of dehydration only reduced, but not eliminated. In addition, additional expense is incurred by the necessary sorting of the eggs before the hatching process, which worsens the economic efficiency of this breeding process. Against this background, so-called patio breeding systems have developed that better meet the requirements of animal welfare. In such patio breeding systems, the eggs are incubated within the rearing house and hatched chicks can reach a floor level where they find food and water. However, such patio breeding systems have economic disadvantages in that the rearing or fattening pens are additionally occupied for the duration of the breeding period. Due to the already occupied by the breeding process areas an efficient use of the available space is not possible. This is largely due to the fact that sufficient space must be provided in the rearing house for chicks and growing animals during the rearing period, which lacks the animals in the rearing. From WO 2007/1 10861A2 an incubator is already known which allows chicks hatching therein to receive food from a trough. Although this incubator reduces the risk of dehydration and health hazards to chickens hatched early in the hatching window, the economy of use due to the required handling and transportation of the chicks at the end of the hatching window is reduced and animal welfare is compromised by these operations.

Against the background, the invention has set itself the goal of providing a hatching device and a method for hatching eggs, with the previous selection of the eggs is not required and still non-egg selection in an economically efficient manner corresponding to the animal welfare Hatching process achieved. This object is achieved according to the invention by a brooding device for hatching eggs, comprising

A container, with a container floor, container sidewalls and a container ceiling enclosing a container interior,

In the container interior arranged several brood layers, each broodage has eggs receiving means for receiving a plurality of eggs, Living areas which are adjacent to the egg receiving means and preferably arranged in each breeding day, the drinking areas associated with the habitation areas, each nesting floor being adapted to give a chick hatched from an egg in the egg receiving means access to a habitation area, preferably to a holding surface arranged in the breeding floor, an air conditioning unit, which is designed to hold the container interior in a predetermined climatic area, dissolved.

According to the invention, a breeding device is provided which has egg-receiving devices within a container in several breeding days. By arranging these brood layers within a container, the brooder according to the invention enables the hatching of eggs in an enclosed space which is transportable. This possibility of setting up the entire room flexibly and possibly also changing the place of installation makes it possible to incubate the eggs efficiently and only after the hatching of the last chicks at the end of the hatching period, the chicks in a rearing or fattening stable from the container. The container interior is adjusted according to the invention by an air conditioning unit to a desired, predetermined climate, this predetermined climate can also be controlled by a corresponding climate control unit as a climatic course over the breeding period. Under a climate or the setting of a climate here is a setting or adjustment of one or more relevant for the breeding process of the eggs and the rearing of the hatched chicks climate parameters within the container interior to understand. Relevant climate parameters are, for example, the air temperature, the concentration value of a gas in the air, such as the oxygen concentration, the carbon dioxide concentration, the air humidity content as relative humidity or the illumination within the container interior or within the incubation days. The air conditioning unit provided according to the invention has means to control or regulate at least one of these climate parameters, preferably in order to control or regulate a plurality of climate parameters. This sets ideal conditions for the brood and for the chicks being hatched in the container interior at the beginning of the hatching time window. At the beginning of the Hatching chicks find a site adjacent to the egg picking facilities that allows these chicks to spend the period until the end of the hatching window within the breeding days. This residence area may lie in the respective breeding days itself or may be in a breeding day adjacent thereto. For example, the chicks from the breeding day in which they are hatched may fall off one or more floors and then collect in a breeding day with a residence area to remain there until the end of the hatching period. Likewise, a corresponding residence area can be formed in each breeding day, so that the chicks which hatched at the beginning of the hatching time window remain in the breeding day in which they are hatched until the end of the hatching time window. The hatched chicks find in the living areas each drinking facilities, which thus ensure that no dehydration of those chicks takes place, which already hatch at the beginning of Schlupfzeitfensters.

By the inventive design of the brooder with care of the chicks within a container, a supply of chicks over the entire slip time window, and possibly also beyond, guaranteed within the container, without requiring access to a nursery would be necessary. The invention therefore enables an efficient temporal use of the rearing hutch areas. For example, it is only then that the chicks are removed from the container into the nursery until the breeding period has ended and all the chicks have hatched at the end of the hatching period. By the invention, an animal welfare serving allocation of areas corresponding to the area requirements of the eggs or chicks in an efficient manner in the period of transition from egg to chick realized.

In particular, the arrangement of the brood layers in a container and the provision of a supply of liquid and feed within the container make it possible to transport the chicks to the rearing house in a gentle manner by transporting the entire container or the container from the beginning of the hatching phase or from the beginning the hatching phase to place already next to the breeding barn, so that a transport of the chicks can be omitted. With the hatching device according to the invention, it is possible to commit the breeding area during the hatching phase without the hatching process being adversely affected by climatic changes. The animals have direct access to food and water and it can be avoided that the animals are exposed to transport stress. par- In particular, such a transport stress of the day-old chicks can be avoided because the chicks in the incubator according to the invention are still growing in the brood space, in particular in the brood days, a few days after the end of the hatching period and are then stalled out of the brood space in a physically more stable condition. Furthermore, the use of a mobile container eliminates the animal stress-causing collection and transporting of the chicks and, instead, a simple and direct discharge of the animals from the container into a stable building, to which the container was placed directly adjacent.

As a further advantage of the invention results from the arrangement of the brood layers in a container and a control of the climate within the container that thereby a rearing of the hatched chicks within the container after the end of the Schlupfzeitfensters is possible because the animals the space required for this and the For this required supply and climate control in the container find. In this way an animal stress-inducing collection of the chicks can be omitted immediately after the end of the hatching period, the animals can be a few days, for example more than 2, 3, 4 days, but less than 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or 5 days after the end of the hatching window in the container and thereby the collection and Ausstallung done in a nursery at a later date, in which the animals are already older and less susceptible to stress. In particular, by this means that the hitherto for the early hatched chicks existing disadvantage that these animals are equipped with rather strong Naturell by the low supply in the first phase directly after hatching to weaker and disease-prone chicks will be converted into a receipt of the advantage by this vigorously assessed chicks can develop healthily through the directly available care. The possible with the brooder invention possible subsequent stabling of the chicks results in a further advantage, the possibility precisely regulate the climatic conditions especially for the more sensitive chicks, because this is done in a small volume of space and therefore can be better controlled and regulated than in a large-volume piggery. In particular, the brood system according to the invention can also be operated without pre-selected eggs without the size or the hatching time window, because a secure supply and air conditioning is available for the hatched chicks. However, the advantages of the brood system according to the invention occur in the same way also when pre-selected eggs are used for brood, because here are the early hatched chicks directly after hatching and all chicks can be reared in the container for a few days even after the hatching period has ended.

According to a first preferred embodiment, it is provided that the container is a loadable container, in particular a standard container. The design of the container as a loadable container, in particular a standard container such as an ISO container in 20 'or 40' format (TEU or FEU), the economically efficient transport of the container with conventional means of transport such as trucks or rail-bound, if necessary also possible on ships.

According to a further preferred embodiment it is provided that the container further comprises a control passage accessible to a person through access in one of the container side walls, the control passage being arranged to allow a person visual control and handling capability in each of the spawning floors , According to this embodiment, the container is designed so that a person can gain access to the container and perform a visual inspection and also manipulations in the area of the brood stages in a tour. The inspection can basically run between two rows of egg-receiving device. In this case, the container is constructed so as to have a central aisle, followed by egg receiving means on both sides, which are lined up correspondingly in rows in a horizontal direction. According to a further preferred embodiment it is provided that within the container interior, a control room separated from the egg receiving device is arranged, in which the air conditioning device is arranged. The provision of such a control room within the container allows a hygienic separation between an area that must be entered by operators several times during the breeding process and the area of the egg-receiving facilities itself. In particular, the air conditioning device can be arranged in the control room, furthermore technical facilities, which are necessary for the operation of the container, be arranged. The control room may further preferably have a hygiene lock, which is arranged between the entrance and the inspection aisle. According to this embodiment, a person who wishes to enter the inspection passage for the purpose of visual inspection or handling through the access first passes through a hygiene sluice arranged in the control room so that the unintentional entry of germs and contamination thereby reduces into the area of the egg receiving device or completely avoided. On the one hand, the hygiene lock can be a germ barrier for germs in the outside air through appropriate ventilation, on the other hand it can enable the person to put on hygienic protective clothing in a low-germ environment before entering the area of the egg receiving device. The brooder can be further developed by a discharge device for discharging chicks from the brood layers of the container, wherein the discharge device preferably comprises a counter for counting the number of chicks discharged. Due to the closed and hygienically controlled position of the chicks during the hatching time window within the container, a controlled stabling after slipping in the form of a discharge from the container is possible and can be used in particular, here the number of chicks, which are ausgestallt from the container to count. The discharge device can be designed in the form of a ramp, chute, a conveyor belt or the like. The counter can be carried out in particular by optical detection of the chicks, for example in the form of a light barrier which is interrupted by the discharged chicks or in the form of image acquisition in the area of the rejection device, which can identify individual chicks by corresponding image processing and thereby count. The discharge device allows in particular a livestock avoiding Umstallen the chicks from the container in a nursery, which is achieved by the arrangement of the breeding days in a container that can be positioned directly next to such a nursery. The discharge device can therefore be the chicks without significant climatic fluctuations and without the animal stress generated by collection and transport and the associated risk of injury be reorganized. It is further preferred that a breeding day has a Kotauffangvorrichtung. In principle, the brood nest and the faeces catcher may be integral so that the plane in which the eggs are received prevents the dropping of faeces from the hatched chicks into an underlying plane. Preferably, a Kotauffangvorrichtung can be arranged below a breeding day, especially under each breeding day. By keeping the chicks even during the hatching time window in the area of the respective breeding days, or in the area of some selected breeding days, it is advantageous if under the breeding days in which hatched chicks are kept for a few days, Kotauffangvorrichtung is provided which prevents the remote Feces of these chicks get into the area of underlying breeding days. Such feces collecting device can be easily formed by a kotdichte plate, foil or the like, which is arranged or stretched below a feces permeable brood. In this embodiment, the Kotauffangvorrichtung can absorb the feces for the period of the hatching time window and possibly for a few days thereafter and after completion of the stabling of the chicks from the container, a cleaning of Kotauffangvorrichtung done. The feces collecting device can also be designed as a transport device, for example as a manure belt, and in this case transport the feces out of the area below the brood layers, so that they can be collected in a feces container inside the container or can be transported outside the container, while the hatching window and the rearing of the chicks in the breeding days. Thus, for example, in the area of a control room by appropriate stripping a Kotfördervorrichtung be cleaned and thereby the hygiene in the field of brood days are ensured. The manure transport device can be designed, in particular, as an endless conveyor belt, which runs between two brood layers and on whose upper strand the droppings are collected.

Still further, it is preferred if at least one of the container side walls or the container ceiling has a translucent window, which preferably has a darkening device. In principle, it is to be understood that the arrangement of the brood layers within a container opens up a possibility of efficient lighting, for example by a central illumination in the container, for example in a central aisle of the container to which the brood layers are arranged on both sides, or by decentralized illumination devices above each breeding day ,

The provision of one or more windows in the side walls or the ceiling of the container on the one hand has the advantage that a natural light supply is achieved in the container, which serves the animal welfare. Furthermore, the possibility of inspection of the brood stages is improved by the possibility of insight from the outside into the container. Basically, a window is a sealed with a transparent material opening in the container side wall or container ceiling to understand, for example, executed with a transparent plastic or glass window. The window may in particular have a darkening device. This makes it possible to protect the eggs and chicks held within the container from heat and light in a controlled manner as a result of the radiation passing through the window, and thereby to set a corresponding day-night rhythm and to avoid unwanted heat radiation. The darkening device can be designed, for example, in the form of mechanical elements such as blinds, flaps and the like. In particular it is preferred to use windows with selbstabdunkelnder property, such as liquid crystal windows, the degree of darkening can be adjusted by means of an electrical voltage.

Still further, it is preferred that in a brood days, preferably in several breeding days and in particular in each breeding day, a turning device for turning the eggs, a feeding device for hatched chicks, and / or a feeding device for hatched chicks is arranged.

According to this embodiment, the brood layers, at least those brood layers in which corresponding devices for animal welfare are additionally useful, are equipped with an improved technology. It is to be understood that a turning device for turning the eggs is preferably provided in each breeding day to turn the eggs at regular, predetermined intervals, thereby preventing the sticking of the yolk within the egg on one side. In particular, a turn can be performed by about every two to four hours. The hatching eggs are preferably stored in the breeding days with the tip down with a displacement of 45 ° to the vertical direction. At each turn, the eggs can be rotated 90 ° in the opposite direction, leaving the angle of 45 ° to the vertical.

Furthermore, a feeding device and a feeding device for hatched chicks are preferably provided in one, several or all incubation days. The provision of this impregnation and feeding equipment in the brood days depends on the whereabouts of the hatched chicks. If the hatched chicks remain in the respective breeding day from which they hatched, it is preferred to provide a drinking device and a feeding device in each of the breeding days. Otherwise, if hatched chicks are collected in some breeding days, only those nesting days serving the chicks' collection may be provided with suitable drinking equipment and feeding equipment.

Still further, it is preferred to train the brooder by a feed source, in particular a feed container or a connection for feeding feed from a feed storage source located outside the container, a liquid source, in particular a liquid container or a connection for supplying liquid from a liquid supply source located outside the container, a heat source, in particular a heating medium store or a Connection for supplying heating or cooling means, for example water, for operating the air-conditioning unit, and / or an electrical energy source, in particular an energy store or a connection for supplying electrical energy from an electrical energy source located outside the container.

According to this embodiment, feed, liquid, heating means and / or electrical energy were supplied by respective storage devices inside or outside the container. The container is thus equipped with an appropriate container for feed, a container for liquid and a storage for electrical energy or has connections that allow a supply of feed, liquid, heating and / or electrical energy from outside into the container. It is to be understood that these connections can be provided individually, in particular also hybrid forms can be provided in which, for example, feed and liquid are stored within the container in a corresponding memory and electrical energy is supplied by a corresponding connection from the outside. Likewise, liquid can be supplied from outside, feed can be stored inside the container or other combinations are advantageous in certain applications.

According to a further preferred embodiment it is provided that a solar system is arranged on the container roof, which is designed to convert incident solar radiation into heat energy and / or electrical energy, and that the air conditioning device is adapted to the converted in the solar thermal energy and / or to use electrical energy for air conditioning the container interior. According to this embodiment, the container is equipped with a solar system, the solar thermal or photovoltaic system or as a combination of solar thermal and Photovoltaic can be executed. This makes it possible to obtain heat energy and / or electrical energy autonomously on the container itself and to use this for the air conditioning of the container interior. The recovered electrical energy can also be used for other control or handling operations within the container, for example, for the promotion of liquid or feed, for turning eggs, the operation of a code tape and the like. The solar system may preferably include an energy storage, the buffered medium may cache or electrical energy may cache to make the availability of heat energy and / or electrical energy independent of the incident solar radiation.

Finally, the brooder can be developed by an exhaust device comprising a filtering device, which is designed to filter dust particles, chick fluff, and / or gas emissions such as ammonia, odorous gases and / or trace gases from the exhaust air from the container interior. Due to the keeping and feeding of the chicks in the container over a period of one or more days, emissions arise in the container according to the invention which should not escape to the outside. For this purpose, an exhaust device with a corresponding filter device is provided, which can be designed, for example, as an air scrubber, cyclone separator, filter or a combination thereof. Another aspect of the invention is a method for incubating eggs and rearing poultry, comprising the steps of:

Inserting a plurality of eggs into an egg receiving device in a transportable container,

Hatching of the eggs within the container, raising the hatch within a container within a hatching window until the end of the hatching window and beyond,

Ausstall the chicks out of the container into a rearing or stable.

With the method according to the invention, an economically efficient and animal welfare option is provided, the hatching of eggs and the rearing of during The hatchlings hatched from the hatching window and the chicks hatched from the eggs should be carried out in the first few days. The method is characterized in particular in that the hatching of the eggs takes place within a container in which the chicks also hatch and are raised beyond the hatching time window or a few days beyond. This raising of the chicks includes, in particular, a supply of liquid to the chicks and optionally also a supply of chicks with animal feed. Within the container for the hatching process and the raising of the chicks a corresponding air conditioning is performed to maintain a certain temperature, humidity in the container interior. The chicks are unloaded from the container into a nursery after all the chicks have hatched, ie at the end of the hatching window or a few days after the hatching period has ended. As a result, the area available in the nursery can be used efficiently and is not occupied at an early stage by eggs and / or partially hatched chicks only partially.

The method may be further developed by transporting the container to the rearing house within or after the hatching time window. The ability to transport the container, especially when designed as a standardized ISO container, allows the location of hatching of the eggs and hatching of the chicks to be different from the location of the nursery stall. This further allows a more efficient and flexible handling of the available land and the human intervention for the breeding and rearing of the animals.

Finally, it is even more preferable if the chicks are unloaded from the container after a predetermined period of time after the end of the hatching period, preferably 4-8 days. According to this embodiment, the chicks are kept in the container for a few days after the hatching period, for example more than 1, 2, 3, 4 days but less than 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or 5 days after the end of the hatching period ,

This training is based on the knowledge that the housing conditions in the container for the chicks in this early period are particularly favorable, promote the development of the chicks and reduce the risk of infection. The chicks, which have then grown after the few days after the end of the hatching period, with their then advanced development, can be exhibited in the nursery and find there the necessary areas for further growth.

In principle, it should be understood that the method according to the invention can preferably be carried out with a brooder of the type described above. In this context, the method can be developed in particular the embodiments of the brooder described above with the possibilities achieved thereby and the Variations and advantages explained in this context also apply correspondingly to the method.

Accordingly, a further aspect of the invention is a use of the above-described brooder by the method according to the invention or in such a way that the chicks are expelled from the container after a predetermined period of time, preferably 4-8 days after the end of the hatching period. According to this use, the properties of the brooder according to the invention are used, in particular, to keep the chicks after a few days, for example more than 1, 2, 3, 4 days, but less than 1 1, 10, 9, 8, 7, after the hatching time has elapsed. 6 or 5 days in a container.

A preferred embodiment will be explained with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a breeding container according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the hatchery container according to Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional frontal view of the hatchery container according to FIG

1, and

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal sectional side view of the hatchery container according to FIG. 1.

Referring first to Figure 1, a brood container 10 according to the invention consists of four side walls 1 1, 12 a, b, 13, 14 which laterally and frontally bound the container, a container ceiling 15 and a container floor 16 (not visible in FIG ). Container floor, container ceiling and the front side walls and parts of the lateral side walls can be made essentially of profiled steel sheet. In particular, the side walls of the floor and the ceiling can be isolated by an insulating layer is applied on the inside, in order thereby to limit external temperature influences in their effect on the interior of the container.

Approximately in the middle of the container ceiling an exhaust duct 20 is arranged. This exhaust duct serves to remove air from the interior of the container in the course of air conditioning. The exhaust duct contains filtering devices for filtering the exhaust air from dust, chick fluff. The exhaust duct is designed such that it can be dismantled for transport purposes and stored in the interior of the container. Alternatively it is the exhaust duct is designed so that it can be moved from the position shown in Figure 1 into the interior of the container to produce a transport state of the container.

The container 10 is designed as a standardized 40 'container, thus has a length of 40 feet (12.192 m), a width of 8 feet (2.4384 m) and a height of 8.6 feet (2.591 m).

Above the container roof 15, a photovoltaic cell arrangement 70 is attached in the area above the control room and partially extending over the incubation space 40. This photovoltaic cell array 70 is used to convert incident solar radiation into electricity and to supply the necessary for the operation of the incubator 10 facilities in the control room 30. For intermediate storage of electrical energy in the control room 30, an accumulator 71 is arranged.

An end-side side wall 12a, b is provided with two, about a vertical, located at the outer edge axis pivotable doors 12a, b, which allow an opening over almost the entire cross-sectional width of the container at this end face. As can be seen from FIG. 4, a control room 30 adjoins these front-side doors 12a, b. In this control room control devices and storage devices, which are necessary for the operation of the incubator, housed.

The side wall 11 is designed as a closed wall surface in the area of this control room and is structurally similar or identical to the design of the container ceiling and the container floor.

The control room 30 is followed by a breeding room 40 in the longitudinal direction of the container. This breeding area extends for about one-fifth to one-sixth of the total length of the container. In the region of this brood space 40, the side walls 11 are provided with three translucent window surfaces 11a, b, c, which allow natural daylight to enter the interior of the container. These side windows can be darkened, for this purpose, the windows are provided with corresponding mechanically automated adjustable blinds, which can prevent an incidence of daylight and heat radiation from the outside into the interior of the container. The blinds are arranged on the inside of the window 11a-c and thus protected from damage by external influences on the container. The side wall 13 is designed as a continuous closed wall, in the region of the control room 30, a door 13a is inserted. This door 13a serves to allow an operator to enter the control room 30 from outside the container.

The control room 30 is separated from the incubator 40, so that hygienically relevant and thermally relevant influences between the control room 30 and brood chamber 40 are practically excluded. From the control room 30, an operator can enter the incubator 40 through a lock door 31. The control room 30 acts thereby as a hygiene lock against the environment of the container. Furthermore, an access door 14a is provided in the front side 14, which allows direct access from outside the container without smuggling into the incubator 40.

Through the lock door 31 an operator coming from the control room 30 enters a central aisle 41 of the incubator 40. This aisle 41 extends in the longitudinal direction of the container 10. On both sides of the central aisle 41 several breeding days are arranged, shown a total of five breeding days per side. The brood layers 42a-e, 43a-e are all constructed identically and each extend over approximately one third of the width of the container interior.

Each nest of eggs 42a-e, 43a-e has egg-receiving devices which serve to receive a plurality of eggs. These egg-receiving means are adapted to receive the eggs in a spaced-apart position and to hold them in a defined orientation in which the longitudinal axis of the egg with the tip of the egg is at an angle of 45 ° to the vertical. Each breed tray 42a-e further includes turning means adapted to automatically turn the eggs about a vertical axis. The eggs come through such a turn in a different position, but also inclined by 45 ° to the vertical. For example, a simple turning device may be implemented in two vertically spaced plates, the lower plate of which has a plurality of smaller openings for receiving the egg tip and the overlying plate having larger openings for receiving the egg on the circumference. By a horizontal relative movement of these plates to each other, the desired turn of the eggs can be effected.

In the area below the doors 12a, b, a connection 50 for electricity, gas, water and feed is arranged in the lower edge region of the container. Here, with an appropriate connector plug from the outside, electricity, gas, water and feed and heat are supplied, which are consumed in the control room for air conditioning of the brood chamber 40 and to supply the hatched chicks in the incubator 40. For this purpose, a metering device 60 for the drinking water is arranged in the control room 30.

Below each egg-receiving device, a manure belt 44a-e, 45a-e is arranged in each hatching day 42a-e, 43a-e. The manure belt is used to pick up feces falling from the hatching days 42a-e, 43a-e and to remove them from the hatching space 40.

Along the side walls 11, 13, in the interior at the level of each breeding day 42a-e, 43a-e, there is a feeding channel 46a-e, 47a-e and above each breeding day and approximately in the middle of the respective breeding days is a drinking device 48a-e, 49a-e arranged. By means of this feeding device and feeding channel, the chicks which hatch in the early phase of the hatching window and all hatched chicks can be supplied with food and water within the container after the hatching period has ended. The chicks can stay on the respective breeding days and do not have to leave them to take food and water. In particular, the brood stages are each designed so that the chicks can not move away from the brood days after hatching.

The respective drinking nipples 48a-e and 49a-e are connected via a drinking line 48e ', 49e' to a liquid metering device in the control room 30.

Claims

claims

A brooder for hatching eggs comprising:

A container, with a container bottom, container side walls and a container ceiling, which enclose a container interior, - arranged in the container interior several brood layers, each broodage has egg receiving means for receiving a plurality of eggs,

Recreational areas located adjacent to the egg-receiving means and preferably in each breeding day,

- drinking facilities associated with the recreation areas,

wherein each hatching day is adapted to give a chick hatched from an egg in the egg picking device access to a dwelling area, preferably to a dwelling area located in the breeding site, an air conditioning unit adapted to move the container interior in a predetermined climatic area to keep.

2. breeding device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the container is a loadable container, in particular a standard container.

3. breeding device according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that the container further comprises a control passage accessible to a person through access in one of the container side walls, the control passage being arranged to allow a person visual control and handling capability in each of the spawning floors, preferably the control passage runs between two rows of eggs receiving device.

4. breeding device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that within the container interior a separated from the egg receiving device control room is arranged, in which the air conditioning device is arranged.

5. breeding device according to claim 3 and claim 4, characterized in that a hygiene lock is arranged between the access and the control passage in the control room.

6. breeding device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized by a discharge device for discharging chicks from the brood layers of the container, wherein the discharge device preferably comprises a counting device for counting the number of discharged chicks.

7. breeding device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that a breeding day has a Kotauffangvorrichtung, in particular, that below a breeding day, especially under each breeding day, a Kotauffangvorrichtung is arranged.

8. breeding device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that at least one of the container side walls or the container ceiling has at least one translucent window, which preferably has a darkening device.

9. breeding device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that in a breeding day, preferably in each breeding day, a turning device for turning the eggs,

a drinking device for hatched chicks, and / or

- A feeding device for hatched chicks is arranged.

10. breeding device according to one of the preceding claims,

marked by

a feed source, in particular a feed container or a connection for the supply of feed from a feed supply source located outside the container,

a liquid source, in particular a liquid container or a connection for the supply of liquid from a liquid supply source located outside the container, a heat source, in particular a heating medium store or a connection for the supply of heating or cooling means, for example water, for the operation of

Air conditioning unit, and / or an electrical energy source, in particular an energy store or a connection for supplying electrical energy from an electrical energy source located outside the container.

11. breeding device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that a solar system is arranged on the container roof, which is designed to convert incident solar radiation into heat energy and / or electrical energy, and that the air conditioning device is adapted to the converted in the solar thermal energy and / or electrical energy for air conditioning to use the container interior.

12. breeding device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized by an exhaust device comprising a filtering device, which is designed to remove the exhaust air from the container interior

Dust particles

Chick flume, and / or

- Filter out gas emissions such as ammonia, odorous gases and / or trace gases.

13. Method of incubating eggs and rearing poultry, comprising the steps of:

Hatching the eggs inside the container,

Drawing up the hatch within a container within a hatch window to the end of the hatching window,

Stabling the chicks out of the container into a rearing house, whereby preferably the container is transported to the rearing house within or after the hatching time window has expired.

14. The method according to claim 13,

characterized in that the chicks are expelled from the container after a predetermined period of time, preferably 4-8 days after the end of the hatching period.

15. Use of a brooder according to one of the preceding claims 1-12 in such a way that the chicks are expelled after a predetermined period of time, preferably 4-8 days after the end of the hatching period, from the container.