GB2034568A - Farrowing and like pens - Google Patents

Abstract

A farrowing or like pen comprises a cage within which the mother animal is confined and at least the rear end of which is surrounded by an area to receive newly born animals, there being means for effecting relative movement between the floor 104 of the cage and the floor 56 of the area whereby the young animals are protected from being crushed. The means are jacks 87 located at the corner edges of the cage. A cushioned false floor 62 is replaceably provided in said area. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to animal breeding pens DESCRIPTION Field ofinvention This invention concerns animal breeding pens particularly sow crates in which sows and gilts are located during the birth of a litter.

Background to the invention It is known to constrain a sow and particularly a gilt (a gilt being a female pig carrying her first litter) by means of a steel cage, commonly referred to as a sow crate. This takes the form of a generally open framework one end of which is in the form of a gate which can be opened to allow the pig to be driven into the crate and also to allow the pig to leave the crate and the opposite end of which includes a feeding trough and the like. The crate is commonly surrounded by a framework or pen and a floor is provided which is usually common to both the crate and the surrounding pen so that as the litter is born each of the baby animals which are delivered can pass below the open steel framework of the crate and into the relative safety of the surrounding pen well away from the animal giving birth to the remainder of the litter.The birth pangs experienced by a sow and particularly a gilt, may cause the sow or gilt to behave somewhat viciously during the delivery period and for some time afterwards until the trauma of the delivery period has subsided. In addition sows have been known to lie on some or all of their litter and thereby crush them and it is with this in mind that a sow crate has been developed and used extensively in an attempt to reduce the loss of young piglets after birth.

Unfortunately even the conventional sow crate does not eliminate the possibility of the piglets wandering back into the crate either to be savaged by the sow or gilt or simply crushed under the animal or between the animal and the framework forming the crate. There is every tendency for the piglets to stray back towards the sow since their natural instinct is to suckle as soon as they are able.

Losses can therefore still occur.

Objects of the present invention It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved breeding pen or sow crate in which the disadvantages of the conventional sow crate are to a large extent obviated and in which it is virtually impossible for the litter to stray back to the sow and be savaged or crushed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an alternative breeding pen or sow crate to that disclosed in my co-pending British Application 78-30776 Serial No. 2026832 out of which this application is divided and to remove the need for the relatively high framework required in the design described in my co-pending application.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved animal breeding pen such as a sow crate which in combination with the aforementioned advantage can be adjusted so as to accommodate different sizes of animal.

The invention According to the present invention an animal breeding pen comprises a cage adapted to receive an animal and prevent it from turning around therewithin so that the head remains at one end and the hindquarters remain at the other end, at least the said other end being of generally open construction so that baby animals born during a delivery period can escape therethrough, a litter retaining pen surrounding at least the gated end of the cage in which baby animals collect as they are born and means for effecting relative movement between the floor on which the mother animal is situated and the floor within the litter-retaining pen so that the latter can be located at a lower level than the floor surface on which the mother animal is located by sufficient height to prevent the newly-born from climbing back into the breeding pen and rejoining the mother animal, the means for effecting relative movement between the cage and the litter-retaining pen comprising lifting means located at the four corners of the cage which serve either to lift the cage relative to the pen or the pen relative to the cage.

Conveniently each of the four lifting means comprises a hydraulic ram attached to a vertical strut of the cage with the extending section of the ram pointing downwards and having fitted at its lower end a foot.

Where the cage is to move up and down relative to the pen the foot rests on the ground and the pen is located freely around the cage so that with extension of the rams the cage is lifted and with retraction of the rams the cage is!owered.

Where the pen is to be lifted relative to the cage, the latter is adapted to stand on feet or blocks or an elevated section of floor and the pen is located around the elevated cage and the feet of the extended members of the ram are attached to the pen so that the latter can be raised and lowered.

In an alternative arrangement the rams are replaced by screw jacks which may be motorised or hand operated.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Detailed description of drawing The drawing is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

The apparatus comprises a litter-retaining pen having three wall sections 50, 52 and 54 and a floor 56 which extends around the rear and along both sides of a cage (to be described) in which the sow or gilt is located. End wall panels 58 and 60 close off the high sections of the litter-retaining pen at the front end of the assembly.

Afalse floor 62 is located across the rear which includes integral sections on either side one of which is shown at 64 which terminated in a step as at 66.

The floor 56 and false floor 62 are visible by virtue of the fact that the nearside wall panel 50 is cut away at 68.

The false floor 62 is replaceable and rests on bearers at 70 and 72 and can be removed for cleaning or replacement. The floor member 62 is formed from cushioned material or from multipleply cardboard or the like so as to soften the impact.

The front ends of the two side sections are warmed by means of electric lamps in reflectors 74 and 76 and the inclined plane sections such as 64 cause newly-born animals to gravitate towards the warmer lower regions of the retaining pen.

The cage includes four uprights 78, 80,82 and 84.

The uprights include lugs to which hydraulic rams 87 are attached with the extendible sections of the ram 89 extending downwardly. The uprights are joined by upper side members 88 and 90 and transverse members 92 and 94. Additional strengthening struts 96 and 98 are provided.

Extension of the rams 87, 89 will lift the cage and retraction will lower the cage relative to the floor on which the lower ends of the ram sections 89 rest.

As shown the cage is raised and lowered relative to the surrounding pen. In an alternative arrangement the cage uprights 78, 80, 82 and 84 are extended downwardly to form legs on which the cage stands elevated from the floor by the distance shown in the drawing. The lower ends of the hydraulic ram members 89 are then attached to the pen 50, 52, 54 and retraction of the ram will then cause the pen to be raised and vice versa.

The cage includes a floor 104 which is secured to the lower ends of the upright members 78 through to 84 and the cage is completed by means of two side panels generally designated 106 and 108 and at the front end a front panel generally designated 110 has an aperture towards its lower end in which a trough 112 is located, the trough being suspended by means of hanging arms 114 and 116 from pivot joints at the upper ends. Although not shown a lock is provided to allow the trough to be situated either within or without the plane of the frame 110.

The rear end of the cage is formed by a further panel member in the form of a gate generally designated 118 which as shown is hinged at 120 and 122 and although not shown quick-release bolt means is included for securing the gate in its closed position. The gate is hingedly mounted on the upright member 78 and therefore forms an integral part of the cage.

The side panels 106 and 108 are pivoted at their upper ends between the respective uprights of the cage and can be swung in a generally inward or outward direction and retained in the selected position by means of locking pins such as 124 which are pushed through aligned holes in lugs 126 secured to the upright members 78 and 84 and similar lugs 128 which cooperate with the locking pins 124 and are integral parts of and extend from the plane of the side panels 106 and 108. Holes are provided in the lugs through which the locking pins 124 can be pushed.

The rams 87 are hydraulically operated and where power retraction is required the rams are of a suitable double-acting variety.

The assembly constructed from steel and preferably the flooring 56 and the flooring 104 is formed from expanded metal or slotted metal sheeting.

To facilitate access to the interior of the cage and allow a sow or gilt to be loaded, the litter-retaining wall panel 52 is hinged on its lower edge to the floor member 56 and locking pins 130 secure the panel 52 in its upper position. Removal of the pins allows the panel 52 to be lowered into general alignment with the floor 56 and after removing the false floor 62 and lowering the cage by retracting the rams 87, the gate 118 can be unlocked and swung open and the sow or gilt driven into the cage face first. Once in the cage the gate 118 is closed and locked and the sides 106 and 108 are adjusted so that the animal is well and truly secured therein. The apparatus is then ready for use.

As the baby animals are born they are dropped through the gate 118 which is purposely of generally open construction and fall onto the cushioned intermediate false floor 62 from where they in general struggle laterally to one side or the other and roll down the inclined plane sections such as 64 onto the lower floor 56 and remain below the lamps such as 74 and 76 where they are kept warm. The step 66 prevents them from clambering back onto the intermediate floor and even if they are capable of doing so the step between the level of the intermediate floor and the floor 104 on which the gilt or sow is resting is arranged to be such that a newborn piglet is unable to clamber up so there is little chance of newly-born piglets clambering up onto the same platform as the sow or gilt and gaining access to the cage where they can be damaged.

Claims (6)

1. An animal breeding pen comprising a cage adapted to receive an animal and prevent it from turning around therewithin so that the head remains at one end and the hindquarters remain at the other end, the said other end being of generally open construction so that baby animals born during a delivery period can escape therethrough, a litterretaining pen surrounding at least the gated end of the cage in which baby animals collect as they are born and means for effecting relative movement between the floor on which the mother animal is situated and the floor within the litter-retaining pen so that the latter can be located at a lower level than the floor surface on which the mother animal is located by sufficient height to prevent the newlyborn from climbing back into the breeding pen and rejoining the mother animal, the means for effecting relative movement between the cage and the litterretaining pen comprising lifting means located at the four corners of the cage which serve either to lift the cage relative to the pen or the pen relative to the cage.

2. An animal breeding pen as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for effecting relative movement comprises hydraulic rams located at the four corners of the cage.

3. An animal breeding pen as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for effecting relative movement comprises screw jacks located at the four corners of the cage.

4. An animal breeding pen as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hydraulic rams extend to the floor on which the pen rests and the litter-retaining pen is fitted around the cage so that extension of the hydraulic rams lifts the cage relative to the floor and therefore relative to the stationary litter-retaining pen.

5. An animal breeding pen as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lower ends of the hydraulic rams are secured to the litter-retaining pen and the cage is mounted so that the floor of the cage is raised relative to the surrounding flooring so that with the rams extended, the litter-retaining pen is at a lower position relative to the cage and with retraction of the rams the litter-retaining pen is raised relative to the cage which thus remains stationary.

6. A litter-retaining pen constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.