GB2290214A - Animal pen - Google Patents

Abstract

A feeding pen comprises a series of side by side hurdles 1, with a fixed end 4 and an openable end 5. The end 5 is locked in a closed position by a bar 18 and keyhole slot (20, see Fig. 2) arrangement, which is operable from each end of the pen. Hurdles 1 are kept in position by bars 10 having pegs 11. Feed devices 22 are mounted on the pen at end 4. <IMAGE>

Description

ANIMAL FEEDER This invention relates to the feeding of animals and particularly to the feeding of young farm animals such as calves, lambs etc.

It is well known that in the feeding of young farm animals, at any one time, the person or persons feeding the animals often needs to be able to handle many animals at the same time. For example, a herd of twenty, thirty or more.

Traditional ways of feeding such animals has been to herd the total batch of animals into a single pen common to them all and providing in the single pen feeding trays or the like, With such a mode of feeding there has always been a concern as to whether or not every animal is receiving adequate amounts of feed.

It will be understood that the more forceful animals will be likely to take more that their fair share whilst the less forceful amy well obtain insufficient food and as a result will not achieve the anticipated weight gain conversions.

It has been previously proposed by the Applicant to separate the animals one from the other and to provide a feeding system which ensures that each animal will receive a basic minimum amount of food so that the anticipated weight gain conversion is achieved, whilst at the same time enabling those animals with a greater feed demand/need to obtain more food than the basic minimum.

Whilst the equipment previously provided by the Applicant has proved to be particularly successful in ensuring that each individual animal receives the above mentioned basic minimum amount of feed, the actual handling of the animals by a single operator has been shown to involve certain disadvantages. It will be well appreciated that in present day farming, the number of operators available for the handling of the animals has been significantly reduced over the past few years so that it has become of importance to facilitate the use of equpiment presently provided.

It is an object of the present invention to facilitate the handling of a plurality of animals particularly at feeding times.

Broadly, according to the present invention there is provided an animal pen structure incorporating a plurality of side-by-side pens and at least one openable gate for the animals and a locking arrangement for retaining the gate in its closed position, wherein the locking arrangement is operable both from a position adjacent to the arrangement and from positions remote from the arrangement.

Conveniently, the locking arrangement can be operated from each of the opposite ends of the pen structure.

In a preferred construction the side walls of the pens are formed by a structure including vertical rails.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawinds in which : Figure 1 is an exploded view of the apparatus incorporating -the concepts of the invention; and Figure 2 illustrates a detail of the apparatus of Figure.

Referring now to the drawings the apparatus shown therein essentially comprises a number of 'fence/hurdle' structure forming hurdle like units 1 which are assembled in side-by-side spaced relationship to provide an enclosed structure 2 with each pair of adjacent hurdles 1 forming an elongate relatively narrow pen 3. Thus the structure includes a plurality of side-by-side pens 3, with each pen 3 being intended to receive an individual animal (not shown), One end of the structure 2 is intended to be closed by a continous transverse hurdle 4 and the other end by a gate forming hurdle or hurdles 5. Depending'upon the number of side-by-side pens 3 produced by the hurdles 1 the structure 2 is closable by a single gate or by a pair of similar gates.

In practice, it has been found convenient to use a separate gate for each group of three side-by-side pens.

In detail, each pen forming hurdle 1 comprises a top rail 6, a bottom rail 7, and number of vertical rails 8 regularly spaced lengthwise of the top and bottom rails 6 and 7. The two outermost vertical rails 8 which define the overall length of the hurdle 1 project outwardly of the top and bottom rails and are open ended.

As may be seen from the Figure 1, the hurdles 1 are held in the required spaced apart position by upper and lower bars 9 and 10, each such bar 9 and 10 being provided with a plurality of upstanding pegs 11 which are intended respectively to engage in the upper and lower ends of the outermost vertical rails of the individual hurdles 1.

Once the pegs have been engaged in the hurdles 1 as mentioned the individual hurdles are held in the required spaced apart relationship with each pair of side-by-side hurdles providing a pen.

Turning now to the animal entrance end of the structure, the outermost vertical rail 12 of the hurdle 1 that is to provide the outermost hurdle is provided at the upper and lower ends thereof with hinge plates 13,14. Circular holes 15 are provided in the plates. The holes 15 are intended to be engaged by the outermost vertical rail of a gate forming hurdle 5 in such manner that one end of the or each gate forming hurdle 5 can be effectively pivotally connected to the associated outer pen forming hurdle.

In the case of a single gate the free end of the gate is provided with readily releasable means 16 for holding the gate in the closed position and in the case of a double gate the free end of each such gate is provided with the readily releasable means 16 whereby both gates can be retained in their closed positions.

The connection of the hurdle 4 with the remainder of the structure can be by any convenient means (not shown).

Each such locking arrangement 16 includes an pivotable bar 17 which is rotatably mounted from the hurdle closest to the free end of the gate hurdle (when closed) it is required to hold in its closed position and is additionally axially displaceable lengthwise of the associated hurdle.

The opposite ends 18, 19 of the pivotable bar 17 are turned to be at right angles to the remainder of the bar. As may be seen from the drawing the bar end 18 adjacent to the openable gate is shorter in length than the length of the other end 19 of the bar.

The shorter end 18 is intended to be engageable with a keyhole slot 20 provided in a plate 21 (Figure 2) mounted to the free end of the gate forming hurdle 5.

The mode of locking is as follows:- on closing the gate the pivotable bar is rotated so that the turned over end 18 adjacent to the gate 5 can engage the keyhole slot 20, Following such engagement the bar 17 is rotated to displace the turned over end 18 of the bar to a position at which it cannot be disengaged from the keyhole plate 21.

In practice, at the time of locking the operator is likely be adjacent to the gate 5 for the purposes of assisting the animals into the requisite pens.

It will be understood that, if desired, the gates can be spring loaded to their closed positions.

When it is desired to open the gates the pivotal bar 17 can be rotated by means of either of the turned over ends 18,19 and particularly by the turned over end 19 that is remote from the keyhole plate 21 provided at the other end of the structure and then axially displaced to enable the bar shorter end 18 to align with the keyhole slot to enable it to be be disengaged from the keyhole plate 21 by axial movement of the bar 17.

Conveniently, the longer end 19 is long enough to permit operation of the locking arrangement from any position across the width of the structure.

It will be appreciated that a pivotable bar is associated with each individual openable gate. As shown in the Figure 1, two pivotable bars are mounted from the same lengthwise hurdle 1.

The arrangements provided for containing the animal feed are shown at 22 and are mounted from the pen structure by brackets 23, at at the end of the pen structure remote from the gate(s).

Claims (10)

1, An animal pen structure incorporating a plurality of side-by-side hurdles defining side-by-side pens and at least one openable gate for the animals and a locking arrangement for retaining the gate in its closed position, wherein the locking arrangement is operable both from a position adjacent to the arrangement and from positions remote from the arrangement.

2. An animal pen structure as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the locking arrangement can be operated from each of the opposite ends of the pen structure.

3. An animal pen structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, and wherein, the side walls of the pens are formed by a structure including vertical rails.

4. An animal pen structure as claimed in claim 1, and wherein each pen forming hurdle comprises an top rail, a bottom rail, and number of vertical rails regularly spaced lengthwise of the top and bottom rails, and wherein the two outermost vertical rails which serve to define the overall length of the hurdle project outwardly of the top and bottom rails and are open ended.

5. An animal pen structure as claimed in claim 4, and wherein the hurdles 1 are held in the required spaced apart position by upper and lower bars, each such bar' being provided with a plurality of upstanding pegs which are intended respectively to engage in the upper and lower ends of the outermost vertical rails of the individual hurdles.

6. An animal pen structure as claimed in claim 5, and wherein once the pegs have been engaged in the hurdles the individual hurdles are held in the required spaced apart relationship whereby each adjacent pair of side-by-side hurdles provides a pen.

7. An animal pen structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and wherein in the case of a single gate the free end of the gate is provided with readily releasable means for holding the gate in the closed position, and in the case of a double gate the free end of each such gate is provided with the readily releasable means whereby both gates can be retained in their closed positions.

8. An animal pen structure as claimed in claim any one of the preceding claims and wherein, each such locking arrangement includes an pivotable bar which is rotatably mounted from the hurdle closest to the free end of the gate hurdle (when closed) it is required to hold in its closed position and is additionally axially displaceable lengthwise of the associated hurdle, and wherein the opposite ends of the pivotable bar are turned to be at right angles to the remainder of the bar.

9, An animal pen structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the bar end adjacent to the openable gate is shorter in length than the length of the other end of the bar, and wherein the shorter end is intended to be engageable with a keyhole slot provided in a plate mounted to the free end of the gate forming hurdle.

10. An animal pen structure constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.