GB2291576A

GB2291576A - Poultry handling system

Info

Publication number: GB2291576A
Application number: GB9414568A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Trevor Stearn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-07-19
Filing date: 1994-07-19
Publication date: 1996-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 2014-07-19
Also published as: GB9414568D0; GB2291576B

Abstract

An improved method for the handling and movement of poultry within a battery unit or laying unit, said method comprising the following steps; a plurality of poultry containers are each stacked one on top of another on a pallet truck; the stacks of containers are placed on conveying means the aisles between adjacent poultry cage units; the stacks of containers are propelled on the conveying means until they are adjacent to the cage units in which a particular fowl is to be housed; the fowl is transferred out of the containers and in turn into the cage units, placing empty containers onto an adjacent portion of the conveying means or onto an adjacent stack of empty containers. A method of unloading is also disclosed. Pallet truck details are shown.

Description

IMPROVED LIVESTOCK HANDLING SYSTEM Field of the Invention This invention concerns improvements relating to a method for the handling and movement of small livestock, especially within a specialised unit such as a battery unit or any other type of laying unit. The invention is of particular application in the handling of poultry such as pullets, turkeys and the like but it is to be appreciated that the invention may be used in the handling of other small livestock.

Background to the Invention Since the early 1950's, the intensive production of poultry in the UK has expanded considerably. In 1955 approximately 25 million chickens and probably 1 million turkeys were produced in the UK. In 1978 approximately 4 million chickens and 25 million turkeys were produced. In 1990 the production numbers had risen to 600 million. The vast majority of this livestock goes into the production of broiler birds for chicken and turkey meat. The minority, approximately 38 million birds, are used for egg production.

The growth of the broiler bird industry has resulted in the establishment of large processing plants capable of handling substantial numbers of poultry per week. Factories capable of killing up to 500,000 chickens per week are now common place.

A traditional method of transporting all forms of poultry was to catch them in the building in which they were housed and to carry them by hand to the nearest roadway where a vehicle awaited them. At the vehicle they were loaded into wooden crates through a small aperture in the top. A traditional crate was 1 metre long by 600 mm wide, and of a height appropriate to the species of poultry being carried. The crates were then stacked onto the vehicle and secured into position, and the vehicle travelled to the point of unloading. At the point of unloading the crates were unloaded by hand from the vehicle. The birds were then individually removed through the small top door of the crates, and hung on the poultry processing lines.This system became unpopular because it was labour intensive, physically demanding, and because the violent movement involved resulted in the birds being subject to damage by bruising or broken limbs.

Further developments were focussed on the needs of large processing units which resulted in the development of efficient means of transporting large numbers of live poultry. In the 1960's, it was common to use a special vehicle on which livestock carrying crates were fixed in position. It was therefore only necessary to carry the birds to the vehicles and place them in the crates through doors on the side of the vehicle. At the factory, the birds were again removed from the crates through the same doors, and hung on the processing lines.

This system eliminated the individual handling of the crates both at the farm and the factory, and made it possible to automate the cleaning of the total vehicle. However, it was still necessary to carry the birds by hand to the vehicle and to lift them up to the top crates on the vehicle, and at the factory it was necessary to have special facilities so that either the total vehicle was lowered or raised for unloading, or alternatively so that the processing line could be raised or lowered to the height of the vehicle. The birds were still subject to damage during loading and unloading through the relatively small end apertures of the crates.

Further improvements in conveying livestock to a processing plant are described by sun Valley Poultry Limited and Anglia Autoflow Limited in UK patents 1 604 298, 1 603 299 2 096 555 and 2 050 309. All these systems use an assembly housing a number of drawer containers such that the complete assembly can be moved using a fork lift truck to or into the poultry house from a lorry and back again. The drawer containers are opened one at a time and loaded with a pre-determined number of livestock before closing the drawer into its housing.

In some cases unloading of the drawers is achieved by separately pushing each drawer in turn out of the housing and on to a conveyer adapted to receive each drawer and convey it from the unloading position to a processing position.

The above systems have been developed predominantly for the transport of broiler birds to processing factories, where the volume of livestock lends itself to automated or semi-automated process. As a result, such systems are not well adapted for transporting pullets from the breeding houses to the battery units or from the battery units to the processing plants, once the hens have finished laying. More particularly, none of these systems address the fundamental problem of moving large numbers of birds within a battery unit whilst causing the minimum amount of distress and injury.

Attempts have been made to modify and adapt these systems specifically for transporting pullets. One such adaptation is the so-called WHURR MODULE (TM). The apparatus for operating this system comprises a number of shelf assemblies designed to hold a plurality of livestock containers together with a support means on which the livestock containers can be stacked. When delivering pullets to a battery unit, for example, the livestock containers are removed from the shelf assembly, stacked one on top of each other on the support means and wheeled into the battery units and positioned in the aisles adjacent to the cages in which those birds are to be loaded. In this way the birds can be moved direct to the cage units before any handling takes place. In practice, a series of loaded support means are positioned along an aisle with an empty support means placed at one end.A "loader", starting at the end of the aisle with the empty support means, then transfers the birds from the livestock containers into the cages, shifting the empty livestock containers onto the empty support means or onto a stack of empty containers as he goes.

This system cuts the number of times birds are handled during loading and unloading. In many conventional crate systems up to six handlings are required but this is reduced to a maximum number of two in the method just described. However, although handling is reduced the presently described system has significant disadvantages: (i) Once placed in the aisles the stacks of livestock containers cannot be repositioned because there is no transporter to hand and they are, in any event, hemmed in by adjoining stacks.

(ii) As a consequence, unless the stacks are accurately positioned the person loading birds into the cages can get out of synchronisation and either has a long walk from the cage he is loading to the nearest full stack, or, worse still, he cannot reach the cage to be loaded because it is obscured by stacks of containers. In any event, this increases the stress on the birds.

(iii) It is difficult to load the uppermost cages because there is no mechanism available to the loader for lifting the livestock container to an upper or higher level once they are in the aisle.

(iv) Once the stacks of livestock containers have been deposited in the aisle there is no room for anyone to pass by to assist the loader or to escape in event of an emergency.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of handling and movement of small livestock within a specialised unit which overcomes these disadvantages yet utilises the improvements and equipment already available to the livestock haulier and unit operator.

Summarv of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention, in its broadest sense, there is provided an improved method for the handling and movement of small livestock within a specialised unit in which the livestock is housed in cage units arranged in aisles, such as a battery unit or any other laying unit, said method comprising the following steps:: (a) small livestock are loaded into livestock containers which are delivered, by whatever means, to a building where the livestock are to be housed; (b) a plurality of livestock containers stacked one on top of another are placed on a transport means; (c) the stacks of livestock containers are transported on said transport means and/or by hand and are placed on conveying means such that the containers substantially span the aisles between adjacent livestock cage units; (d) the stacks of livestock containers are propelled on the conveying means until they are adjacent to the cage units in which that particular livestock is to be housed; (e) the livestock is transferred out of the livestock containers and into the cage units, placing empty containers onto an adjacent portion of the conveying means or onto an adjacent stack of empty containers;; (f) the empty stacks of containers are propelled along on the conveying means to the end of the aisle and removed from the specialised unit using the transporter means.

(g) steps (b)-(g) are repeated until all the livestock has been unloaded.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in its broadest sense, there is provided an improved method for the removal of small livestock from a specialised unit in which livestock is housed in cage units arranged in aisles comprising: (h) delivering to the specialised unit a plurality of empty livestock containers each stacked one on top of another on a transport means; (i) the stacks of livestock containers are transported on said transport means and are placed on conveying means such that the containers substantially span the aisles between adjacent livestock cage units; (i) the stacks of livestock containers are propelled along the conveying means until they are adjacent to the cage units from which livestock is to be transferred;; (k) the livestock is transferred out of the cage units and into the livestock containers, placing full containers onto an adjacent portion of the conveying means or onto an adjacent stack of full containers; (1) the stacks of full containers are propelled along on the conveying means to the end of the aisle and removed from the specialised unit using the transport means; (m) steps (i)-(l) are repeated in other aisles until all the livestock has been removed.

Preferably the conveying means is adapted to extend substantially entirely along either side of an aisle between livestock cage units.

Preferably the conveying means is adapted to engage with a recess in the bottom or side portions of a livestock container.

In a particularly preferred embodiment part or all of the conveying means is not a permanent fixture in the aisle but is adapted to be installed when livestock movements are to be carried out.

Preferably the conveying means consists of a track permanently attached to the cage units or the floor of the special unit and extending substantially entirely the length of the aisle together with a series of roller inserts adapted to engage the said track. In this way a track or channel can be made an integral part of the cage units and this track can be both cheap to install and also act as a foot hold for people working at the cage units. The roller inserts can be both expensive and easily damaged so it is advantageous that they are only installed as and when required.

Preferably the track takes the form of a first channel and the roller inserts are mounted in a complementary-shaped second channel which engages said first channel, the first channel being permanently attached to the front of the cage units.

Preferably the transport means comprises a hand-operated pallet truck which is adapted to carry stacks of livestock cages and position these on the conveying means and is further adapted to operate in the confined conditions usually found within buildings in which livestock caging is kept, characterised in that the transporter is less than 550 mm wide and 1000 mm long, can turn in its own length, and incorporates a mechanism to lift a stack of livestock containers onto the conveying means.

In another modification, the livestock containers may be stacked on a frame which is adapted to fit onto the conveying means. This arrangement is particularly advantageous when the distance across the aisle is substantially greater than the width of the containers and the framework can span this gap, effectively forming a bridge.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in its broadest sense, there is provided a conveying means adapted for use in the methods described in any of the preceding claims which comprises a track fixed to the front of the cage units or to the floor of the special unit and extending substantially entirely along the length of an aisle and down both sides of an aisle, said track being adapted to accommodate a series of roller inserts upon which a stack of livestock containers can be propelled along the aisle.

Preferably the conveying system is arranged such that the track takes the form of a first channel and the roller inserts are mounted in a complementary-shaped second channel which engages with the first channel, the first channel being permanently attach to the front of the cage units.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shelf assembly containing livestock containers constructed and arranged to operate in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows the side and end elevations of a livestock container; Figure 3 shows diagrammatic side and plan elevations of a height adjustable transporter, modified to operate in the restricted space available in a battery unit.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to a battery unit for housing pullets. It will be appreciated that this is just one situation in which the invention can be applied and that it is equally applicable to any situation where livestock is kept in a series of cages or the like arranged in aisles. This includes open cages arranged in alleys.

It is now common practice to transport such livestock in livestock containers which take the form of open-topped drawers which are slidably located in a shelf assembly or open frame work. The sliding action is conventionally achieved by means of rollers or runners which are an integral part of the shelf assembly. In any event, the bottom or sides of the livestock containers are adapted to run on these rollers or runners and it has been discovered that this very feature of the livestock container can be utilised to transport them down the narrow aisles between cage units.

One essential element of this invention is the provision down the aisles within a battery unit of a conveying means which enables individual or stacks of livestock containers to be transported to the point at which they are to be loaded or unloaded.

This conveying means is more than just a wheeled trolley that runs on the floor of the battery unit since for all the stacks to be moveable a multiplicity of trolleys would be required. Furthermore, it is often the case that the aisle are too narrow at ground level to accommodate the width of a livestock container. However, the upper cages are conventionally stepped away from the aisle and thus the effective width of the aisle increases progressively the further the distance from the ground.

The term conveying means in this context is intended to cover any means, mechanical or otherwise, by which a stack of livestock containers can be transported along the aisle but excluding a simple trolley. One example of a suitable conveying means is two parallel sets of rollers, one on either side of the aisle, mounted on the front of the cage units such that the distance between the rollers correspondences to the width of the runners in the shelf assembly.

In this context the term roller is intended to have a generic meaning and encompasses various types of roller, caster, ball-bearing, needle-bearing and the like as someone skilled in the art of production/conveyor lines might choose to use for this particular application. The rollers could also be incorporated into the bottom of the livestock containers themselves in which case only a track is required attached to the cages or mounted on the floor.

Alternatively, it may be preferred to place the stack of livestock containers onto a framework which itself sits on the conveying means and the stack and framework are transported down an aisle as a complete unit. This is particularly advantageous if the aisle is significantly wider than the containers themselves. It will be appreciated that in this case the roller component could be incorporated into the framework or form an integral part of the caging.

Certain factors regarding the conveying means need to be considered.

Firstly, it is a relatively expensive operation to install a track/roller system permanently down each side of every aisle and secondly, they would tend to collect debris from the birds which would impair their action. According to a further embodiment therefore a track is provided substantially entirely along each side of the aisle. This track is adapted to accept complementary-shaped sections of roller which are inserted into or otherwise engaged with the track.

This arrangement has a number of advantages: * only a limited amount of relatively expensive roller section is required, since it can be moved from aisle to aisle as required; * the roller section can be made in lengths manoeuvrable by one person; * the roller section can be cleaned/sterilized before and after each use; * any defective portions of roller can be easily and cheaply replaced; * the track can be simple and cheap and becomes a permanent feature of the caging.

Several factors determine the height at which the track is positioned, for example, the logistics of loading the birds into the cages must be considered as well as the width of the aisle at various points. Ideally the livestock container being unloaded at any one time should be directly opposite the door into the cage in which the livestock is to be housed. Thus the track/conveying means can be positioned at a height such that the uppermost container in the stack is adjacent to the uppermost cage, allowing almost direct transfer of the livestock. Furthermore, by raising the conveying means off the ground this allows room for a worker to pass by under the stacks.

The track itself can take on a wide variety of forms. In one example the track takes the form of a channel and the rollers are mounted in a complementaryshaped channel that fits inside the first. Alternatively, the track could be two substantially parallel bars with the rollers slotting between the bars. The exact design may well depend on the design of features already present in the cages.

Moving now to describe the method itself, small livestock are delivered to the battery unit in livestock containers by any convenient or conventional means.

A number of livestock containers are then stacked one on top of each other on a transporter adapted to manoeuvre within the narrow passage-ways found inside battery units and further adapted to lift the stack of livestock containers on to the conveying means. Alternatively, with the advent of this new method, livestock containers both full and empty could be delivered to the battery unit pre-stacked and possibly without the need for any shelf assembly. The stack of livestock containers are then propelled along on the conveying means either manually or mechanically until they are adjacent to the cage units in which that particular livestock is to be housed. The livestock is transferred out of the livestock containers in turn and into the cage units, placing empty containers onto an adjacent portion of the conveying means or onto an adjacent stack of empty containers.Once the unloading operation is complete the empty stacks of containers are propelled along on the conveying means to the end of the aisle and removed from the unit using the transport means. These operations are repeated in other aisles until all the livestock has been unloaded.

It will be appreciated that this operation can be used in reverse to remove small livestock from a battery unit by providing a supply of empty livestock containers at the entrance to the battery unit.

The characteristics and design parameters of the transport means which comprises, in one embodiment, a hand-operated pallet truck are important.

This has to be adapted to carry stacks of livestock containers either directly stacked on to the truck or on a framework and to position these on the conveying means as well as being adapted to operate in the confined conditions usually found in buildings of this type where livestock are caged.

There is a maximum permissible width, generally in the region of less than 550 mm wide and a maximum length generally in the region of 1000 mm long for the overall outside dimensions of the pallet truck. It is also essential that it can turn in its own length and incorporate a lifting mechanism capable of lifting a stack of livestock containers onto the conveying means whatever its height. These perimeters are not found in any commercially available pallet truck known to the inventor.

Claims

1. An improved method for the handling and movement of small livestock within a specialised unit in which the livestock is housed in cage units arranged in aisles, such as a battery unit or any other laying unit, said method comprising the following steps: (a) small livestock are loaded into livestock containers which are delivered, by whatever means, to a building where the livestock are to be housed; (b) a plurality of livestock containers are each stacked one on top of another on a transport means; (c) the stacks of livestock containers are transported on said transport means and are placed on conveying means such that the containers substantially span the aisles between adjacent livestock cage units; (d) the stacks of livestock containers are propelled on the conveying means until they are adjacent to the cage units in which that particular livestock is to be housed;; (e) the livestock is transferred out of the livestock containers and in turn into the cage units, placing empty containers onto an adjacent portion of the conveying means or onto an adjacent stack of empty containers; (f) the empty stacks of containers are propelled along on the conveying means to the end of the aisle and removed from the specialised unit using the transporter means.

(g) steps (b)-(g) are repeated until the livestock has been unloaded.

2. An improved method for the removal of small livestock from a specialised unit in which livestock is housed in cage units arranged in aisles comprising: (h) delivering to the specialised unit a plurality of empty livestock containers each stacked one on top of another on a transport means; (i) the stacks of livestock containers are transported on said transport means and are placed on conveying means such that the containers substantially span the aisles between adjacent livestock cage units; (.i) the stacks of livestock containers are propelled along the conveying means until they are adjacent to the cage units from which livestock is to be transferred;; (k) the livestock is transferred out of the cage units and into the livestock containers, placing full containers onto an adjacent portion of the conveying means or onto an adjacent stack of full containers; (1) the stacks of full containers are propelled along on the conveying means to the end of the aisle and removed from the specialised unit using the transport means; (m) steps (i)-(l) are repeated in other aisles until all the livestock has been removed.

3. An improved method for the handling and movement of small livestock as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the conveying means is adapted to extend substantially entirely along either side of an aisle between livestock cage units.

4. An improved method for the handling and movement of small livestock according to any of Claims 1-3 wherein the conveying means is adapted to engage with a recess in the bottom or side portions of a livestock container.

5. An improved method for the handling and movement of small livestock according to any of Claims 1-4 wherein part or all of the conveying means is not a permanent fixture in the aisle but is adapted to be installed when livestock movements are to be carried out.

6. An improved method for the handling and movement of livestock according to any of Claims 1-5 wherein the conveying means consists of a track permanently attached to the cage units or the floor of the special unit and extending substantially entirely the length of the aisle together with a series of roller inserts adapted to engage the said track.

7. An improved method for the handling and transportation of small livestock according to Claim 6 wherein the track takes the form of a first channel and the roller inserts are mounted in a complementary shaped second channel which engages said first channel, the first channel being permanently attached to the front of the cage units or the floor of the aisle.

8. An improved method for the handling and movement of small livestock according to any preceding Claim wherein the transport means comprises a hand-operated pallet truck which is adapted to carry stacks of livestock cages and position these on the conveying means and is further adapted to operate in the confined conditions usually found within buildings in which livestock caging is kept, characterised in that the transporter is less than 550 mm wide and 1000 mm long, can turn in its own length, and incorporates a mechanism to lift a stack of livestock containers onto the conveying means.

9. A method substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.

10. A conveying means adapted for use in the methods described in any of the preceding claims which comprises a track fixed to the front of the cage units or to the floor of the special unit and extending substantially entirely along the length of an aisle and down both sides of an aisle, said track being adapted to accommodate a series of roller inserts upon which a stack of livestock containers can be propelled along the aisle.

11. A conveying system as described in Claim 10 wherein the track takes the form of a first channel and the roller inserts are mounted in a complementary-shaped second channel which engages with the first channel, the first channel being permanently attach to the front of the cage units.

12. A conveying system substantially as herein described.