GB2415884A

GB2415884A - Pig farrowing pen

Info

Publication number: GB2415884A
Application number: GB0514067A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward Gwilliam
Original assignee: SUSAN EILZABETH GWILLIAM
Current assignee: SUSAN EILZABETH GWILLIAM
Priority date: 2004-07-07
Filing date: 2005-07-07
Publication date: 2006-01-11
Also published as: GB0514067D0; GB0415272D0

Abstract

The pen is suitable for attaching to a livestock hut, in particular a pig hut. The pen includes one or more rigid walls 11-14, and one of the walls 14 (or a portion of the wall) adjacent the hut includes a doorway and door for separating the enclosure defined by the pen and the living area defined by the hut. In this way, it is not only possible to confine the sow and piglets to the enclosure or to the hut, but it is also possible to separate the sow from her piglets. Preferably, it is possible to move the pig pen and pig hut as a single body, to provide an easy means of moving the pig pen and hut to fresh land, this may be needed in order to control spread of disease. The walls may be formed from a plurality of crash barrier beams 16 located between end brackets 41, 42.

Description

1 2415884 Pig Pen This invention relates to enclosures for livestock, and

in particular to pig pens, and more particularly pig pens, for farrowing pigs, suitable for attaching to pig huts.

For the purpose of this application, a pig hut is considered to have a generally rectangular, or square shape when viewed from above. The front of the pig hut is considered to be the end of the pig hut at which a way out of the hut is provided for a pig; the rear of the pig hut is considered to be the opposite end of the hut from the front of the hut, and the sides of the pig hut should be construed accordingly. The width of the pig hut is considered to be between opposite sides of the hut. The front, rear, sides, and width of a pen should be construed similarly, with the rear of the pen being adjacent the front of the hut when in use. The bottom ends of the hut, pen and any component parts are considered to be the respective ends adjacent the ground, in use.

Pig farming practices involve providing a living area for a sow to farrow down and then suckle her piglets.

Accordingly, current practices involve providing a hut at a specific location within an open field. A reasonably large area of the field surrounding the hut is cordoned off, using e.g. electrical fencing, and, in combination with the hut, this 'pen' defines the living area occupied by the sow and piglets during the furrowing and suckling period. After suckling is complete, the pigs are separated from the sow, the hut moved to a new location within a new fenced-off living area not overlapping the previous area, and a new sow will be housed to farrow there. Fresh land is required for use by the new sow and piglets in order to avoid the transfer of any diseases present in the soil of the living area used by the earlier sow and piglets. This method of disease control is very expensive in terms of land usage, especially since the used land must remain redundant for an extended period of time.

Commonly, pig farmers need to remove a piglet from the hut, e.g. if the piglet is unwell, deceased etc., via e.g. an access point at the rear of the hut. To reach the access point, the farmer must enter the pen. The farmer is therefore considerably at risk of receiving the wrath of a protective sow, and it is common for farmers to be injured by the sow on such occasions. I 3

Since a reasonably large area of open field is enclosed within the pen, without the soil having any protection from the sow and piglets and the weather conditions, the ground within the pen gets increasingly muddy over a period of time. This can lead to, amongst other things, the mud contaminating feed, bad ruts in the soil, and sows wallowing and e.g. dislodging water tanks positioned within the pen.

Furthermore, the use of e.g. electric fences does not provide an effective deterrent to piglet predators, such as foxes. Electric fences are also easily broken, and are hazardous to farmers. In addition, since the pigs may clearly see through the fences, they are acutely aware of the surroundings beyond the pen, which in certain circumstances can lead to pig discomfort.

Overall, the system described above can give rise to stressed pigs, and a high pig mortality rate.

Small fenders are often provided at the entrance of a pig hut, the fender being aligned at the access door of the hut and defining a rectangular enclosure, accessible from the hut, of sufficient size to allow the piglets additional living space within a more protective environment than that provided by the e.g. electric fences. Vertical slots at opposite walls of the entrance of the piglet fender allow the walls either side of the hut entrance to be slotted therein so as to attach the piglet fender to the hut. The fender has sufficient wall height to prevent small piglets leaving the fender, but insufficient to prevent a sow from leaving it.

Piglet fenders are therefore effective at confining small piglets within a defined living space but are ineffective (too small) to prevent larger piglets or a sow from moving beyond the piglet fender into the greater living area provided for them.

There exist pens made of rigid panels, suitable for attaching to either side of the front of certain pig huts. With reference to Fig. 1, these pens usually consist of a front wall lla and two side walls 12a, 13a, generally outlining a U-shape, if viewed from above. The distal ends of each of the sidewalls are fixed, usually bolted, to either side of the front of the pig hut, to complete an enclosure. However these pens are not suitable for all types of pig huts. In particular, they are not suitable for pig 'arcs' 2 which are commonly used for farrowing/suckling pigs. Pig arcs 2 generally have a substantially half-cylindrical shape, such that, when viewed from their front end 21 or rear end 25, they have a substantially semi-circular profile. If the prior art rigid panelled pen were fixed at points 22, 23 either side of the front 21 of the pig arc 2, there would exist gaps 32, 33 between the distal ends of the pen side walls 12a, 13a, and the sides of the pig arc (defining a curved roof 22) which curve away from the point of fixation 22, 23. These gaps could allow a sow and/or piglets to escape from the pen 1 and pig arc 2 living area, or leave a trap for a sow and/or piglets to get caught in.

At its most general, the present invention provides a livestock pen, for attaching to a livestock hut, the pen having one or more rigid walls, preferably four rigid walls, providing a complete enclosure for livestock.

Preferably the pen is for pigs, preferably for furrowing and/or suckling pigs, and the livestock hut is preferably a pig hut, preferably a pig arc. Preferably, one of the walls is for locating adjacent the hut, and this wall or 'bulkhead' has a door therein, for providing access between the pen and the hut. Accordingly, the present invention may provide a pig farrowing pen, suitable for attaching to a pig arc, that provides a complete enclosure for a sow and pigs such that, in use, a sow and piglets within the pen may not escape the pen when the door is in a closed position, and a sow and piglets may escape the pen only by entering the pig arc when the door is in an open position.

Preferably the pen provides a substantially rectangular, or square enclosure, although, it is understood that a variety of shapes, e.g. pentagons, hexagons etc., could be used. Regardless of the shape, the pen has a rear or bulkhead' wall, for locating adjacent a pig hut in use.

Preferably the pen has no floor portion, the pen merely employing the ground upon which it is placed as a floor in use.

Preferably the pen has a width greater than 50%, 75%, 100%, 110%, 125%, 150% or 200% of the width of a hut to which it is attached in use, this width preferably being the width of the pen across the bulkhead wall of the pen, i.e. the distance between two points at which the bulkhead wall meets e.g. two sidewalls of the pen respectively.

Preferably the pen encloses a floor space with area greater than 50%, 75%, 100%, 110%, 125%, 150% or 200%, of the area of the floor space enclosed by a hut to which it is attached in use.

Preferably the minimum height of the walls of the pen is greater than 50%, 75%, 100%, 110%, 125%, 150% or 200%, of the maximum height of a hut to which it is attached in use. In particular, the heights of the walls should be such that, in use, e.g. a sow cannot climb over them to escape the pen. Preferably the walls are of sufficient height, have little or no gaps, and are opaque, so that, in use, e.g. a sow and/or piglets cannot see beyond the confines of the pen.

Preferably the pen has a modular construction, i.e. preferably the pen can be reversibly assembled from component parts. Preferably the walls of the pen are separate component parts. Preferably one or more of the walls has a modular construction, i.e. is made up of wall parts that may be reversibly assembled to form a wall of height and/or length of the users choice.

Preferably each wall includes a wall panel, or a plurality of wall panels located side by side, the walls being adjustable for length by changing the number of wall panels located side by side. Preferably each wall panel has a modular construction, and includes a number of wall panel parts. The wall panel parts may be beams that, in use, are e.g. stacked one above the other, and that each extend in between a same two panel end brackets. By varying the number of wall panel parts, e.g. beams, stacked one above the other, the height of the wall may be adjusted. This is particularly useful when bedding for the livestock e.g. straw, placed in the pen by a farmer, builds up over a period of time. It is possible for bedding to have such a depth that it effectively provides a step for livestock to climb over the pen walls. Accordingly, by introducing additional beams, the height of the pen walls can be increased, preventing escape. Preferably the beams are bolted to the respective panel end brackets. Preferably the panel end brackets are configured to permit adjacent wall panels of the same wall to connect together, or configured to connect different walls together, e.g. a front wall to a sidewall, with the bracket essentially providing a corner component.

In the case of the bulkhead wall, preferably a said wall panel of the bulkhead wall has the door and a corresponding doorway, the doorway preferably bordered either side by two doorway end brackets with beams extending either side of the doorway, from the two doorway end brackets, to respective panel end brackets.

Preferably the doorway end brackets are similar or identical in construction to the panel end brackets.

Preferably the door is constructed in a similar manner to the wall panels, i.e. the door preferably comprises wall panel parts, e.g. beams, that, in use, are stacked one above the other, and that each extend in between a same two door end brackets. Preferably, one of the door end brackets is hinged to one of the doorway end brackets, such that, in use, the door may opened e.g. by being swung into the pen. Preferably the door is lockable in a closed position, e.g. by a securing pin.

Alternatively, the door may be a sliding door located in the bulkhead wall, e.g. a door that slides laterally, or a door that slides vertically, such as a guillotine' door. Preferably, the door is a guillotine door. The guillotine door preferably comprises one or more wall panel parts, e. g. beams, that in use, are stacked one above the other, maybe to the height of the bulkhead wall, when the guillotine door bottom is adjacent the ground. Preferably, the doorway corresponding to the guillotine door includes two doorway end brackets, one either side of the doorway, from which brackets wall panels, or beams, extend away from the doorway to e.g. respective panel end brackets.

To permit the guillotine door to slide up and down, it is preferable that the doorway end brackets include a guiding portion by which the guillotine door can couple to the doorway end brackets. The guiding portion preferably provides a means limiting the motion of the guillotine door to a translation along at least a portion of the length of the doorway end brackets; i.e. from an open position, where the guillotine door is positioned above the doorway permitting a sow and piglets to pass through the doorway and beneath the door, to a closed position, where the guillotine door is positioned blocking the doorway to prevent both the sow and the piglets passing through the doorway. Advantageously, a guillotine door according to an aspect of the present invention is positionable in the doorway to partially block the doorway only, thereby permitting piglets to pass through the doorway beneath the door, but effectively blocking the doorway to the sow, thereby preventing the sow from passing through the doorway.

Preferably, the guide portion extends above the bulkhead wall to allow the guillotine door to be positioned above the bulkhead wall. Preferably the doorway end brackets are connected by a cross beam, preferably at their respective top ends. Preferably means, such as a rope or chain or some other cable, attached to the guillotine door via the cross-beam, allow a user to raise and lower the door suitably. In a preferred embodiment the means is a rope attached to the door via a pulley mounted on the cross-beam. Preferably, the guillotine door is capable of being held in place so as to vary the degree to which the door blocks the doorway Preferably the panel end brackets have one or more securing elements extending therefrom, each preferably having a hole which may align with a hole of one or more respective securing elements of the adjacent panel end bracket of an adjacent panel wall, in such a way that e.g. a single locking pin may pass through the aligned holes, and releasably secure the respective panels together. Such a securing arrangement provides for quick and easy assembly and disassembly of the pen.

Preferably, the hinging of the door end bracket to the doorway end bracket uses the same, or similar, configuration of aligned bracket holes and a securing pin.

By having a modular construction as described, the pen may be reduce to component parts for easy shipment. Wall panels may be stacked face to face in the back of a

truck, for example.

Preferably any or all of the beams are of rigid, corrugated metal. Preferably any or all of the beams are crash barrier beams, of the type used to form crash barriers at the side of roads. Crash barrier beams are usually of metal material, e.g. steel, and have a generally 'm' shaped cross-section. These beams are readily available, and therefore cheap to obtain.

Furthermore, these beams are heavy and strong. In general, it is preferable that the pen has strong component parts, so that, in use, livestock, in particular sows, are less likely to be able to do significant damage to the pens furthermore, it is preferable that the pen has heavy component parts, so that, in use, livestock, in particular sows, are less likely to be able to lift the pen up and escape. As a result, fixing of the pen to the ground need not be a requirement.

Preferably, part of the pen, or the entire pen, may be moved as one by a lifting means, e.g. a forklift.

Preferably a wall panel has an engagement point for a forklift truck. Preferably the engagement point is defined by a gap in the wall panel that permits the prong(s) of a fork of a forklift truck to extend through it. The engagement point may be provided by a gap between two adjacent beams of the wall. Preferably the gap is towards the top of the wall so that, in use, it does not permit a sow and/or piglets to see beyond the confines of the pen.

Preferably the pen has an attachment means for releasably attaching the pen to a hut. Preferably the attachment means is associated with the bulkhead wall. The attachment means may be e.g. a lip or sill projecting from, in use, the bottom of the bulkhead wall, for releasably attaching the pen to the front wall of a hut, when the front wall is located on the lip or sill.

Preferably the attachment means prevents the pig and hut separating in, at least, a direction perpendicular to the plane of the bulkhead wall. Preferably, where the attachments means is a lip or sill, the lip or sill extends more than half way along of the bottom of the outer face of the bulkhead wall, and preferably the lip or sill extends across the bottom of the bulkhead doorway such that, in use, the pen and hut are firmly attached at this region.

Preferably, when the pen and a hut are attached together in use, in the aforementioned manner or otherwise, all or part of the pen and the hut may be lifted together, and moved to a new location. Preferably a lifting means, e.g. a forklift may perform the lifting. A method for relocating a hut in combination with the pen according to the present invention comprises the steps of: dropping down the front wall of the pen (by releasing e.g. securing pins which may secure the front wall to the sidewalls)) driving a forklift into the area previously enclosed by the pen; locating the prongs of the forklift at the engagement point of the bulkhead wall; lifting the pen and the hut, and driving the pen and hut to a new location. To make sure the hut and pen remain attached during relocation, preferably a prong of the forklift may extend through the engagement point, and engage with the hut, e.g. under the roof of the hut.

The pen according to the present invention provides for a new system of moving a pen and hut within a field, to control disease. Instead of moving the hut within a fenced off area from time to time, e.g. every couple of weeks or months, in attempt to locate the hut in a less- used, i.e. more sanitary, region, the entire pen and hut may be moved, using the aforementioned method of relocation, to virgin land. Since the pen generally provides a smaller living area, it frees up more land, making movement of the pen and hut to virgin land a possibility. Furthermore, the pen does not use electric fences, which take a long time to install; so frequent movement of the pen is a realistic option for the farmer.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a prior art pig pen attached to a pig arc;

Fig. 2 shows a front oblique view of an embodiment of a pen according to the present invention, wherein the pen is attached to a pig arc; Fig. 3 shows a rear oblique view of the embodiment of Fig. 2; Fig. 4a-4b show detailed views of the pen walls of the embodiment of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 shows a detailed view of the wall securing apparatus of the embodiment of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 and 3 show an embodiment of the present invention.

In particular they show a pen 1, having e.g. four walls each constituted from respective wall panels: e.g. front wall panel 11, two side wall panels 12, 13, and rear wall or 'bulkhead' panel 14, with the bulkhead wall panel 14 being for locating adjacent a hut, preferably a pig arc 2 (see Fig. 2). The 'bulkhead' 14 has e.g. a swing door 173, (or a guillotine door (not shown)) with corresponding doorway 17, for providing access between the pen 1 and e.g. the pig arc 2. The pen 1 provides a complete enclosure, for e.g. a sow and piglets, such that, in use, the sow and piglets within the pen may not escape the pen 1 when the door 173 is in a closed position (regardless of whether the pen 1 is attached to e.g. a pig arc 2), and, when the pen 1 is attached to e.g. a pig arc 2 in use, a sow and piglets may escape the pen 1 only by entering the pig arc 2, through e.g. an opening 24 of the front wall 21 of the pig arc 2, when the door 173 is in an open position.

The pen construction allows the pen 1 to be attached to e.g. a pig arc 2 without gaps existing between the pen and the hut through which e.g. a sow and/or piglets could escape. Furthermore, the construction may allow the pen 1 to be wider than e.g. a pig arc 2 to which it is attached, as can be seen in Fig. 2, where the pen 1 is approximately one and a half times as wide as the pig arc 2.

The pen 1 may have a modular construction, i.e. the pen may be reversibly assembled from component parts. The wall panels 11, 12, 13, 14 of the pen may be separate component parts. It is understood, although not shown, that by introducing a plurality of wall panels located side by side in the same plane, the length of the walls of the pen 1 could be adjusted.

Preferably, most of the wall panels 11, 12, 13, 14 have identical or similar construction. Figs. 2 and 3 show the pen 1 with the front wall panel 11, and the sidewall panels 12, 13 having the same construction. This construction can be seen clearly in Fig. 4a. These wall panels 11, 12, 13 include a number of wall panel parts.

The wall panel parts may be e.g. beams 15, 16a-c that are located, in use, one above the other, and that each extend e.g. horizontally in between a same two panel end brackets 41, 42. Preferably some or all of the wall panel parts, e.g. beams 16a-c, are located one above the other by being stacked, in contact. Preferably the beams 16a-c near the bottom of the pen 1 are stacked in contact, e.g. for ease of construction, and e.g. to prevent a sow and/or piglets from seeing beyond the confines of the pen. The beams 15, 16a-c are e.g. bolted to the panel end brackets 41, 42. By varying the number of beams 15, 16a-c located one above the other, the height of the wall panel may be adjusted. Although the panel end brackets 41, 42 shown in the figures are not long enough to accommodate any additional wall panel parts, e.g. beams 15, 16a- c, it is understood that longer panel end brackets 41, 42 could be provided, so subsequent increasing of the heights of any or all of the wall panels 11, 12, 13, 14 would be a possibility.

The beams 15, 16a-c may be crash barrier beams 15, 16a-c, of the type used to form crash barriers at the side of roads. Crash barrier beams 15, 16a-c are usually of metal material, e.g. steel, and generally have an 'm' shaped cross-section. These beams 15, 16a-c may be readily available, and therefore cheap to obtain.

Furthermore, these beams 15, 16a-c may be heavy and strong. Still furthermore, these beams may have predrilled holes, suitable for, in the present embodiment of the invention, e.g. bolts to go through when e.g. the beams are fixed to panel end brackets 41, 42.

The wall panels 11, 12, 13, 14 may have an engagement point for a lifting means, e.g. a forklift. The engagement point may be the underside 151 of an upper wall panel part, e.g. an upper beam 15. A gap 19 may be provided between e.g. the upper beam 15 and an adjacent lower beam 16a of the wall panel 11, 12, 13, 14 that permits e.g. the prong(s) of a forklift to extend through it, and engage the underside 151 of the upper beam 15.

It is preferable that engagement point 151 and gap 19 are near the top of the wall so that, in use, the gap does not permit a sow and/or piglets to see beyond the confines of the pen.

The panel end brackets 41, 42 shall now be considered in more detail with particular reference to Fig. 5. As Fig. shows, the panel end brackets 41, 42 are configured for securing adjacent walls together, e.g. the front wall panel 11 to a side wall panel 12. The panel end brackets 41, 42 are e.g. rigid elongate members having an L-shaped cross-section that are positioned upright (on end) in use. A first flange 411, 421 of each panel end bracket 41, 42 may lie along the plane of its respective wall panel and may comprise a number of e.g. bolt holes 413, 423 along its length, to allow the beams 15a, 16a-c to be bolted to it. A second flange 412, 422 of each bracket may lie perpendicular to the first flange 411, 421, and may help obstruct lateral movement (i.e. side to side movement) of beams 15, 16a-c of the first panel. This is particularly useful during construction of the respective wall panel, as it aids location of the beams before they are e.g. bolted to the first flange 411, 421.

On e.g. the outer face of the second flange 412, 422 of each panel end bracket 41, 42, i.e. the side of the second flange 412, 422 that faces away from the beams 15, 16a-c, one or more securing elements may be attached.

The securing elements may be e.g. L-shaped securing brackets 414, 415, 424, 425, bolted to the outer face of the second flange 412, 422. Preferably, at least two securing elements 414, 415, 424, 425 are attached to each panel end bracket 41, 42, with one securing element 415, 425 preferably adjacent the bottom end of each panel end bracket 41, 42 and one securing element 414, 424 preferably adjacent the top end of each panel end bracket 41, 42. To secure two wall panels 11, 12, 13, 14 together, one of the panel end brackets 41, 42 of each of the two panels may be brought together, such that the two wall panels 11, 12, 13, 14 lie e.g. perpendicular to one another, with the second flanges 412, 422 of the respective panel end brackets 41, 42 e.g. in contact.

Contacting panel end brackets 41, 42 may, in combination, have a generally W-shaped cross-section. Each securing element 414, 415, 424, 425 may have a hole 4141, 4151, 4241, 4251 therein, which may align with a hole 4141, 4151, 4241, 4251 of respective securing elements 414, 415, 424, 425 of the adjacent bracket 41, 42 of the adjacent wall panel 11, 12, 13, 14 in such away that e.g. a single locking pin 43 may pass through the aligned holes 4141, 4151, 4241, 4251, and releasably secure the panels 11, 12, 13, 14 together. Such a securing arrangement provides for quick and easy assembly and disassembly of the pen.

The bulkhead wall panel 14 shall now be described in more detail, particularly with reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4b (the dotted lines in Fig. 4b indicate features obscured by other features in the foreground). The bulkhead wall panel 14 includes the doorway 17. The doorway may be bordered by two doorway end brackets 171, 172, one on each side. Wall panel parts, e.g. beams 161a-c, 162a-c may extend either side of the doorway 17, from the two doorway end brackets 171, 172, to respective panel end brackets 41, 42. The doorway end brackets 171, 172 may have similar or identical construction to the panel end brackets 41, 42. The doorway end brackets 171, 172 may be parallel to the respective panel end brackets 41, 42 and, in use, may extend from adjacent the ground. In an embodiment the doorway end brackets 171, 172 may be shorter than the respective panel end brackets 41, 42, so that e.g. an upper beam 15 may extend e.g. horizontally in between the respective panel end brackets 41, 42, above the doorway 17. A doorway upper bracket 179 may connect the upper beam 15 to the doorway end brackets 171, 172 for increased wall panel stability.

The door 173 may have a construction similar to the wall panels 11, 12, 13, 14, i.e. the door may comprise beams 163a-c that, in use, are stacked one above the other, and that each extend in between a same two door end brackets 174, 175. One of the door end brackets 174 may be hinged to one of the doorway end brackets 171, such that the door 173 may open' in use, e.g. by being swung into the pen 1. This door end bracket 174 may have one or more securing elements 1741, 1742 substantially similar or identical to the securing elements 414, 415, 424, 425 of the panel end brackets 41, 42 to essentially provide hinge 'knuckles' through which a hinge pin 176 may pass.

The hinge pin 176 may also extend through a hinge bracket 177 protruding from e.g. the respective doorway end bracket 171. The door 173 may be lockable in a closed position, e.g. by a locking pin 178.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the doorway end brackets may be taller than the respective end brackets 41, 42, so that e.g. the doorway end brackets extend beyond the uppermost portion of an upper beam.

Such an alternative embodiment may include a guillotine door (not shown) capable of translating along the doorway end brackets 171, 172 from e.g. adjacent the ground to e.g. above an upper beam.

Each of the doorway end brackets 171, 172 preferably includes a lip shaped to form a slot with the respective doorway end brackets 171, 172 along at least a part of the length of the respective doorway end brackets 171, 172.

The guillotine door preferably includes a flange (not shown) projecting laterally from each side of the door towards the wall panels forming part of the bulkhead wall. Each of the flanges is received in the slot formed by the doorway end brackets and the lip. As such, the slots act as guides when the door is translated along at least a part of the length of the doorway end brackets.

Furthermore, the interengagement of the flanges and slots acts as a locking mechanism preventing movement of the door outside the plane of the doorway, and as such when the guillotine door is used to block the doorway to a sow, but to prevent piglets to pass, (i.e. in a partial closed position) then the slot and flange arrangement is preferably sufficiently strong to prevent a sow from pushing the door out of the plane of the doorway. Preferably, a rope or chain, or other cable, is attached to the guillotine

door, e.g. the top of the door, via a cross-beam 179. An operator pulling on the rope with sufficient force can therefore move the guillotine door from the closed (or partially closed) position to an open position by translating it up and along the direction of the doorway end brackets. The rope or chain, may then be securable to hold the door in position. Alternatively. The doorway end brackets 171, 172 may be modified to define a series of holes along their respective lengths. A holding-pin (not shown) may be inserted to a hole for the door to rest to rest upon, to hold it in position.

The weight of the door may be sufficient to allow the door to lower itself when an operator releases the door by letting out the rope, or removing the pin.

A pulley (not shown) may be attached to the cross beam, via which pulley the rope may be attached to the door.

As the door is intended to be constructed from the same component parts as the bulkhead walls (i.e. metal panels, e.g. crash barriers) it is possible that the guillotine door will become relatively heavy. This is advantageous in that it may help to prevent a sow from pushing the door up (allowing her to pass through the doorway) when the door is in the partially closed position and it is intended that she does not pass through the doorway. However, such a heavy door may also make it difficult for a person to raise/lower the door safely (even with the use of pulleys). Therefore, an alternative embodiment includes a motor to raise/lower the door. \ 25

The pen 1 has an attachment means for e.g. releasably attaching the pen 1 to a hut 2. The attachment means may be associated with the bulkhead wall panel 14. The attachment means may be e.g. a lip or sill 18 projecting from, in use, the bottom of the bulkhead wall panel 14 (see Fig. 3), for releasably attaching the pen 1 to the front wall 21 of e.g. a pig arc 2, by means of the front wall 21 being located on top of the lip or sill 18. The attachment means may, in use, prevent the pen 1 and pig arc 2 separating in, at least, a direction perpendicular to the plane of the bulkhead wall panel 14. The lip or sill 18 may extend more than half way along e.g. the outer face 141 of the bottom of the bulkhead wall 14, and the lip or sill 18 may extend across the bottom of the doorway 17 such that, in use, the pen 1 and hut 2 are firmly attached at this region, and/or such that the lip or sill 18 may provide increased wall panel stability.

The lip or sill 18 may have e.g. a generally L-shaped cross-section, having a first flange 181 extending horizontally from the bulkhead wall panel 14, in use, and a second flange 182 extending upwards from the first flange 181, in use. Thus the lip or sill 18 may provide a channel within which the bottom end of the front wall 21 of e.g. the pig arc 2 may locate, wherein the second flange 182 prevents the front wall from separating from \ 26 the pen in, at least, a direction perpendicular to the plane of the bulkhead wall 14.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the ideas expressed in the embodiment can be achieved in ways other than those specifically described; the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited by the

examples. ) 27

Claims

Claims: 1. A pig furrowing pen for attaching to a pig arc, the pen

including one or more rigid walls providing a complete enclosure for a sow and piglets, one of the walls being a bulkhead wall for locating adjacent the pig arc and having a door for providing access between the pen and the pig arc such that, in use, a sow and piglets within the pen may not escape the pen when the door is in a closed position, and when the pen is attached to the pig arc, a sow and piglets may escape the pen only by entering the pig arc when the door is in an open position.
2. The pig farrowing pen of claim 1, wherein the pen includes two side walls extending respectively from either side of the bulkhead wall to respective ends of a front wall.
3. The pig farrowing pen of claim 1, or 2, wherein the pen has a modular construction, and the walls of the pen are separate component parts.
4. The pig farrowing pen of claim 3 wherein the walls each include a wall panel or a plurality of wall panels located side by side.
5. The pig farrowing pen of claim 4, wherein the lengths of the walls are adjustable by varying the number of wall panels located side by side.
6. The pig farrowing pen of claim 4 or 5 wherein one or more of wall panels includes a plurality of wall panel parts stacked one above the other, the height of the walls being adjustable by varying the number of the wall panel parts stacked one above the other.
7. The pig furrowing pen of claim 6, wherein the wall panels have two panel end brackets, in between which respective wall panel parts of the wall panel extend.
8. The pig Harrowing pen of claim 7, wherein the panel end brackets are configured to secure adjacent walls together.
9. The pig farrowing pen of claim 8, wherein the panel end brackets have one or more securing elements extending therefrom, each having a hole which aligns with a hole of one or more respective securing elements of the panel end bracket of an adjacent wall panel, and a locking pin passes through aligned holes. /
10. The pig furrowing pen of claim 9, wherein the securing elements are Lshaped brackets.
11. The pig farrowing pen of claims 7 to 10, wherein a said wall panel of the bulkhead wall provides the door, the door having a corresponding doorway, the bulkhead wall panel having two doorway end brackets, whereby the doorway is bordered either side by the doorway end brackets and wall panel parts extend either side of the doorway from the two doorway end brackets to the respective panel end brackets.
12. The pig furrowing pen of claim 11, wherein the doorway end brackets are substantially identical to the panel end brackets.
13. The pig farrowing pen of claim 11 or 12, wherein the door includes two door end brackets and a plurality of wall panel parts, the wall panel parts being stacked one above the other and extending in between the door end brackets.
14. The pig farrowing pen of claim 13, wherein one of the door end brackets include one or more securing elements providing holes through which a hinge pin extends, for hinging the door to a doorway end bracket. - 30
15. The pig farrowing pen of claim 14, wherein the hinge pin also extends through a hinge bracket protruding from the respective doorway end bracket.
16. The pig furrowing pen of any one of claims 6 to 15, wherein one of the wall panels has an engagement means for a lifting means such that part of the pen, or the entire pen, may be lifted.
17. The pig farrowing pen of claim 16, wherein the engagement means is provided by an upper wall panel part spaced, in use, from a lower wall panel part.
18. The pig furrowing pen of any one of claims 6 to 17, wherein any or all of the wall panel parts are beams.
19. The pig furrowing pen of claim 18, wherein the beams are crash barrier beams.
20. The pig farrowing pen according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, in use, the walls prevent a sow and/or piglets from seeing beyond the confines of the pen ) 31
21. The pig farrowing pen of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pen is releasably attachable to the plg arc.
22. The pig farrowing pen of claim 21, wherein the attachment means is associated with the bulkhead wall.
23. The pig farrowing pen of claim 22, wherein the attachment means is a lip or sill projecting from, in use, the bottom of a said wall panel of the bulkhead wall.
24. The pig farrowing pen of claim 23 wherein, in use, the lip or sill has a front wall of the pig arc located thereon.
25. The pig farrowing pen of claim 24, wherein the lip or sill extends across the bottom of the door of the bulkhead wall.
26. A pig farrowing pen according to any one of the preceding claims attached to a pig arc.
27. The pig farrowing pen attached to a pig arc of claim 26, wherein the pen has a width greater than 50%, 75%, 32 t 100%, 110%, 125%, 150% or 200% of the width of the pig arc.
28. The pig farrowing pen attached to a pig arc of claim 26 or 27, wherein the minimum height of the walls of the pen is greater than 50%, 75%, 100%, 110%, 125%, 150% or 200%, of the maximum height of the pig arc.
29. The pig farrowing pen attached to a pig arc of claim 26, 27 or 28 wherein the pen encloses a floor space with area greater than 50%, 75%, 100%, 110%, 125%, 150% or 200%, of the area of a floor space enclosed by the pig arc.
30. A method for relocating a pig farrowing pen, according to claim 16 and claim 2, attached to a pig arc, comprising the steps of: dropping down the front wall of the pen; driving a forklift between the side walls; engaging a lifting prong of the forklift with the engagement means of the bulkhead wall; driving the bulkhead wall and side walls of the pen and the pig arc as one to a new location; retrieving the front wall of the pen, and reassembling the pen. 33
31. The method of claim 30, wherein when the lifting prong of the forklift engages with the engagement means of the bulkhead wall, it also engages under the roof of the pig arc.
32. A pig farrowing pen substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying figures 2-5.
33. A pig furrowing pen attached to a pig arc substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying figures 2-5.