GB2544816A

GB2544816A - An animal feeder

Info

Publication number: GB2544816A
Application number: GB1521121.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Carroll Daniel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-11-30
Filing date: 2015-11-30
Publication date: 2017-05-31
Also published as: GB201521121D0

Abstract

An animal feeder for dispensing forage and concentrate feed comprises two compartments; a first compartment contains forage; and a second compartment has a plurality of pivotally mounted containers 17 that contain concentrate feed, where both compartments have a gap at the base to allow an animal to access the food. A weight 13 is placed upon the forage, and is connected via a pulley system 15, 16 to a counterweight 17 in the second compartment. In use, as the forage is eaten by foraging animals, the weight drops under gravity and in doing so raises the counterweight in the second compartment, as the counterweight is raised the counterweight tips over the containers and empties the feed at intervals. Preferably the dominant weight may be raised by a winch suspended from the roof of the feeder and the containers are reset to a horizontal position when the counterweight is lowered. The feeder may have a plurality of water sprinklers in the first compartment to moisten the hay, and each compartment may have a removable tray inserted into the bottom of the compartments to collect dust, and/or excess water. The animal feeder may also be transportable.

Description

An Animal Feeder Field of the Invention:

The present invention relates to the feeding of animals, in particular the invention relates to feeding equine animals.

Background to the Invention:

Horses evolved over millions of years to eat small amounts of fibrous food continuously throughout the day, often eating for as much as eighteen hours a day whilst their stomach produces acid continuously. However with the domestication of horses, their natural feeding routine has been changed to accommodate the owner’s needs and training regimes. Therefore, such animals are often fed only twice or three times daily, leaving their stomachs empty and exposed to acid ad potential gastric ulceration for large portions of the day.

Furthermore, “concentrate” feeds such as grains and starches are not naturally a stable part of the horse’s diet. Therefore, their digestive system has not evolved to digest large volumes of such foods at once. However, modern performance requirements mean the horse needs these foods in order to reach peak performance. But if too much is fed in one meal, it can be too much for the digestive enzymes in the small intestine, leaving excess starch and sugar to leak into the hindgut where the delicate ecosystems of fibre fermenting microbes is disrupted, often leading to the condition known as hindgut acidosis which may result in colic and laminitis.

In addition, digestive capacity of feed can be further inhibited when fed in large meals. The horse’s stomach is relatively small in size and food moves in to the small intestine not when it’s ready but rather when there is more food coming. Therefore, by reducing meal size, we can slow the rate of passage through the digestive system and give the digestive enzymes more time to act on food.

Current slow feeders vary largely in shape, complexity and feed capacity. However, there is currently no existing device which feeds both forage and concentrates slowly without the use of electricity. Slow forage feeders such as the one registered as USZ013112148 can aid in the reduction of said gastric ulceration and behavioural problems associated with domestication, however the intense load placed on the digestive system by concentrate meals remains, making this particular model unsuitable for the performance horse that requires large volumes of concentrates. Meanwhile, slow concentrate feeders will reduce the digestive systems load at any one time; however it is necessary that concentrates are accompanied by forage to slow chewing rate, ensuring adequate saliva production and also to slow the rate of passage through the digestive tract.

Therefore, without forage, concentrates are poorly digested leading to feed wastage and the possibility of said hindgut acidosis.

The feeder registered as WOZO13004765 can “accommodate both forage and concentrates; however it has a number of undesirable features. Notably it requires electricity which is an additional cost but electricity is also not readily available in many stables. The use of a battery is mentioned but this will require extra labour to ensure it is charged and connected properly.

Another similar device registered as AUZO13204998 uses solar power, however most stables are dark with limited lighting so therefore solar energy yield is severely limited.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a device which feeds both forage and concentrates slowly throughout the day without the use of electricity.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention there is provided, as set out in the appended claims, an animal feeder comprising: an outer shell structure divided into two internal compartments by an internal wall, said structure comprising a door into each compartment and a gap at the base of each compartment for the consumption of food by foraging animals; a pair of pulleys, located one each at the top of each compartment; a rope, threaded through each pulley, such that each end of the rope may extend substantially into one compartment of the structure, a first compartment comprising a space to be filled with forage, a dominant weight, suspended from the end of the rope extending into said first compartment, such that said weight rests on the upper surface of the forage placed in said first compartment a second compartment comprising a plurality of tip able containers arranged vertically, each container being suspended by means of a bar which is pivotally fixed to each container, each bar being fixed in position at either end to the walls of said second compartment, said containers being loadable with grain, concentrates or other granular or particulate feedstuffs for animals, a set of pins or like devices, situated in the wall of the compartment, such that each container rests against one pin in order to provide horizontal stability to said container, said containers moveable between a horizontal position where feed is retained and a tipped position where feed can fall from the container to the base of the compartment; and a counterweight, weighing less than the dominant weight, attached to the end of the rope extending into said second compartment, such that as a foraging animal consumes the forage in said first compartment, the dominant weight gradually is lowered through said first compartment, causing the counterweight in the second compartment to gradually rise, and as it rises, to tip each container as it passes.

The advantages of the invention is that it not only allows the horse to mimic their natural feeding routine thus reducing behavioural problems such as wind sucking and weaving, but does so whilst incorporating the difficult to digest concentrates into this routine. Therefore, this unique feeder allows the horse to better digest their foods, allowing them to receive more nutrients from their food. As the horse is eating throughout the day, ulceration is prevented in three ways; a greater volume of saliva is produced due to prolonged chewing time, saliva acts as a buffer for stomach acid, secondly, food is constantly entering the stomach absorbing the acid and preventing it from eroding the stomach lining and thirdly, the starch content of each meal is greatly reduced as the horse is fed a smaller quantity of food with each meal, starch is partly digested by microbes in the stomach into volatile fatty acids, said volatile fatty acids weaken the lining of the stomach making it more susceptible to ulceration. Therefore, by reducing starch content of each meal, the amount of said volatile fatty acids present in the stomach at any one time is greatly reduced. Furthermore, as feed is fed slowly, it travels slower through the digestive system. This gives digestive enzymes more time to break down food, particularly starch and sugar, reducing the volume of said nutrients entering the hindgut, thus reducing the possibility of hindgut acidosis, colic and laminitis. Other advantages include improved dental health due to prolonged chewing and reduced strains on the back and neck as the horse is eating in its natural position, off the ground rather than from a height as is the case with many feeders.

In one embodiment the said dominant weight can be raised by a winch suspended from the roof of the feeder to reduce strain for the operator.

In one embodiment numerous water sprinklers may be added to the first compartment. This system can be connected to a water supply and turned on manually by means of a tap. Advantageously the water will moisten the hay, making it easier to digest and less dusty.

In one embodiment a removable tray may be inserted to the bottom of the first compartment to collect dust and/or excess water from said water sprinklers.

In one embodiment wheels and a handle are present to make for easy transport.

In one envisaged embodiment said outer shell is configured so that it forms a right angle that can fit neatly into the corner of the stable or stall.

The apparatus may comprise a ramp at the rear of each compartment to direct food to said gaps for consumption by the horse.

In one particularly desirable embodiment said gap at the base of the first compartment comprises a grill comprising a single bar and a plurality of tines attached for the purpose of restricting forage consumption.

In one embodiment the counterweight in the second compartment automatically moves said feed containers from a tipped position to a closed position while being returned to the starting position.

In one embodiment all protruding corners are rounded for safety.

In one embodiment the present invention may be adapted to feed a variety of animals such as cows, sheep, goats or donkeys.

Brief Description Of The Drawings

The following invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure one is a 3D isometric view of the animal feeder according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device for the restriction of forage;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the invention along the line y-y in figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the invention along the line x-x in figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the invention along the line z-z in figure 1.

Detailed Description

Referring now to the drawings and initially to figure 1 there is illustrated an animal feeder according to the present invention comprising an outer shell structure (1), configured, in this particular embodiment, to form a right angle to fit into the corner of a stable or stall. Said outer shell structure comprising two compartments, the first compartment (2) for forage and the second compartment (3) for concentrate feeds, with a gap (6) at the base of the first compartment for the consumption of forage and a gap (7) at the base of the second compartment for the consumption of concentrates. Said gap (6) comprising a device (8) for the restriction of forage. The door (4) provides access to the first compartment while the door (5) provides access to the second compartment. Protruding out from the base of the animal feeder is a mat (9) to ensure food spillage is not contaminated by animal bedding, manure or other substances not intended for consumption.

Figure 2 shows said device (8) for the restriction of forage consumption comprising a single support bar (10) and a plurality of tines (11) attached. Said support bar is removable, in this particular embodiment, via two bolts (12) but other attachment methods such as pins may be used.

An important aspect of the invention is shown in figure 3 showing a cross sectional view of the invention in the line y-y of figure 1 displaying the pulley system which acts as the means for concentrate meals to be dispensed. The first compartment (2) and the second compartment (3) are divided by the wall (19). The dominant weight (13) sits on top of the forage in the first compartment. As the forage is consumed through said gap (6) and restricting device (8) the forage level will drop, therefore due to gravity said dominant weight (13) will drop and pull the counterweight (14) in the second compartment (3) upwards. The two weights are connected by a rope (15) and are threaded through the pulleys (16). The rising counterweight (14) moves the feed containers (17) in the second compartment from a horizontal position where feed is retained to a tipped position where feed can fall from the container to said gap (7) for consumption by the animal. Said feed containers are suspended by means of a bar (25) which is pivotally fixed to each container, each bar being fixed in position at either end to the walls of said second compartment.

The hook (18) is present at the top of the first compartment to hold the dominant weight (13) while feed is being added to the device. In one embodiment, this hook can be replaced by a winch to reduce strain for the operator. As the dominant weight is in the starting position, the feed containers (17) may be returned to the closed position manually and a small portion of concentrate feed can be added to each container. In one embodiment the counterweight (14) automatically moves said feed containers from a tipped position to a horizontal position while it’s being returned to a starting position.

Referring now to figure 4, there is depicted a cross-sectional view, along the line x-x of figure 1. This further depicts the pulley system as described in figure 3. A set of pins (26) or like devices are situated in the wall of the compartment, such that each container (17) rests against one pin in order to provide horizontal stability to said container. To facilitate the delivery of both forage in the first compartment and concentrates in the second compartment to the animal, the apparatus includes a ramp (20) to channel feed to gaps (6) and (8) for consumption. The apparatus comprises a mat (9) protruding out from the base of the feeder to prevent feed spillage being contaminated by bedding, manure or other substances not intended for animal consumption. In a particularly desirable embodiment the corner (21) is rounded to ensure maximum safety.

Figure 5 depicts a cross-sectional view of the invention in the line z-z of figure In this implementation, the walls 22 and 23 are configured to form a 90 degree angle such that when placed into a corner, said walls are flush with the stable walls. The back wall (24) is parallel to the doors 4 and 5 to ensure a comfortable fit into all corners.

In one embodiment a hose with water sprinklers is present in the first compartment. Said water sprinklers may be positioned on walls 22, 23 and/or on the dominant weight (13) to optimise effectiveness. This system may be connected by hose to a tap or to the mains water supply. This system may be manually operated with a tap or automated with a timer. In one embodiment a removable tray may be inserted at the bottom of the first compartment to collect excess dust or runoff water from said water sprinklers.

In another implementation wheels are present on the base and a handle on the outer shell structure (1) to make for easy transport.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims

1. A device for use as an animal feeder comprising: an outer shell structure divided into two internal compartments by an internal wall, said structure comprising a door into each compartment and a gap at the base of each compartment for the consumption of food by foraging animals; a pair of pulleys, located one each at the top of each compartment; a rope, threaded through each pulley, such that each end of the rope may extend substantially into one compartment of the structure, a first compartment comprising a space to be filled with forage, a dominant weight, suspended from the end of the rope extending into said first compartment, such that said weight rests on the upper surface of the forage placed in said first compartment a second compartment comprising a plurality of tip able containers arranged vertically, each container being suspended by means of a bar which is pivotally fixed to each container, each bar being fixed in position at either end to the walls of said second compartment, said containers being loadable with grain, concentrates or other granular or particulate feedstuffs for animals, a set of pins or like devices, situated in the wall of the compartment, such that each container rests against one pin in order to provide horizontal stability to said container, said containers moveable between a horizontal position where feed is retained and a tipped position where feed can fall from the container to the base of the compartment; and a counterweight, weighing less than the dominant weight, attached to the end of the rope extending into said second compartment, such that as a foraging animal consumes the forage in said first compartment, the dominant weight gradually is lowered through said first compartment, causing the counterweight in the second compartment to gradually rise, and as it rises, to tip each container as it passes.

2. A device for use as an animal feeder as claimed in claim one, wherein the means for regulating access to the forage comprises a single bar with a plurality of tines attached.

3. A device for use as an animal feeder of any preceding claim, wherein said first compartment comprises numerous water sprinklers to moisten hay.

4. A device for use as an animal feeder of any preceding claim, wherein said dominant weight can be raised by a winch suspended from the roof of the device.

5. A device for use as an animal feeder of any preceding claim, wherein a removable tray may be inserted to the bottom of the first compartment to collect dust and/or excess water.

6. A device for use as an animal feeder of any preceding claim, wherein wheels and a handle are present on the device for transport.

7. A device for use as an animal feeder of any preceding claim, wherein said outer shell is configured so that it forms a right angle.

8. A device for use as an animal feeder of any preceding claim, wherein a ramp is present at the rear of one or each compartment to direct food to said gaps for consumption.

9. A device for use as an animal feeder of any preceding claim, wherein the counterweight in the second compartment automatically moves said feed containers from a tipped position to a horizontal position while being returned to the starting position.

10. A device for use as an animal feeder of any preceding claim, wherein all protruding corners are rounded for safety.

11. A device for use as an animal feeder as substantially hereinbefore described, wherein the present invention may be adapted to feed a variety of animals such as cows, sheep, goats or donkeys.