JP3059052B2 - Feeder for small animals - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a feeder. More particularly, the present invention relates to a feeder for small animals, which prevents contamination of food by spilling, scattering, and excrement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When feeding small animals in a breeding room for experimental animals, granular foods are fed into a simple feeder.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned feeder, when the small animal feeds, the food is scattered around, so that the breeding cage needs to be cleaned frequently. , Because small animals excrete on the feeder,
Food often gets dirty.

[0004] In animal experiments, in particular, measuring food consumption is an important item. In general, weighing is performed before and after feeding with a tare included. However, it was very difficult to obtain accurate measurement values due to scattering of food and animal excrement entering the feeder. As a result, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to obtain accurate experimental data.

[0005] In order to improve the spilling and scattering of food,
A method in which a window is provided on the side of the feeding box and animals are allowed to put their necks through the window and feed the food in the feeding bowl provided in the feeding box (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 174562 in 1985)
A feeding box in which the food is constantly pressed by the net so that the animal feeds from the upper part of the net (Application for Utility Model Registration No. 17
No. 9167) has been devised, but the above problems cannot be solved satisfactorily.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a container having a top-opening type and a supporting member so as to be in parallel contact with the container. Characterized in that the cylinder is constituted by a feeding guide cylinder having a feeding port at the bottom between the two ends, with one end closed and the other end opened. Feeder for small animals.

[0007] The small animals to which the present invention is applied include:
Particularly preferred are mice and rats, and other species commonly used as experimental animals such as hamsters and guinea pigs.

[0008] The top-opening type feeder according to the present invention is intended to accommodate the food of a small animal, and refers to a container in which part or all of the top surface is open. Baits to be stored include grain bait, powder bait, mash, batter, dry batter
Solid feed, crumble and the like.

[0009] The tube according to the present invention is a feed guiding tube provided with a support so as to be in parallel contact with the opening of the feeder. The material of the tube is aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, or the like, which cannot be snagged by small animals, and is more preferably, but not particularly limited, as long as it can withstand autoclave sterilization. The shape is
The cross-sectional shape may be any shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, and a square as long as it is a cylindrical shape with one end closed and the other end opened. However, the inside diameter must be large enough to allow small animals to enter and exit smoothly, but not to make a U-turn inside the cylinder. When the small animal can make a U-turn in the cylinder, the animal can play freely in the cylinder, and the excrement of the small animal may enter the feeder, and the food in the feeder may be contaminated. is there. Also, if excrement enters,
The increased weight of the feeder makes accurate food intake measurements impossible.

[0010] Further, the feeding guide cylinder according to the present invention is provided in parallel with the opening of the top-opening type feeder, and it is more preferable that the opening end keeps a lower inclination than the closing end. Even if a small animal excretes in the feeding guide cylinder, the excrement is discharged from the open end according to the inclination of the cylinder.

[0011] The feeding guide cylinder according to the present invention is provided with a feeding port at the bottom of a suitable intermediate position at both ends. The feeding port is preferably large enough to pass the head of a small animal. If the head of the small animal does not pass, as the food placed in the open-top feeder is reduced by feeding, the small animal's mouth gradually becomes unable to reach the food, and the food in the feeder cannot be eaten. Conversely, if the feeding port is larger than the inner diameter of the feeding guide cylinder, it is not possible to prevent the food from being scattered or making a U-turn using the space above the top opening type feeder.

The length of the feeding guide tube according to the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that at least the forelimb and the hindlimb of the small animal be large enough to be placed at the same time from the feeding port to the open end. Simultaneously placing the forelimbs and the hindlimbs does not put unnecessary stress on the small animal.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014]

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a feeder for small animals according to the present invention. The feeding guide cylinder 1 is in parallel contact with the top opening type feeder 2 by the support 3 in parallel. The support 3 is
At the same time, the feeding guide tube 1 is held so that the opening end 5 is inclined lower than the closing end 4, and at the same time, the small animal is directly fed to the top opening type feeder 2 without passing through the feeding port 6 of the feeding guiding tube 1. This has the effect of preventing the user from eating the food inside or getting on the top opening type feeder 2.

When a small animal feeds, the small animal enters the feeding guiding cylinder 1 through the open end 5, the head is inserted into the feeding port 6, and the food is obtained from the top opening type feeder 2 that is in contact with the lower side. The small animal that has finished feeding retreats from the feeding guide cylinder 1 (cannot make a U-turn) and exits through the open end 5.

[0016]

As described above, according to the feeder for small animals according to the present invention, the problem of small animals scattering food around the feeder and the problem of polluting food with excrement are solved. And more accurate measurement of food consumption becomes possible. Also, cleaning inside the breeding cage is reduced, which leads to an improvement in work efficiency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Feeding guidance cylinder, 2 ... Top-open feeder, 3 ... Support, 4 ... Blocking end, 5 ... Open end, 6 ... Feeding port

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A top-open feeder and a tube provided by a support so as to be in parallel contact with the opening thereof, the tube being closed at one end and opened at the other end. A feeder for small animals provided as a feeding guide tube, with a feeding port at the bottom between the two ends. 2. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein the feeder and the top opening type feeder are integrated by the support.