WO1997004646A1 - Nourrisseur pour oiseaux et procede pour nourrir la volaille - Google Patents

Nourrisseur pour oiseaux et procede pour nourrir la volaille Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1997004646A1
WO1997004646A1 PCT/GB1996/001704 GB9601704W WO9704646A1 WO 1997004646 A1 WO1997004646 A1 WO 1997004646A1 GB 9601704 W GB9601704 W GB 9601704W WO 9704646 A1 WO9704646 A1 WO 9704646A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
aperture
feed
container
bird feeder
dispenser
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1996/001704
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Charles William Prentice
Original Assignee
Hengrave Feeders Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hengrave Feeders Limited filed Critical Hengrave Feeders Limited
Priority to GB9801838A priority Critical patent/GB2318272B/en
Priority to AU64671/96A priority patent/AU6467196A/en
Publication of WO1997004646A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997004646A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K39/00—Feeding or drinking appliances for poultry or other birds
    • A01K39/01—Feeding devices, e.g. chainfeeders
    • A01K39/012—Feeding devices, e.g. chainfeeders filling automatically, e.g. by gravity from a reserve
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K39/00—Feeding or drinking appliances for poultry or other birds
    • A01K39/01—Feeding devices, e.g. chainfeeders
    • A01K39/0113—Feeding devices, e.g. chainfeeders with means to prevent other animals or insects, e.g. squirrels or ants, from eating also

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a bird feeder for holding and dispensing bird feed.
  • Bird feeders are used on poultry farms for feeding chickens, pheasants or other birds.
  • the feeders usually comprise a trough with a cover to keep out rain. The birds then feed through an elongate aperture between the cover and the trough.
  • vermin such as mice or rats can get into the feed, leading to a significant loss and wastage.
  • a bird feeder for feeding granular bird feed to poultry, comprising an enclosed feed storage container and at least one feed dispenser that has a feeding aperture, the container and the aperture being arranged so that in use feed may flow freely under its own weight from the container to the aperture, the extent of the aperture being such that feed may not flow freely through the aperture under its own weight and such that poultry may feed at the dispenser by pecking feed from the aperture.
  • the aperture will often be in a vertical or near-vertical surface, and at an appropriate height above the ground so that the feed will be readily accessible to the poultry.
  • the dispenser may be directly connected to the container, or may be connected to the container by a tube or other means branching from a main part of the container, which tube can then convey the feed from the container to the aperture.
  • the dispenser consists of an aperture in a wall of the container.
  • the extent of the aperture may be altered to increase or decrease the ease with which poultry may peck feed from the aperture.
  • the orientation of the aperture with respect to a vertical plane may be altered to increase or decrease the ease with which poultry may peck feed from the aperture.
  • the aperture may be necessary, for example, because different granular feeds may have different shapes or sizes.
  • the dispenser may have an adjustment so that the size or orientation of the aperture may be varied over some range.
  • the dispenser may be removably connected to the container, and the aperture may be changed to alter its characteristics.
  • the dispenser is movably connected to the container, and the aperture may be altered by moving the dispenser with respect to the container.
  • the dispenser is movably attached to the container and the extent of the aperture may be altered by moving the dispenser with respect to the container.
  • the dispenser and the container each have an aperture therethrough, the alignment and overlap of these two apertures may define the feeding aperture.
  • the size and shape of the feeding aperture may then be altered by moving the dispenser with respect to the container.
  • the container may have a first fixed aperture
  • the dispenser may have a second fixed aperture and be slidably connected to the container.
  • the two fixed apertures can be brought into or out of alignment with each other.
  • the dispenser can be held or clamped to the container to fix the setting, for example by tightening a screw.
  • orientation of the aperture with respect to a vertical plane may be altered by moving the dispenser with respect to the container, for example, by tipping the top edge of the aperture forwards or backwards.
  • the maximum dimension of the aperture should generally be no more than 25 mm, and preferably should be no more than 16 mm. However, it is possible to have an elongate aperture with a maximum dimension greater than this, and in particular a horizontally elongate aperture, as long as the transverse dimension is reduced accordingly to help hold back the granular feed.
  • the aperture should therefore preferably be about 200 mm above the ground, with no nearby ledges or other features which a mouse or other pest could use to gain access to the feed at the dispenser.
  • the container is supported above the ground by legs.
  • the legs are adjustable to vary the height of the container above the ground. The height of the bird feeder may then be adjusted for different types or ages of poultry.
  • the container may have a hopper to provide increased storage capacity.
  • the hopper will have at least one inwardly tapering side that overhangs a dispenser. The hopper can then additionally provide some protection against the elements.
  • the container comprises a trough below the hopper, and the trough has feed dispensers arranged externally at regular intervals around the periphery of the trough. Substantially all the feed may therefore be channelled to the dispensers as the container is emptied by the feeding poultry.
  • the floor of the container is "tented", that is, the floor has a central ridge and slopes downwardly away from the ridge, preferably on four sides.
  • the tented floor causes or helps feed to flow to each dispenser.
  • the container may conveniently be opened and filled if it has a hinged lid.
  • the lid may also be used to provide a roof to the container, and this may be pitched at an angle to prevent rainfall or other moisture from collecting on the roof or getting into the feed, either around the lid or at the dispensers.
  • the lid may extend beyond the sides of the container, and be provided with downwardly projecting lips that act as drip barriers, preventing water from running down the outside of the container.
  • the dispenser may also be provided with a projecting feature to act as a shield about the aperture and protect the feed from dampness.
  • a shield will usually be most effective if it extends around the left and right sides and top of the aperture.
  • the shield must not be so protective that it interferes with a feeding bird, but it may be advantageous if the shield restricts access to the aperture sufficiently so that only one bird at a time may feed at a dispenser. This will encourage the birds to distribute themselves amongst the dispensers and help prevent conflict between birds.
  • the rain shield could comprise a ledge above the aperture which helps shelter the aperture from rain.
  • a method of feeding poultry from a bird feeder that has an enclosed feed storage container and at least one feed dispenser that has a feeding aperture comprising the steps of: introducing into the container through an opening in the container an amount of granular bird feed at least sufficient for the feed to flow freely under its own weight to the aperture; and altering either the extent or the orientation of the aperture so that the feed may not flow freely through the aperture under its own weight, but so that poultry may peck feed from the aperture.
  • Figure 1 is a side view of a bird feeder according to the invention with a feed storage container and feed dispensers;
  • Figure 2 is a front view of the bird feeder of Figure 1;
  • Figure 3 is a front view of a feed dispenser according to the invention.
  • FIG 4 is a side view of the feed dispenser of Figure 3;
  • Figure 5 is a front view of the feed dispenser mounted on the storage container; and Figure 6 is a plan view of the floor of the feeder shown in Figures 1 and 2.
  • Figures 1 and 2 show respectively side and front views of a bird feeder 1 having a feed storage container 2 formed from galvanised sheet steel and supported by four legs 3.
  • the top of the container 2 has a lid 4 which slopes downwards from a hinged end 5 and through which the container may be filled with feed.
  • the lower edge and adjacent sides of the lid have a downwardly projecting lip 6 which overhangs three sides 7,7 of the container. Any rain or other moisture which collects on the lid will flow down the sloping lid and drip off the overhanging lips 6, which will help to keep the corresponding sides of the container dry.
  • the hinged end 5 of the lid 4 projects over a fourth side 8 of the container and also over a hinge 9.
  • the projecting end 5 will therefore help to keep the hinge and the fourth side 8 of the container dry. This projection will also limit how far the lid may be opened, which can protect the hinge 9 from overextension.
  • the front lip 6 of the lid has an aperture 10 which aligns with a similar aperture (not shown) in the front side 7 ' of the container so that the lid may be secured closed with a pad lock (not shown) .
  • the container 2 has rectangular walls as viewed through a horizontal cross-section.
  • the upper half of the container has four vertical walls.
  • the front and rear walls 7' ,8 taper inwards like a hopper to an elongate trough 11, which has a floor 42, at the bottom of the container.
  • the trough 11 has six identical feed dispensers 12-17 spaced around the four external walls of the trough.
  • the height of the bird feeder, and hence the height of the feed dispensers may be adjusted for different types or ages of bird.
  • Each of the legs 3 is connected to the container 2 by a pair of bolts 18,19. Although not illustrated in the drawings, the bolts have shafts that pass through matching pairs of holes in the legs and container to screw down to captured nuts within the container. The height of the legs may then be adjusted by removing the bolts and connecting each leg to the container through another pair of holes 20,21 in each leg spaced from the first pair.
  • the floor 42 of the feeder is of a tented or frustoprismatic shape, as shown in Figure 6.
  • the floor 42 has a central ridge 44 and slopes downwardly away from the ridge 44 on four sides 46. This shape helps feed to flow to the dispensers 12 to 17.
  • Each dispenser 30 is formed from galvanised sheet steel that has been punched with apertures and then folded along crease lines.
  • a rectangular back plane 31 has two apertures, namely a horizontal slot 33 and below this a U-shaped aperture 34. Extending forwards perpendicularly from three edges of the back plane 31 are two side plates 32,32' and between these a top plate 35. From the lowermost fourth edge of the back plane, extending backwards perpendicularly, is a short locating tab 36.
  • the feed dispenser 31 is depicted as it would be in use, mounted on one of the sides of the trough 11, only a section of which is visible in the drawing.
  • the dispenser is secured to the trough by a bolt 36 through the slot 33.
  • a shaft of the bolt passes through a hole in the side of the trough to connect to a threaded nut that has been welded to the inner surface of the trough.
  • the head of the bolt will press the sides of the slot 33 securely against the trough 11.
  • the dispenser 30 may be moved laterally with respect to the trough.
  • the dispenser is prevented from rotating about the bolt by the locating tab 36, which seats against the bottom surface of the container, along a lower side edge 39 of the trough.
  • the trough 11 has an aperture 37 which has the same size and shape as the U-shaped aperture 34 in the dispenser back plane 31.
  • the overlap of these two apertures 34,37 defines a feeding aperture 38.
  • the two apertures 34,37 can be aligned to maximise the size of the feeding aperture 38.
  • the size of the feeding aperture may then adjusted, if desired, to a smaller size by moving the dispenser 30 laterally before tightening the bolt 36 to secure the dispenser to the trough 11.
  • Figure 5 depicts some granular feed 40 present at the feeding aperture 38.
  • Some of the granules 40 will be in contact with the inner edges of the feeding aperture 38, and as long as the extent of the aperture is not too large, these granules will interfere with other granules of feed nearer the centre of the aperture to prevent the feed from flowing freely through the aperture.
  • some feed may at times be forced through the aperture owing to the pressure within the container from the feed above the dispenser, but the extent of the aperture may be set to limit this effect.
  • the range over which the size and shape of the feeding aperture may be set will depend the orientation of the feeding aperture with respect to the vertical. If the aperture is in a surface with an overhang, then a smaller aperture may be needed to hold back the feed. Conversely, if the aperture faces slightly upwards, then a larger aperture may be optimal. Indeed, the flow of feed through the aperture may adjusted, not by adjusting the size and shape of the feeding aperture, but by altering the orientation of the aperture instead.
  • the container In use, the container may be filled nearly to the top with granular feed.
  • the sides taper outwards towards the top in the manner of a hopper mainly to maximise the storage volume.
  • feed near the bottom of the container may never find its way to a feeding aperture, and may degrade as it ages.
  • Typical dimensions for the bird feeder illustrated in the drawings would be a height of about 1000 mm from the ground to the top of the lid, with the container itself having a maximum height of 750 mm, a width of 750 mm, and a maximum depth of 500 mm, and the trough having a depth of 200 mm.
  • the usable volume of such a storage container would be about 130 litres.
  • Suitable dimensions for the dispenser illustrated in the drawings would be a height, width and depth of 90x55x45 mm, with the height of the aperture above the ground being set to a level of between 150 mm to 350 mm.
  • a bird feeder similar to that described above may, of course, be used with any sort of granular feed, which will typically have dimensions ranging from 3 mm to 15 mm, and the size and shape of the aperture may be varied or adjusted accordingly depending on the characteristics of the feed.
  • Examples and, in parentheses, typical dimensions of suitable bird feed are, for cereal grains: wheat (3 mm diameter x 7 mm) , barley (3 mm diameter x 7 mm) , maize (3 mm x 7 mm x 9 mm) .
  • typical dimensions are: small pellet (3 mm diameter x 12 mm) , large pellet (5 mm diameter x 12 mm) .
  • aperture adjustment mechanisms different from that described above may, of course, be employed.
  • the aperture in the container does not need to be the same size and shape as the aperture in the dispenser, but could be a horizontally elongate aperture with a varying height.
  • adjustment mechanisms may also be devised.
  • the aperture in the dispenser may be adapted to rotate about a point with respect to a fixed aperture in the container.
  • a bird feeder according to the invention may be used outdoors in a wide range of weather conditions to provide feed to any variety of poultry.
  • the birds will be free to move about in the open air to get exercise whilst feeding, and vermin will be prevented from getting at and destroying any significant amount of feed.
  • the size of the hopper is also such that it will not require topping up at frequent intervals, thereby providing an additional saving in terms of the labour needed to feed the birds.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Birds (AREA)
  • Animal Husbandry (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Feeding And Watering For Cattle Raising And Animal Husbandry (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un nourrisseur (1) pour oiseaux assurant la distribution à la volaille d'aliments en granulés pour oiseaux, lequel comprend un réservoir (2) de stockage des aliments fermé, maintenu au-dessus du sol par des pieds (3), et au moins un distributeur (12, 13, 14, 15) d'aliments comportant une ouverture. Le réservoir et l'ouverture sont disposés de façon qu'en utilisation, les aliments puissent s'écouler librement sous leur propre poids depuis le réservoir jusqu'à l'ouverture. On peut régler la dimension de celle-ci de façon à empêcher les aliments de s'écouler librement sous leur propre poids au travers de l'ouverture, et à permettre à la volaille de se nourrir au distributeur en picorant dans l'ouverture. La position de cette dernière est telle que, pendant que la volaille picore, les parasites ne peuvent pas atteindre l'ouverture pour s'introduire dans les aliments.
PCT/GB1996/001704 1995-08-01 1996-07-17 Nourrisseur pour oiseaux et procede pour nourrir la volaille WO1997004646A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9801838A GB2318272B (en) 1995-08-01 1996-07-17 Bird feeder
AU64671/96A AU6467196A (en) 1995-08-01 1996-07-17 Bird feeder and method of feeding poultry

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9515737A GB2303774A (en) 1995-08-01 1995-08-01 Poultry feeder
GB9515737.6 1995-08-01

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997004646A1 true WO1997004646A1 (fr) 1997-02-13

Family

ID=10778574

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1996/001704 WO1997004646A1 (fr) 1995-08-01 1996-07-17 Nourrisseur pour oiseaux et procede pour nourrir la volaille

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU6467196A (fr)
GB (1) GB2303774A (fr)
WO (1) WO1997004646A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3395167A1 (fr) * 2017-04-25 2018-10-31 Sélection Avicole de la Sarthe et du Sud Ouest (SASSO) Dispositif pour le suivi individualise de l'indice de consommation de volailles et installation comportant ledit dispositif

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1099443A (en) * 1913-08-02 1914-06-09 James T Howard Chicken feeder and exerciser.
US2931336A (en) * 1958-01-10 1960-04-05 Cather Jay Howard Bird feeder
DE4102879C2 (de) * 1991-01-31 1994-01-20 Vollmer Hans Futterhäuschen zur bevorzugten Fütterung von Meisen

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB789110A (en) * 1955-03-15 1958-01-15 Leslie Newman Improved dry-feed hopper
GB1404363A (en) * 1972-05-09 1975-08-28 Pearce E J C Feeding devices for birds and the like
US4628865A (en) * 1985-03-14 1986-12-16 Lehmann Valgene W Apparatus and method for a continuously operating quail feeder
GB2193872B (en) * 1986-07-21 1990-01-10 Philip Douglas Cook Feeding device
US5291855A (en) * 1992-09-14 1994-03-08 Laverty Ralph E Bird feeder
GB2276523B (en) * 1993-03-30 1996-09-18 Trevor Wilfred Rowston Wild bird bulk rechargeable feeder

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1099443A (en) * 1913-08-02 1914-06-09 James T Howard Chicken feeder and exerciser.
US2931336A (en) * 1958-01-10 1960-04-05 Cather Jay Howard Bird feeder
DE4102879C2 (de) * 1991-01-31 1994-01-20 Vollmer Hans Futterhäuschen zur bevorzugten Fütterung von Meisen

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3395167A1 (fr) * 2017-04-25 2018-10-31 Sélection Avicole de la Sarthe et du Sud Ouest (SASSO) Dispositif pour le suivi individualise de l'indice de consommation de volailles et installation comportant ledit dispositif

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9515737D0 (en) 1995-10-04
AU6467196A (en) 1997-02-26
GB2303774A (en) 1997-03-05

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