Animal husbandry – Feeding device – Suckling appliances
Patent
1985-11-27
1987-03-31
Chamblee, Hugh R.
Animal husbandry
Feeding device
Suckling appliances
A01K 900
Patent
active
046534326
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a nutrient dispenser for supplying a nutrient liquid to young animals such as calves or piglets. For this purpose the dispenser includes a container for the nutrient liquid, which is adapted for metering to one or more teat-like feed means accessible to the animals via one or more feed pipes.
2. Background Art
Such nutrient dispensers are used for achieving as early weaning as possible for the young animals. A known dispenser of this kind, see. e.g. French specification No. 1 536 924, has a container in which the nutrient liquid, which is milk powder dissolved in water, is kept ready-mixed and heated to a suitable temperature for the animals to drink. The container is filled with milk powder twice a day, and water is added. Feeding out the warmed milk takes place at a predetermined feed rate to the trough, where the animals thus obtain access to warm milk substitute.
The disadvantages with these known apparatus is that the nutrient liquid/milk is kept ready-mixed and is kept warm in the container. This means increased risks of the animals getting nutrient liquid with a high bacteria content or otherwise deteriorated quality. Furthermore, the nutrient liquid remains the whole time in the feed pipes taking the liquid from the container to the trough. The nutrient liquid also cools in conveyance from the container, and this is also the case with remaining liquid in the feed pipes and trough. Thus the risks are increased to an even greater degree that the nutrient liquid consumed by the animal has cooled and/or is of poor quality or in poor condition at the time of consumption which may lead to severe consequences for the animals.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The nutrient dispense in accordance with the invention surmounts these difficulties by the container, and the nutrient liquid therein being cooled, e.g. to about 10.degree. C., in that the feed valve is arranged in the respective feed pipe immediately adjacent the container and is controlled from an activator being actuated by the animal for feeding nutrient liquid through the feed pipe only during the time when the activator is activated. Each feed pipe is implemented with a heating element controlled by a thermistor for continuously keeping the pipe warm. The warm pipe will then warm up the nutrient liquid fed through it.
In a preferred embodiment of the nutrient dispenser being used for milk substitute, the container comprises separate stores for the nutrient components involved in the ready made milk substitute to avoid that too large amounts of ready-mixed nutrient liquid in the form of milk substitute, must be stored in the container. The dispenser in accordance with the invention can to advantage be implemented with a controlled supply of the nutrient components which are to be included in the nutrient liquid. The container of the dispenser is thus connected via a conveying means to a store intended for milk powder, the means being driven by the amount of water required for a desired milk mixture to be obtained in the container.
The amount of milk powder per unit of water is thereby adjustable by regulating the speed of the conveying means driven by the water. By using the water which controls or activates the advance of milk powder the risk is avoided of overdosing milk powder, i.e. the risk for obtaining too rich a milk substitute in the container is avoided.
With a container which may be readily lifted off, the dispenser in accordance with the invention can have its component parts readily accessible, in its components parts, e.g. for cleaning or possible repairs.
The inventive nutrient dispenser thus meets very high demands for absolute functional reliability and hygien. The animals which are fed get precisely the amount of nutrient liquid they desire for the moment. No waste or excess liquid remains in the supply pipes, whereby any risk for sour or otherwise poor nutrient liquid is avoided. Contributing to this is also that the less quantity of liquid kept ready-mixed in the contai
REFERENCES:
patent: 3090355 (1963-05-01), Gains
patent: 3425398 (1969-02-01), Buffy et al.
patent: 3525315 (1970-08-01), Lange
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