Piglet milk-feed delivery system

Animal husbandry – Watering or liquid feed device – Fountains and troughs

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C119S078000, C119S051500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06199512

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for the delivery of feed to domestic animals and an apparatus for accomplishing the same. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a method for the delivery of substantially unlimited amounts of supplemental feed solution to each of a plurality of feed stations. This invention further relates to an apparatus for accomplishing this method. The apparatus can include, for instance, a common source feed reservoir connected to a plurality of animal feed stations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Domestic pork production has become a major industry in the United States, with a gradual change from small family-run businesses to large commercial operations. Commercialization offers several advantages including efficiency and cost effective production methods. However, for commercial production practices to remain economically feasible, piglets must be moved through production cycles as a unit that is, piglets must be weaned at the same time, and moved to grow-out pens at the same time.
In commercial pork operations, it is not uncommon for as many as 20% of the piglets born to be classified as runts on the basis of birth weight or their failure to thrive. Runts are a problem for the pork producer both because they carry disease and represent a loss of income for the producer. Ten percent of these piglets may die, and it is not uncommon for the pork producer to kill the others because of a lack of feasible alternatives to bring these runts up to a weight similar to that of their litter mates.
It is therefore desirable to provide a system which would deliver milk-feed or other supplemental diets to runts, thus allowing the piglets to gain weight and be reintroduced into the litter-group.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes and addresses the foregoing disadvantages, and others as prior art constructions and methods.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient method for the administration of supplemental feed to livestock, and an apparatus for accomplishing the same.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method for the administration to piglets of feed supplements, including powdered milk, vitamin and mineral supplements and growth supplements, among others, and an apparatus for accomplishing the same.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method for the administration of supplemental milk feed to piglets having improved sterility conditions, and an apparatus for accomplishing the same.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method for the administration to piglets of feed supplements, in which such supplements are administered at an unlimited rate, and an apparatus for accomplishing the same.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method for the administration to piglets of a feed supplement and an apparatus for accomplishing the same, such that the apparatus is self-cleaning and self-disinfecting.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a method for administering feed supplements, such as powdered milk, medicaments, growth supplements, mineral supplements, and vitamin supplements, among others, to domesticated animals. As used herein, domesticated animals include animals raised as livestock, such as piglets. The method includes an apparatus comprising individual feed stations, such that many piglets may feed simultaneously.
More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method for the delivery of feed to piglets and to an apparatus for accomplishing the same. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a method for the delivery of substantially unlimited amounts of milk and other supplemental feed through a plurality of feed stations. The apparatus allows for supplemental feeding of runts, such that the runts are provided with essentially unlimited amounts of milk or other supplemental feed. The supplemental feed provided by this method allows the runt piglets to gain weight at an increased rate, such that the runts can be reintroduced to their litter mates and complete the grow-out cycle.
The apparatus can be designated to be self-cleaning and can include a disinfecting system, such that at regular intervals the feeding station and feed trough can be rinsed with disinfecting solution. The feed trough and feed stations are subsequently rinsed with water prior to being refilled with supplemental feed.
One problem experienced in the past is that many prior art feeding systems can become dirty and contaminated. In particular, many prior art feeding devices are designed to rest on the ground, which unfortunately makes the feeding devices susceptible to being contaminated. For example, one particular problem experienced in these systems is that the animals have a tendency to step into the reservoirs where the feed is kept.
The feeding system of the present invention, on the other hand, is designed not only to make a feed supplement continuously available to the animals, but is also designed to prevent contamination of the feed supply. In this regard, the apparatus includes a feeding trough which is designed to be suspended above the ground so only the mouth of the animals has access to the feed.
For instance, the feed apparatus can include a trough having separated feeding stations that include a mechanism for varying the size of the feeding stations. By means of this mechanism, only the mouth and jaws of the piglet enter the food source, thus preventing contamination of the supplemental feed. For example, this mechanism can comprise a rod which fits into a series of alternating slots, such that the opening for the pig's head is increasingly enlarged. By means of this rod and slot mechanism, the opening for the piglets can be increased or decreased to prevent the entry of more than the mouth and jaw parts.
Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below.


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