GB2156194A - Chicken feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Chicken feeding apparatus comprises a bottomless feed container (40) which is suspended above the annular trough of a feed platter (10) by pillars (51) which also support an annular cover (80). Within the trough of platter (10) is a ring (30) which is adjustable in height therein, and both the container (40) and the cover (80) can be adjusted in height above the platter (10) by inserting knobs (60) and (60') in different holes in the pillars (51). The platter (10) is fixed to a frame (20) beneath it, which frame has pairs of hooks in its opposite ends selectively engageable in holes in supports (90) to hold the apparatus at a chosen height above the ground. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Chicken feeding apparatus This invention relates to improved chicken feeding apparatus. The long experience ofthe Inventor in raising chickens and test reports issued by chicken raising research organisations lead to the conclusion that loss of chicken feed has close relation to the depth ofthefeeding platter Generally speaking, if the depth ofthe feeding platter is 6 cm, the feed loss rate will be 12%.At9cmdepthitwillbe7%,whileal2cmdepth will result in a 4% loss. Thus the deeper the platterthe less the loss.However, in orderto facilitate the picking of feed by young chickens the depth ofthefeeding platters available on the market is limited to the range 6to cm. Such a depth will give rise to a considerable wastage or loss of feed when the feed is picked out by chickens of medium size or larger. Causes of feed loss can be classified as follows: 1. Improper Management: This includes overfeed supply and insufficient suspension height ofthe feeding platter (a suspended bucket type of chicken feeder is usually used).

2. Human Factor: The feed outlet of a chicken feeder in general is too small, and this causesthefeed to pour outside the feeder easily.

3. Malfunction ofthe apparatus: If a suspended bucket is used, the feeding platter will be out of balance if the chain linking the suspended bucket and the platter beneath it is broken.

This will result in a serious loss of feed, especially during automatic feeding operations.

4. Feed being pushed aside by the chickens: As all chickens have the bad habit of scratching feed, feed is wasted if can do so. Based on reliable statistics, the average loss of feed is 500-800 grams for raising one meat chicken, 1-1.5 kgs for one mixed breed chicken, and 1.5-2.5 kgs for one pure breed chicken.

The defects of a suspension bucket type chicken feederfrequently used on poultry farms are: 1. Insufficient depth offeed platter (or feeding tank).

2. Small capacity and diameter offeed bucket, making it necessaryto add feed several times a day, thus wasting time and effort.

3. Unstable apparatus. It is easyforchickens to bump against a suspended bucket. This not only affects the chicken's desire for feed but causes feed loss.

4. Difficulty in adjusting the amount of feed delivered: The hanging chain of a suspended bucket has to be adjusted frequently to compensate for different fluidity characteristics and flow rate ofthe feed.

5. Serious feed pollution: The movements ofthe chickens in looking forfood and jumping will easily introduce dust, feathers and excrement into the feeding platter (orfeeding tank) thus not only polluting the feed but causing disease.

A primary object of this invention is to improve the structure of a feed platter thus preventing feed loss resulting from the undesirable habits of chickens.

Another object of this invention is to modify a chicken feeding apparatus so that it is easy to adjust the feed supply rate. Another object of this invention is to prevent feed from being polluted by dust, feathers or excrement, thus keeping feed in a clean and wholesome condition. Still another object of this invention is to make it easy to adjust the height or depth of different components of a chicken feeding apparatus without use of special tools, thus saving both time and effort. Yet another object of this invention is to simplify the assembly, disassembly, cleaning, fumigation, relocation and storage of a chicken feeding apparatus.

According to the present invention there is provided chicken feeding apparatus comprising a feed platter having an annularfeed trough surrounding a central dome, a ring supported above the bottom of the trough in a height-adjustable manner, a bottomless feed container supported over the dome in a heightadjustable manner, and an annular cover supported in a height-adjustable manner overthetrough and ring, the feed container and the cover being commonly supported by pillars extending upwardlyfrom the platter, said pillars being engageable at selected positions along their length by releasable fastening means adapted releasablyto secure the container and the covertothe pillars.

Said ring ispreferablysupported bya pluralityof small columns upstanding from the platter, each column having a head extending outwardly of the platterwhich is adapted to engage a selected groove in an associated ratchet provided on the inner periphery ofthe ring.

The ring preferably has a plurality of projections extending radially inwardly in circumferentially spaced relation from its inner periphery.

Each said pillar is preferably formed with holes spaced along its length which holes are joined by a longitudinal slot. An upper part of each pillar is preferably bifurcated by the slot which joins the holes in said upper part.

Each said releasable fastening means preferably comprises a knob having a shank comprising a leading end portion which is cylindrical and is formed with a transverse hole and a flattened or oblate rearward part.

A plurality oftubular, pillar-receiving sleeves are preferably secured in circumferentially spaced relation to the inner periphery ofthe cover, each sleeve being penetrated radially of the cover by a hole.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of chicken feeding apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a detail on an enlarged scale, Figure 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the lower part ofthe feed container and one of its supporting pillars, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the assembled apparatus.

Referring to Figures 1 and 4, a height-adjustable ring 30 is installed in the interior of a round feed platter 10 which is in the form of an annular trough surrounding a central, conical dome. Several small columns 11 project upward from the bottom of the platter 10, each having a radially-outwardly protruding head. The headtapersto a sharp edge which engages a respective ratchet-like set of grooves 31 (see Figure 2) on the inner circumferential surface ofthe adjustable ring 30, the ratchets 31 being spaced at uniform angular intervals. Bythis arrangement the adjustable ring 30 can be pulled up to a higher position above the trough ofthefeed platter 10.As most parts of the assembly except a bottom rack 20 and a supporting frame 90 are made of plastics material, the small columns 11, when their heads are pushed inwards by an upward movementofthe ratchets31,will be deflected from the groove currently occupied and will then spring back to engage another groove. Referring to Figure 2, in some cases the adjustable ring 30 may alternatively be turned manually clockwise orcounterclockwise in ordertotakethe heads ofthe small columns 11 out ofthe grooves ofthe ratchets 31 and then re-engage them with grooves art a higher position, pressing tightly due to the elasticity ofthe columns 11.Though it is a little less convenientto move the adjustable ring 30 to a lower position rather than a higher position, the advantage ofthe design described is still present since the former adjustment is not used as frequently as the latter. The height adjustment of said adjustable ring 30 is used to make it difficult for chickens to pickthe feed from the bottom ofthe round feed platter 10. To make each chicken pick feed in an orderly wayfrom the platter 10 and to preventfeedfrom being picked out sideways Tshaped ribs 32 are uniformly distributed around the inner circumference ofthe adjustable ring 30.

Referring to Figure 1, Figure 3 and Figure 4, a bottomless feed container 40 is located above the central conical dome of the round feed platter 10 by means of several supporting pillars 50 which have legs insertedtightly into holes 12 in the roundfeed platter 10. Each supporting pillar 50 is tightly fixed in a saddle 41 on the exterior of the bottomless feed container40 by inserting a metal pin 70 into a hole at the leading end of a knob 60 which has already been inserted through a selected hole 52 in a supporting pillar 50 and a hole 42 in the wall ofthe bottomless feed container40. Each pillar 50 has an upper series of holes 511 spaced along its length and is longitudinally divided by a slotjoining the holes 511 and bifurcating the upper portion ofthe pillar.Similarly holes 52 in a lower part ofthe pillar arejoined by a longitudinal slot.

The knobs 60 which supportthe container40 each have a cylindrical leading end 62 in which the transverse holeto receive the pin 70 is formed and a flattened rearward part 61 which, when the knob 60 is twisted after insertion in a selected hole 52 and the associated hole 42, will tend to expand the lower part ofthe pillar 50 and so firmly secure the knob in the pillar. The upper part of each pillar 50 having the holes 511 is inserted in an associated sleeve 81 (see Figure 1) fixed to the innersurface of an annular cover member 80. Knobs 60'similartothe knobs 60 are inserted through holes in the sleeves 81 and through selected holes 511 to hold the cover 80 at a desired, adjustable height above the platter 10, and are releasably held in place byfurther pins 70. Adjustment of the heightof the bottomless container40 above the platter 10 controls the outflow rate of feed into the platter 10. The cover 80 serves to prevent chickens getting onto the platter 10 and fouling the feed with feathers, dust and excrement. The cover 80 is adjusted to a suitable heightto ensure this while providing adequate access to the feed.

The platter 10 is fixed by the screws shown in Figure 1 two a metal rack 20 which has a lifting handle 22 at each end flanked by a pair of hooks 21. These are adapted to engage in selected holes in supportframes 90 on opposite sides ofthe apparatus, the frames 90 serving to keep the apparatus at a suitable height above the ground so that feed therein will be kept clean and dry.

Claims (8)

1. Chicken feeding apparatus comprising a feed platter having an annularfeed trough surrounding a central dome, a ring supported above the bottom of the trough in a height-adjustable manner, a bottom lessfeedcontainersupported overthe dome in a height-adjustable manner, and an annular cover supported in a height-adjustable manner overthe trough and ring, the feed container and the cover being commonly supported by pillars extending upwardly from the platter, said pillars being engageable at selected positions along their length by releasable fastening means adapted releasablyto secure the container and the coverto the pillars.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ring is supported buy a plurality of small columns upstanding from the platter, each column having a head extending outwardly ofthe platterwhich is adapted to engage a selected groove in an associated ratchet provided on the inner periphery ofthe ring.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either preceding claim, wherein the ring has a plurality of projections extending radially inwardly in circumferentially spaced relation from its inner periphery.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said pillar is formed with holes spaced along its length which holes are joined by a longitudinal slot.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein an upper part of each pillar is bifurcated by the slot which joins the holes in said upper part.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein each said releasable fastening meanscomprisesa knob havingashankcomprising a leading end portion which is cylindrical and is formed with a transverse hole and a flattened or oblate rearward part.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein a pluralityoftubular, pillar receiving sleeves are secured in circumferentially spaced relation to the inner periphery ofthe cover, each sleeve being penetrated radially ofthe cover by a hole.

8. Chicken feeding apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.