GB2242341A - Mobile free-range feeding station - Google Patents

Abstract

A feeding station adapted for use by pigs or other animals comprises a feed-containing shed 11 sandwiched between two kennels 12 and 13; the shed, and each kennel incorporating openings 17 for entry and exit of the animals, which openings span the respective interfaces between the shed and each of the kennels and the station being mounted on skids or other means facilitating its movement from one location to another in the field when in use. <IMAGE>

Description

FREE-RANGE FEEDING STATION Field of the Invention The invention relates to feeding stations, and is specifically concerned with feeding stations adapted for use by pigs or similarly large-sized and conventionally field-penned ruminant animals.

Review of the Art Pigs have been conventionally reared in intensive factory-farming conditions. In recent years there has been a move away from factory-farming, in tandem with the rising "green consciousness", and in the light of the much publicised problems of the factoryfarming industry. Major supermarket chains anxious to promote a "green image" are anxious to promote sales of pork in the same way as they have successfully promoted "free range eggs".

Farmers have, therefore, attempted to move away from reliance on a purely shed-based factory-farming approach by having the sucklings conceived and weaned in "free-range conditions".

Here, the pigs are allowed to roam relatively freely within field boundaries on marginal land and are conventionally given little huts to sleep in.

However, this did not satisfy the "green demand" of the major supermarkets, because after a pig is weaned, about 3r weeks old, it is subsequently then taken back into a factory-farming shedded environment.

One purpose of this invention is therefore to satisfy the "green consciousness" by allowing pigs to lead a free-range life "from conception to consumer".

Summary of the Invention A feeding station adapted for use by pigs or similarly largesized and conventionally field-penned ruminant animals; the station comprising a feed-containing shed sandwiched between two kennels; the shed, and each kennel, incorporating openings for entry and exit of the animals, which openings span the respective interfaces between the shed and each of the kennels to pierce the preferably substantially enclosed walls of the station; and the station being mounted on skids or other means facilitating its movement from one location to another in the field when in use.

Preferably the shed is substantially enclosed from above as well as having the preferred substantially enclosed walls.

Preferably also the feed-disgorging areas within the shed are supplied from one or more replenishable master reservoirs - for example a feed hopper and/or a water tank - to which access can be gained by the animals' supervisor when necessary.

The shed, and/or one or both kennels, may incorporate perforated - for example, slatted - floor regions. This could prove advantageous if, for instance, such regions were to be incorporated as part of the shed floor adjacent each entry/exit opening, enabling waste to percolate down through the floor and inhibiting vermin from feeding and breeding on the floor itself (and amongst any feedstuff spilled from the feed-disgorging areas).

In any such instance, the perforated floor region preferably extends over only part of the shed floor area, and that area of the floor below and adjacent the trough or other feeddisgorging means is substantially imperforate; so as to tend to retain any tood spillage, for subsequent consumption and/or disposal, rather than allow it to fall to waste.

In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, to be described now with reference to the accompanying drawings, the shed floor can be perforated but is preferably entirely " har d-standing " ; and waste is carried away by drainage channelling. These and other features of the embodiment are illustrated in the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a general overall perspective view of the station; Figure 2 shows the station in more detail, drawn to an enlarged scale, and in elevation; and Figure 3 is a plan view corresponding to the elevation of Figure 2.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment A feeding station, adapted for use by pigs or similarly largesized and conventionally field-penned ruminant animals, comprises a feed-containing shed 11 (Figure 1) sandwiched between two kennels 12 and 13. Each of the kennels 12 and 13 is an essentially semi-cylindrical corrugated sheet building incorporating respective semi-circular end walls 14 which effectively close off the kennel.

The shed itself has side walls and end walls 15, 16 respectively, and these interface with the kennel end walls 14 in such a way as to define a station with substantially enclosed walls.

We say "substantially", however, in that latter context because as the drawings show, there are openings 17 incorporated into the station which span the respective interfaces between the shed side wall 15 and the kennel end walls 14 to pierce the otherwise enclosed walls of the station. These openings are big enough to allow entry and exit of the animals when the station is in use in the field.

The feed-containing shed 11 has a curved roof 18 which substantially encloses the shed from above. Beneath this roof there is housed a feed hopper 19 (Figure 2) and an insulated water header tank 21. These are replenishable, by the animals' supervisor or stock man, and each of them represents a master reservoir feeding a row of back-to-back hoppers 22 incorporating troughs and drinkers.

The hoppers 22 are mounted, inside the shed, on raised solid floors 23. These floors 23 are effectively extended to define the overall shed floor area by slatted regions 24 which are positioned adjacent the openings 17.

The slatted regions 24 of the shed floor allow waste to percoIate down through to the ground rather than being retained on the floor surface itself. The solid floor regions 23 for their part, and conversely, retain food spillage from the hopper troughs 22, so that this can be either consumed or cleaned away rather than being wasted. Although this is the construction illustrated, it is currently thought that the slatted areas 24 would be better being replaced by solid areas and with waste carried away by drainage channelling. This modification can readily be made by the intended skilled addressee of this patent specification.

The kennels 12 and 13 are deep-straw kennels and need not necessarily have any defined floor region as such.

Doors 25 are provided in the back wall of the shed 11 to give the stock man access to the feeding areas within the shed.

PVC strips hang vertically across the defined openings 17, as illustrated specifically in Figure 3, so that the pigs or other animals can easily push them aside to enter and leave the feeding areas and the kennels; whilst at the same time the PVC strips function effectively as doors when the pigs are inside at night, rather than leaving the openings 17 entirely open to the night air.

The entire station - shed and both kennels - is assembled as an ultimately integral unit and is mounted on a total of six skids. These are shown in Figures 2 and 3 and all carry the common reference numeral 26. They are so spaced as to facilitate the movement of the station from one location to another in the field. This allows the station to be towed to (for example) a central cleaning area, if necessary away from the field, and also allows areas of ground to regenerate as the station is moved away from them after a given limited period of use in those areas.

The station could be used indoors to feed pigs and in such an environment need not necessarily have a roof or side cladding.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS:

1. A feeding station adapted for use by pigs or similarly largesized and conventionally field-penned ruminant animals; the station comprising a feed-containing shed sandwiched between two kennels; the shed, and each kennel incorporating openings for entry and exit of the animals, which openings span the respective interfaces between the shed and each of the kennels to pierce the preferably substantially enclosed walls of the station; and the station being mounted on skids or other means facilitating its movement from one location to another in the field when in use.

2. A feeding station according to Claim 1 in which the shed is substantially enclosed from above as well as having the preferred substantially enclosed walls.

3. A feeding station according to Claim 2 in which the feeddisgorging areas within the shed are supplied from one or more replenishable master reservoirs - for example a feed hopper and/or a water tank - to which access can be gained by the animals' supervisor when necessary.

4. A feeding station according to Claim 3 in which the shed, and/or one or both kennels, incorporate perforated - for example, slatted - floor regions.

5. A feeding station according to Claim 4 in which the perforated floor region extends over only part of the shed floor area, and that area of the floor below and adjacent the trough or other feeddisgorging means is substantially imperforate.

6. A feeding station substantially as described herein and with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.