GB2257010A

GB2257010A - Pig feeders.

Info

Publication number: GB2257010A
Application number: GB9208356A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Fisher
Original assignee: Trouw (UK) Ltd
Current assignee: Trouw (UK) Ltd
Priority date: 1991-04-20
Filing date: 1992-04-16
Publication date: 1993-01-06
Also published as: GB9108515D0; GB9208356D0

Abstract

A pig feeder provides feed and/or water to individual feeding stations 2 at pre-determined intervals using timer switches 18, 19 from a feed storage means 5 and a water supply means 15. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY The present invention relates to the feeding of pigs.

Pigs, once they have been weaned, are commonly reared in enclosures in which a number of pigs have access to a supply of food and water. One method which has been used to feed pigs involves the use of feeding devices in which several pigs have access to a trough into which feed is released from a hopper when the pigs wish to eat. In another type of feeder only a single pig can feed at a time. These are so-called single space ad libitum feeders. These feeders are discussed in a document issued by the Pig Unit of the National Agriculture Centre in the United Kingdom July 1989, which mentions their use for weaners. Weaners are young pigs which have been separated from their mother and which are being weaned from milk supplied by their mother on to a diet based on dry food, which may be in the form of specially formulated pellets or ground material (meal).The document mentioned above indicated that there were problems with the use of certain single space feeders in which the feed falls on to a ledge. These problems were wastage and a reduction in feed conversion efficiency. The use of such feeding devices for weaners was not recommended.

The document mentions another type of single space ad libitum feeder which has a flap operated by the nose of the pig and mentions the possibility of using such feeders for weaners. However there are problems in adjusting such devices so that excessive effort by the pig is not required to operate the feeder. If the pig finds such a feeder difficult to operate its food intake will be reduced.

The document describes feeders in which both solid food and water are dispensed into the same feed trough. However once the solid food is mixed with water it will be subject to spoilage unless the pig consumes the feed as soon as it is delivered. Pigs will avoid stale food.

The weaning of pigs is a difficult stage in the pig rearing process. Weaning can take place at ages ranging from 3 to 5 weeks and is a stressful time for the young pig, which may suffer from dehydration and/or diarrhoea. Great care is needed in feeding pigs at this stage to minimize adverse affects. There is a need for an improved method of feeding young pigs which will reduce the stresses to which they are subjected.

According to the present invention a pig feeder comprises: (a) a plurality of pig feeding stations, (b) a feed storage means for storing dry feed, (c) a feed transport means for transporting feed to the pig feeding stations, (d) a water supply means for transporting water to the pig feeding stations, and (e) control means for automatically actuating the feed storage means and the water supply means so as to supply feed and water to the pig feeding stations at pre-determined intervals throughout the day.

According to another aspect of the present invention a method of feeding pigs comprises carrying out the following steps at automatically controlled intervals throughout the day: (a) automatically dispensing a supply of solid particulate dry feed from a feed storage means to a plurality of individual feed stations, (b) automatically feeding a supply of water to said individual feed stations.

The automatic dispensing of the feed may be carried out by opening individual valves opening over the feed stations and allowing feed to fall through to the feed stations under gravity.

It is preferred, however, to provide means for positive transport of the feed from the feed storage means to the feed stations. This may be done by providing a plurality of compartments in the feed storage means corresponding to each feed station and providing a motor driven auger in communication on its upper side with the feed compartment and in communication on its lower side with the feed station. Feed will not pass through if the auger is stationary but is carried through when the auger is rotated. A single horizontal auger running in a tube underneath the feed compartments and above the feeding stations with openings into the feed compartments and over the feed stations is preferred.

The feeder is preferably provided with means for (e.g.

manually) adjusting the number of times feed is automatically dispensed and the duration of the dispensing step so that the frequency and amount of feeding can be adjusted to suit the age of the pig. It is also preferably provided with means for setting the feeder to dispense only dry feed or only water.

It is preferred to provide signalling means to signal to the pigs that feed is being dispensed from the feeder. This may take the form of an audible signal which sounds while the feed is being dispensed. Alternatively, or in addition, a light signal may be provided in the form of a lamp or lamps which are illuminated during the feed dispensing step.

A specific embodiment of a feeder according to the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective diagrammatic front view of a pig feed dispenser according to the invention, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective rear view of the pig feeder shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the pig feeder of Figures 1 and 2 from above with a top lid removed, and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective exploded view of part of the feeder showing some of the internal mechanisms.

The pig feeder comprises a feed trough (1) divided into a plurality of feeding stations (2) by fixed partitions (3). A feed storage means in the form of a hopper (4) is provided above the trough. The hopper is divided into compartments (5) corresponding to each feed station by inwardly sloping walls (6). The hopper (4) has a lid (7) to protect the contents of the hopper from contamination. A tube (8) containing a spiral auger (9) extends above the trough (1). The upper part of the tube passes through the compartments (5), and is provided with openings (10) from which the contencs of the compartments can pass into the tube. The lower part of the tube is provided with openings (11) corresponding to each feeding station through which feed can pass from the tube into the trough (1).The auger is driven by a geared shaded pole electric motor (12) which is contained in a component cabinet (13) at the end of the feeder.

A pipe (14) for the supply of water extends along the feeder above the trough (1). It is provided with perforations through which water can dribble into the feeding stations in trough (1) when water is supplied to pipe (14). Water can be supplied to the feeder through a connector (15). An electrically controlled valve (16) in component cabinet (13) controls the flow of water to pipe (14).

The component cabinet contains a timing device, indicated generally at (17) for controlling the electric motor and the water control valve. The interval between successive actuations of the motor can be varied by changing the setting of a first timer switch (18) on the top of the component cabinet. The time for which the motor runs (and thus drives the auger), and also the time for which the water control valve is open, is set by a second timer switch (19).

The component cabinet contains a buzzer (20) which is actuated by the timing circuitry for the same period of time as the motor and the water control valve.

The motor and the water control valve may be switched on or off independently of the timing control switches by a feed on/off switch (21) and a water on/off switch (22). The timing circuitry and switching arrangements are conventional and there is therefore no need to describe them in detail.

Mains power is supplied to the feeder to operate the motor, valve, and control circuitry through a conventional electric connector (23). The time switches (18) and (19) are provided with predetermined settings which can be selected by rotation of the switches. In the specific embodiment described above the first timer switch can be used to select 24, 12, 8 or 6 feeds per day, and the second timer switch can be used to actuate the motor for 2, 4, 6, 8 -- 10 seconds.

The sizes of the openings in the auger tube and the openings in the water pipe (14) are so selected that approximately equal amounts are dispensed when the motor is actuated and the valve opened for equal periods of time.

The size of the feeder will depend on the size of pigs to be fed. For young weaners the width of each feeding stations can be for example 138 mm. A 7 place piglet feeder may have an overall length of 1200 mm, a height of 450 mm, and a depth of 250 mm.

In use the hopper is filled with pelleted pig feed or with ground feed (meal), the water connector (15) is connected to a supply of water and the electricity connector (23) is connected to a supply of electricity.

The timer switches (18) and (19) are set to give the desired pattern of feed and water dispensing. When pigs are first weaned the switches may be set to dispense small quantities of feed at frequent intervals. As the pigs grow the switch settings may be set to give larger feeds at less frequent intervals. The water valve and motor on/off switches can be set so that the feeder dispenses only dry feed or only water if desired. This may be useful in accustoming the pigs to dry feed.

The buzzer (20) may be used to indicate to the pigs that food is available by sounding while the motor and valve are actuated.

The feeder described above was tested on piglets (young weaners). The supply of equal amounts of dry feed and water soon produced a mixture with a porridge-like consistency which the pigs found very acceptable and easy to consume.

Example 1 An experiment was carried out with 17 pigs using the apparatus described above. At the start of the test the pigs were 3 weeks old. The feed intakes and daily liveweight gain was measured. The results are given in Table 1.

Comparative Test A In a comparative test not according to the invention, 17 pigs of the same age group as those used in Example 1 were fed with a sta.=d trough feeder. The results are given in Table 1.

TABLE 1

Example 1 Test A Week 1 Feed intake (kg) 1.62 1.50 Daily liveweight gain (g) 290.00 280.00 Week 2 Feed intake (kg) 3.68 2.79 Daily liveweight gain (g) 474.00 394.00 Cumulative Feed intake (kg) 5.30 4.29 Weeks 1 & 2 Daily liveweight gain (g) 389.00 342.00 The comparison of the results for Example 1 and Comparative Test A demonstrates a 32% increase in feed intake over a 13 day period with a 20% improvement in daily liveweight gain when pigs are automatically fed with wet feed 24 times a day compared with a conventional trough system with feed offered ad libitum.

Example 2 An experiment was carried out using the feeder of Example 1 with 15 pigs which were 3 weeks old at the start of the trial. The piglets were selected for their light weight at weaning because such piglets are more susceptible to stress at weaning time. The results are shown in Table 2.

Comparative Test B This is a comparative test not according to the invention. The same number of piglets selected in the same way as for Example 2 were fed using a conventional ad libitum trough feeder. The results are shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2

Example 2 Test B Week 1 Feed intake (kg) 1.37 1.07 Week 1 Feed intake (kg) 1.37 1.07 Daily liveweight gain (g) 214.00 190.00 Week 2 Feed intake (kg) 2.23 1.90 Daily liveweight gain (g) 317.00 288.00 Cumulative Feed intake (kg) 3.60 2.97 Weeks 1 & 2 Daily liveweight gain (g) 262.00 235.00 A comparison of the results for Example 2 and Test B shows that feeding the piglets with wet feed 24 times per day in accordance with the invention gave a 21% increase in feed intake over a 13 day period and a 10% increase in liveweight gain compared with the piglets fed with the conventional system.

The feeder described above has only seven feeding stations.

However, the tests demonstrated that the feeder can be used to feed many more than seven pigs. The pigs did not all feed at one time but came to the feeder in small groups. As sufficient feed and water was dispensed at any one time to cater for the number of pigs in the pen it was found that they consumed it all during the time between one feed being dispensed and the next. The pigs readily consumed the feed. The feed stations were licked clean thus eliminating feed wastage almost completely.

Claims

Claims:

1. A pig feeder which comprises (a) a plurality of pig feeding stations, (b) a feed storage means for storing dry feed, (c) a feed transport means for transporting feed to the pig feeding stations, (d) a water supply means for transporting water to the pig feeding stations, and (e) control means for automatically actuating the feed storage means and the water supply means so as to supply feed and water to the pig feeding stations at pre-determined intervals throughout the day.

2. A pig feeder according to Claim 1 wherein the feed transport means comprises means for positive transport of the feed from the feed storage means to the feed stations.

3. A pig feeder according to Claim 2 wherein the feed storage means comprises a plurality of compartments corresponding to each feed station and a motor driven auger is provided in communication on its upper side with a feed compartment and on its lower side with a feed station.

4. A pig feeder according to Claim 3 wherein a single horizontal auger is provided running in a tube underneath the feed compartments and above the feeding stations.

5. A pig feeder according to any one of the preceding claims provided with a means for manually adjusting the number of times feed is automatically dispensed and the duration of the dispensing step.

6. A pig feeder according to any one of the preceding claims provided with means for setting the feeder to dispense only dry feed or only water.

7. A pig feeder according to any one of the preceding claims provided with a signalling means to signal to the pigs that feed is being dispensed from the feeder.

8. E method of feeding pigs which comprises carrying out the following steps at automatically controlled intervals throughout the day: (a) automatically dispensing a supply of solid particulate dry feed from a feed storage means to a plurality of individual feed stations, (b) automatically feeding a supply of water to said individual feed stations.