Method and apparatus are disclosed for feeding farm animals. The apparatus includes a movable feeding device mounted to a trolley which is in turn carried by a rail. The movable feeding device follows a path which includes a plurality of stalls, each of which has a farm animal therein. When the movable feeding device stops adjacent a stall, an animal is identified, and the dispensing of a pre-determined amount of food for that animal begins. If the animal moves its head away from the feeding bowl before the pre-determined amount has been dispensed, the movable feeding means waits a predetermined amount of time before moving to next stall. After an animal has completed its consumption of food, the movable feeding device automatically moves to an adjacent stall, only after predetermined time has elapsed, identifies another animal, and repeats the process. The trolley includes a drive wheel which engages the rail in a frictional manner. The amount of frictional force is adjustable to provide a safety feature should the movable feeding device encounter an obstacle in the barn.
The equipment comprises a hopper (1), vertically mobile by means of chain (2) along a column (3), which is in turn guided by means of rollers (5, 7, 8) on rails (4 and 6), so as to supply the feeding-troughs uniformly at the different levels.
An animal feeder comprising a movable cart having multiple bins for containing feed supplements. Respective augers are positioned in the bins to dispense the feed in response to control signals received from a preprogrammed microprocessor.
This system for feeding livestock is conceived to automatically identify the positions of the animals or of their stalls, and to automatically produce and dispense rations containing individualized feed mixtures programmable in relation with each particular animal and to readily adjust the rations according to the requirements of each animal. This livestock feeder system comprises an overhead guide track, a feed container suspended by a weighing scale from the guide track and divided into a plurality of compartments for different ingestible substances, conveyor screws to dispense and mix the substances and to produce and discharge the mixture, a programmable control unit to preset the different individualized rations, animal or stall position identifiers, and electric sensors to detect the positions and discharge the right ration at the right position for any particular animal.
The apparatus is adapted for a repetitive delivering of feeds to livestock set according to a predetermined configuration and where the animals are allowed to eat the feeds directly in the apparatus. The apparatus is suspended to an overhead rail extending above and in front of the animals. The apparatus comprises a receptacles consisting of a hopper for receiving fodder and may also comprise a container for receiving hay. The hopper is provided with a lateral opening for allowing the animals to eat directly therein and the container has wire screen walls for retaining hay while allowing livestock to eat the hay through meshes in the walls. When used together, the hopper and the container are moved in tandem and are supported over the ground by a carriage unit. The carriage unit comprises electrical motors and controlling equipment for regulating the movement of the apparatus along the overhead rail. The apparatus is used for supplying feeds in repetitive short quantities over few hours each day, thereby helping the digestion of the animals.
There is disclosed a computerized automatic feeder system for feeding individualized prescribed rations to cattle confined in successive individual stalls aligned along a set path. The system comprises an apparatus capable of moving to each stall successively and having appropriate devices for preparing, at each stall, an individualized ratio for the cattle head in that stall and delivering it to the animal. A computer is mounted on the apparatus for controlling the operations of moving the apparatus to the stalls and preparing and delivering the rations.
