A method of enhancing the growth of an animal is provided. The method includes causing the animal to ingest or absorb an effective amount of one or more Fe III complex compounds, including but not limited to Fe III complexes comprising ligands bound to the iron centre selected from amino acids or -hydroxy acids, o-hydroxy benzoic acids or pyridine-2-carboxylic acids, such as ferric quinate, ferric tyrosine, ferric DOPA and ferric phenylalanine. Compounds which are structural and/or functional variants, derivatives and/or analogs of the foregoing compounds, as further described herein are also disclosed. Methods for inhibiting, reducing, or preventing biofilm formation or buildup on a surface; the treatment of, inhibition of growth of, and inhibition of colonization by, bacteria, both in biological and non-biological environments; disinfecting surfaces, potentiating the effects of antibiotics and other anti-microbial agents, and increasing the sensitivity of bacteria and other microorganisms, to anti-microbial agents are also provided.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for monitoring poultry house egg production. The system of the present invention is comprised of the following: a. a conveyor for conveying poultry eggs; b. at least one laser sensor directed in direction of said conveyor for measuring distance of said conveyor's surface and poultry eggs conveyed thereupon; c. a computer coupled with said at least one lase sensor; wherein, number of poultry eggs passed through said conveyor at a given moment is determined by identifying and analyzing fluctuations in measured distance from said at least one laser sensor.

An egg grasp device is provided. Such a device includes a body and a plurality of elongated members extending from the body. The elongated members are interlaced to form a sheath capable of retaining an egg. The sheath has a distal end and a proximal end at which the elongated members are operably engaged with the body. The elongated members cooperate to define an opening at the distal end through which an egg is received when the elongated members engage and deflect about an egg such that the egg is seated within the sheath. Associated systems and methods are also provided.

The invention relates to a so-called stabilization method, consisting of completing the filling of traveling egg trays (8). In each of the successive trays, eggs taken from an available egg reservoir (16) are deposited in empty locations. This reservoir is made up of egg receiving cells that are movable along rows of cells in series. Depending on a filling state of the tray being treated identifying the distribution of the empty locations relative to the full locations, the reservoir is automatically configured in a configuration of egg-bearing cells complementary to said filling state of the tray in progress, so as to next transfer eggs between the reservoir and the tray in progress by correspondence between empty locations and full locations in the tray and the presence or absence of an egg-bearing cell in the reservoir.

The invention relates to a so-called stabilization method, consisting of completing the filling of traveling egg trays (8). In each of the successive trays, eggs taken from an available egg reservoir (16) are deposited in empty locations. This reservoir is made up of egg receiving cells that are movable along rows of cells in series. Depending on a filling state of the tray being treated identifying the distribution of the empty locations relative to the full locations, the reservoir is automatically configured in a configuration of egg-bearing cells complementary to said filling state of the tray in progress, so as to next transfer eggs between the reservoir and the tray in progress by correspondence between empty locations and full locations in the tray and the presence or absence of an egg-bearing cell in the reservoir.

An apparatus for washing shell eggs includes a washing unit and an egg conveyor extending in a longitudinal direction, and having a transverse direction. The longitudinal and transverse directions define a conveyor plane. Spray nozzles are arranged in the washing unit above the conveyor plane so that in a first step the eggs can be subjected to a liquid jet from a first liquid spray nozzle spraying in a first spray direction, and in a second step the eggs can be subjected to a liquid jet from a second liquid spray nozzle spraying in a second spray direction. The first and second spray nozzles are arranged on opposite sides of the egg when seen in the transverse direction and at a distance above the conveyor plane so that the liquid sprayed in the first and second spray directions hits the egg from opposite sides in a downwards angle.

An apparatus for receiving and transporting a stream of eggs, comprising, a conveyor for transporting eggs in a transport direction T, a releasing device connected with the conveyor, for releasing predetermined eggs away from the conveyor, separately, downwardly out of the stream, a guide for receiving and taking over such an egg from the releasing device and guiding it to an egg processing apparatus, and two driven star wheels placed substantially close to each other, with shafts perpendicular to T, and with opposite directions of rotation of the shafts, while upon rotation their blades along a part of the rotation path are placed over each other and transport the eggs substantially cupwise downwardly. In a suitable manner, with this apparatus, for example intact but dirty eggs can be released from a sorting stream and be received for further handling or processing.

Method and a device for the optical in ovo sex determination of fertilized and incubated birds' eggs. The method includes monitoring formation of at least one identifiable blood vessel, creating a hole in the shell of the egg, finding and irradiating the blood vessel with at least one laser beam source emitting an excitation wavelength, recording backscatter radiation of the irradiated blood vessel and evaluating backscatter radiation from recorded spectral intensity of fluorescence radiation in a spectral range redshifted to an excitation wavelength. Sex-specific properties of male and female blood are contained in the intensity and spectral profile of the recorded fluorescence radiation. where intensity levels for male blood has an evaluable value distinct from that of female blood. Further, determining the sex of the bird egg from difference values of the fluorescence intensity and displaying the sex determined for the embryo in the egg.

Method and a device for the optical in ovo sex determination of fertilized and incubated birds' eggs. The method includes monitoring formation of at least one identifiable blood vessel, creating a hole in the shell of the egg, finding and irradiating the blood vessel with at least one laser beam source emitting an excitation wavelength, recording backscatter radiation of the irradiated blood vessel and evaluating backscatter radiation from recorded spectral intensity of fluorescence radiation in a spectral range redshifted to an excitation wavelength. Sex-specific properties of male and female blood are contained in the intensity and spectral profile of the recorded fluorescence radiation. where intensity levels for male blood has an evaluable value distinct from that of female blood. Further, determining the sex of the bird egg from difference values of the fluorescence intensity and displaying the sex determined for the embryo in the egg.

The invention relates to a connected hatchery (1) comprising a plurality of devices (22, 23, 24, 25, 3, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 5, 62, 63, 64) for handling, processing or vaccinating eggs or chicks distributed along a production line, each of the devices being an automated device fitted with a programmable logic controller (231, 431, 451, 641) capable of producing at least one data stream (F23a, F23b, F23c, F23d, F43a, F43b, F43c, F43d, F43e, F43f, F45a, F45b, F45c, F45d, F45e, F64a, F64b, F64c, F64d) relating to the performance or operations of the said automated device, characterized in that it comprises a data centralizing and processing unit (7) arranged to collect the data streams produced by the programmable logic controllers of said automated devices in order to determine at least one performance indicator (I1, I2, I3) of the production line from one or more of said collected data streams and in order to transmit said performance indicator over a telecommunications network to a remote terminal.