The disclosure relates to an extended-range spray applicator, and methods of making and use thereof, for dosing vaccines and/or probiotics to avian animals at a distance.

The disclosure relates to a spray applicator system for accurately and precisely dosing liquid formulations, including vaccines and probiotic formulations, to caged avian animals. In particular, the disclosure relates to spray applicators, having improved acceptance by the avian animals, relative to more disruptive prior spray applicators. The disclosed automated caged spray applicator system is designed to attach to and function with automated poultry feeding systems, routinely used in poultry house settings.

A needleless injector which can selectively induce the immune response and a method for introducing DNA including a region coding for an antigen to selectively produce an antibody in a living body of a mammal by using the needleless injector are provided. Disclosed is a needleless injector for injecting a DNA solution into an injection target area without using any injection needles. The needleless injector includes an accommodating unit which accommodates the DNA solution, a predetermined ignition device; and a predetermined nozzle unit. A temperature of the predetermined combustion product, which is provided during the pressurization, changes to a neighborhood of ordinary temperature within 20 msec after a pressure, which is applied to the DNA solution on account of the combustion of the igniter powder, reaches an initial peak discharge force during a pressurization process for discharging the DNA solution.

A system and method for automatically delivering a substance to an animal including a positioning system that positions each animal singularly, a sensor that detects the location of a predetermined targeted area on the animal and an image processor. The system further includes a delivery device having a plurality of delivery outlets for delivering a substance to the targeted area. The sensor, image processor and delivery device are in communication with a computer processor. The sensor activates the image processor which takes at least one image of the animal positioned singularly. The image is communicated to the computer processor and analyzed. The computer processor activates the delivery outlet proximate the predetermined target area on the animal which delivers an effective dosage of substance to the predetermined targeted area.

The present invention is directed to a method of treating poultry hatchlings in a hatchling tray. The method comprises of providing a soft gel form capable of being dispensed through a spray nozzle, providing a spray dispensing apparatus, the apparatus being capable of delivering a predetermined volume of the gel as a plurality of small beadlets through a plurality of nozzles, placing the hatchling tray containing the hatchlings beneath the nozzles of the dispensing apparatus, dispensing the predetermined volume of the soft gel containing the therapeutic agent as small beadlets into the hatchling tray and allowing the hatchlings to consume the beadlets. The present invention is also directed to a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a therapeutic agent in a soft gel into a hatchling tray of poultry hatchlings.

A needle-free injector includes a housing, a cartridge positioned within the housing, and a plunger slidably coupled to and disposed within the chamber, a motor operatively coupled to the plunger, the motor operable to actuate the plunger in the chamber, and a controller operatively coupled to the motor. Methods of delivering an injectate using the needle-free injectors are provided. Methods of facilitating needle-free injection of a fluid using the needle-free injectors are also provided.

The application discloses a spray applicator system attachable to a poultry feeder for accurately and precisely dosing liquid formulations, including vaccines and probiotic formulations, to caged avian animals. The application discloses spray applicators, having improved acceptance by the avian animals, relative to more disruptive prior spray applicators. The disclosed automated caged spray applicator system is designed to attach to and function with automated poultry feeding systems, routinely used in poultry house settings.

A poultry treatment apparatus disclosed herein may include a tank forming a reservoir at ambient pressure and containing liquid. A pump may be in fluid communication with the tank, and the pump may be in fluid communication with a liquid intake of a first nozzle, and in fluid communication with a liquid intake of a second nozzle to supply liquid under pressure from the tank to the liquid intake of the first nozzle and to the liquid intake of the second nozzle. A compressor may be in fluid communication with an air intake of the first nozzle and with an air intake of the second nozzle to supply compressed air to the air intake of the first nozzle and to the air intake of the second nozzle. In various aspects, the combination of compressed air and liquid under pressure deliver spray from the first nozzle and deliver spray from the second nozzle at about the same flow rate of liquid with droplets of similar size.

Pellet delivery systems capable of reliably and precisely delivering pellets over a large area are disclosed. In some examples, the system can deliver one or more pellets in one delivery cycle using a slide chamber. In other examples, the system can deliver one or more pellets per delivery cycle using a rotating disk comprising one or more holes. In any of these examples, the system can eject the pellets using a projector and/or gravity. The pellet delivery system can, in various examples, be utilized in conjunction with a carrier such as an airborne, terrestrial or aquatic vehicle, or in other examples with a human or animal carrier. Examples of the disclosure are also directed to precise pellet delivery based on the location of the pellet deliver system, pellet delivery tracking, adjusting pellet delivery, and determining paths for efficient pellet delivery.

Poultry injection apparatus with rotating capture members and methods of using the same are described herein. Each injection apparatus may include one or more rotating capture members and an injection unit configured to move an injection needle between an injection position and a retracted position relative to the one or more capture members.