An aviary apparatus for rearing laying hens, which comprises mutually laterally adjacent multistory rearing batteries, each one of the batteries comprising at least one lower stop surface and one upper stop surface, with areas on which the poultry can walk between the batteries and laterally to the outermost batteries. The lower stop surfaces and upper stop surfaces comprise corresponding conveyor belts for eggs and feces, the walkable areas comprising inclined floors which are arranged descending toward a contiguous conveyor belt of a lower stop surface of a corresponding battery.

A laying nest is provided with an improved ejection system, in which the risk of expelling eggs together with the hens is suppressed. The floor of the laying nest can rotate in both directions. Thanks to this arrangement, at first it can be rotated in a first direction for inclining it towards the egg collection area and ensuring that all the laid eggs are removed; next, it can be rotated in a second, opposite direction for inclining it towards the hen coop and thus expelling the hens from the laying nest. In a preferred embodiment, the driving arrangement of the ejection system of the laying nest is entirely arranged below the floor of the laying nest, so as to not occupy room in the laying nest and to be protected from manures and dirt that may be present in the laying nest.

An at least partially floorless semirigid poultry enclosure configured to flex and/or adjust to accommodate undulating terrain during movement across a field. The semirigid poultry enclosure may comprise a semirigid foundation. The semirigid foundation may include one or more flexible joints disposed between two or more rigid structural elements. The semirigid poultry enclosure may include multiple wall barriers coupled to the semirigid foundation. The semirigid poultry enclosure may include a roof barrier coupled to one or more of the multiple wall barriers and/or the semirigid foundation. Multiple wheels may be coupled to the semirigid foundation to facilitate movement of the semirigid poultry enclosure, wherein poultry within the semirigid poultry enclosure have access to the field from within the enclosure.

A plastic member for a feeding system for poultry production is provided. The plastic member includes an outer surface and may be configured for attracting pullets to a specific area. The plastic member may be adapted for application in a feeding system and/or a drinking system. The plastic member may include shining particles configured with reflective characteristic of reflecting incident light in one or more directions. Also provided is a use of the plastic member in nutrition systems and elements herefore.

The invention relates to a rack (10) for receiving fattening poultry cages, (20) comprising: a frame structure (12), a plurality of levels (14) for receiving a plurality of fattening poultry cages (20), and a plurality of conveying means (16) associated with each of the levels (14). The means of conveyance (16) are arranged in such a way that they transport the cages (20) located in the rack (10) within the respective level (14) to and/or away from a unloading point (30). Further, the invention relates to a fattening poultry cage (20) for arrangement in such a rack (10). Finally, the invention relates to a system of racks (10) and cages (20) according to the invention. The system may comprise an industrial truck (22) with lifting means for removing cages (20) from or feeding cages into the rack (10), the lifting means comprising a plurality of fork carriages (24) arranged vertically one above the other and movable in a vertical direction relative to one another.

A poultry nesting system has a nest house with an adjacent platform raised above the surface of the surrounding substrate. The platform has an upper surface and at least a portion of a perimeter of the platform comprises a wire mesh covering a space between the substrate and the upper surface. The wire mesh is formed by a plurality of strands including an upper strand and a lower strand. At least a portion of the upper surface of the platform is supported by a plurality of platform floor supports positioned on a perimeter of the platform. Each of the plurality of platform floor supports includes a bracing member, an upper cap on an upper end of the bracing member and a lower cap on a lower end of the bracing member. The upper cap has an attachment mechanism on an upper portion thereof configured to interact with the upper surface to lock the platform floor support to the upper surface of the platform such that the platform floor support supports the upper surface in its raised position above the substrate. The upper cap has an upper catch configured to interact with the wire mesh and hold the wire mesh in place, wherein the upper catch forms an upward-facing valley for receiving the upper strand. The lower cap has a lower catch configured to interact with the wire mesh and hold the wire mesh in place, wherein the lower catch forms a downward-facing arch for receiving the lower strand. A length of a travel space under the downward-facing arch of the lower catch is greater that a length of a travel space in the upward-facing valley of the upper catch.

A bird nest box system is provided that includes a nesting enclosure, a moveable nest floor, and a floor movement mechanism that moves the nest floor between a lowered position and a raised position, the nest floor being mounted over the floor movement mechanism. The floor movement mechanism includes a driveshaft, a gear assembly coupled to the driveshaft and actuatable by rotation of the driveshaft, and a lift arm. The lift arm is actuatable by the gear assembly to rotate the nest floor toward a front opening of the nest enclosure. The gear assembly provides at least one gear reduction between the driveshaft and the lift arm.

A poultry nesting system has a nest house with an adjacent platform raised above the surface of the surrounding substrate. The platform has an upper surface and at least a portion of a perimeter of the platform comprises a wire mesh covering a space between the substrate and the upper surface. The wire mesh is formed by a plurality of strands including an upper strand and a lower strand. At least a portion of the upper surface of the platform is supported by a plurality of platform floor supports positioned on a perimeter of the platform. Each of the plurality of platform floor supports includes a bracing member, an upper cap on an upper end of the bracing member and a lower cap on a lower end of the bracing member. The upper cap has an attachment mechanism on an upper portion thereof configured to interact with the upper surface to lock the platform floor support to the upper surface of the platform such that the platform floor support supports the upper surface in its raised position above the substrate. The upper cap has an upper catch configured to interact with the wire mesh and hold the wire mesh in place, wherein the he upper catch forms an upward-facing valley for receiving the upper strand. The lower cap has a lower catch configured to interact with the wire mesh and hold the wire mesh in place, wherein the lower catch forms a downward-facing arch for receiving the lower strand. A length of a travel space under the downward-facing arch of the lower catch is greater that a length of a travel space in the upward-facing valley of the upper catch.

An at least partially floorless semirigid poultry enclosure configured to flex and/or adjust to accommodate undulating terrain during movement across a field. The semirigid poultry enclosure may comprise a semirigid foundation. The semirigid foundation may include one or more flexible joints disposed between two or more rigid structural elements. The semirigid poultry enclosure may include multiple wall barriers coupled to the semirigid foundation. The semirigid poultry enclosure may include a roof barrier coupled to one or more of the multiple wall barriers and/or the semirigid foundation. Multiple wheels may be coupled to the semirigid foundation to facilitate movement of the semirigid poultry enclosure, wherein poultry within the semirigid poultry enclosure have access to the field from within the enclosure.

A free grazing egg harvester device comprises: a plurality of solar panel; a communication antenna; a front access door; a plurality of roll away nest boxes; a side access door; a plurality of nest gates; a water reservoir; a plurality of water nozzles; a plurality of wheels; and a plurality of roosts. An actuator is provided to open and close the plurality of nest gates. The actuator has a piston that further has an extension rod. The extension rod has two arms that push/pull the plurality of nest gates by extending and contracting the extension rod. The device has many advantages like reduction in fixed infrastructure investments, mobile nests for production of free grazing eggs, energy autonomy, storage and filtration of rainwater, real-time remote data transmission is available in any type of communication device.