An enhanced bird activity station that is more attractive to birds than conventional designs. The bird activity station is provided with a surface that is configured to horizontally polarize any light reflected by the surface. The bird activity station may be a bird feeder with a housing for containing bird food and a platform mounted to the housing. The platform forms the substrate that horizontally polarized the light reflected by the surface and is made from a transparent polymer and a layer of dark paint applied to an opposing side of the substrate from the housing. The bird activity station may also be a bird bath formed from a bowl having a layer of dark paint applied thereto so that any water placed in the bowl will cooperate with the layer of dark paint to horizontally polarize any light reflected by the surface.

An enhanced bird activity station that is more attractive to birds than conventional designs. The bird activity station is provided with a surface that is configured to horizontally polarize any light reflected by the surface. The bird activity station may be a bird feeder with a housing for containing bird food and a platform mounted to the housing. The platform forms the substrate that horizontally polarized the light reflected by the surface and is made from a transparent polymer and a layer of dark paint applied to an opposing side of the substrate from the housing. The bird activity station may also be a bird bath formed from a bowl having a layer of dark paint applied thereto so that any water placed in the bowl will cooperate with the layer of dark paint to horizontally polarize any light reflected by the surface.

An apparatus, systems, and methods of providing enrichment to poultry during raising or maintaining of the poultry. One or more light sources project beams to generate laser spots at and around the poultry. A control regimen moves the light spots relative the poultry in generally random fashion during timed sessions for each given time period (e.g. each day). The spot movement is designed to promote benefits to poultry and producer in correlation to experimental data related to animal welfare, health, and commercial value.

Consumable feed products and vegetation are delivered to animals using a single container in which the container holds the feed product and is used to deliver the feed and which includes ungerminated seeds embedded in the container body. The seeds are caused to germinate and produce vegetation from the container body, and the germinated seeds and/or vegetation is fed to the animal. Multiple containers may be used simultaneously so that while the consumable feed product from one container is used to feed an animal, another container may be used to grow vegetation or deliver vegetation to the animal. Confined birds such as poultry and chicks may benefit from ingesting feed and vegetation produced from such containers.

Consumable feed products and vegetation are delivered to animals using a single container in which the container holds the feed product and is used to deliver the feed and which includes ungerminated seeds embedded in the container body. The seeds are caused to germinate and produce vegetation from the container body, and the germinated seeds and/or vegetation is fed to the animal. Multiple containers may be used simultaneously so that while the consumable feed product from one container is used to feed an animal, another container may be used to grow vegetation or deliver vegetation to the animal. Confined birds such as poultry and chicks may benefit from ingesting feed and vegetation produced from such containers.

An apparatus, systems, and methods of providing enrichment to poultry during raising or maintaining of the poultry. One or more light sources project beams to generate laser spots at and around the poultry. A control regimen moves the light spots relative the poultry in generally random fashion during timed sessions for each given time period (e.g. each day). The spot movement is designed to promote benefits to poultry and producer in correlation to experimental data related to animal welfare, health, and commercial value.

This invention relates generally to a process of using Arkansas net energy formulations of feed ingredients for broiler production. In calculating energy requirements, the invention accounts for the heat generated due to maintaining body composition as well as the energy accretion from gain. The process is configured be incorporated into and utilized by a system for formulating feed rations.

This invention relates generally to a process of using Arkansas net energy formulations of feed ingredients for broiler production. In calculating energy requirements, the invention accounts for the heat generated due to maintaining body composition as well as the energy accretion from gain. The process is configured be incorporated into and utilized by a system for formulating feed rations.

The present invention relates to a hatcher basket for holding newly hatched birds in an incubator. The basket has: —a pair of side walls on horizontally opposite sides having a plurality of horizontally-extending openings through them; —a horizontally-extending trough which is attached to the exterior of each side wall and which can contain feed for the newly hatched birds; —the bottom of each opening in each side wall being located at the same distance above the bottom of the side wall; —the top of each trough being located at this same distance above the bottom of its side wall; and —the size of each opening being significantly larger than the head of the newly hatched birds but significantly smaller than the thorax of the newly hatched birds.

A hummingbird feeder for feeding hummingbirds which can utilize recyclable containers and bottles. The hummingbird feeder can include a reservoir that has a cavity and a flange along a periphery of the cavity and a feed plate is coupled to the reservoir. The feed plate has a central hole. An adapter that has a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion is sealably coupled to the central hole of the feed plate and the top portion can sealably fit into a mouth of a container. The sleeve has a broad open top and a narrow bottom opening, wherein the bottom opening is configured to receive the top portion of the adapter, the sleeve configured to encase the container.