DEVICE AND METHOD FOR HANDLING POULTRY ANIMALS

Abstract

A handling device for poultry animals, in particular for supporting manual handling of poultry animals, is disclosed, along with a method for handling poultry animals, in particular manually, and the use of the handling device. The handling device includes a guide rail, extending between a first end and a second end, with two guide legs, and a poultry animal support for placing the breast area of a poultry animal thereon.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A handling device for poultry animals for assisting manual handling of poultry animals, comprising: a guide rail extending between a first end and a second end, with two guide legs; and a poultry animal support for placing the breast area of a poultry animal thereon.

17. The handling device according to claim 16, wherein the handling device is free of transport devices for the fully or partially automatic transport of poultry animals through the handling device from the first end to the second end, into the handling device, and/or out of the handling device.

18. The handling device according to claim 16, wherein an activation mechanism is adapted to initiate a sequence of distance changes between the guide rail and the poultry animal support in dependence of a sensor signal.

19. The handling device according to claim 18, wherein: the activation mechanism is adapted to increase a distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support from a functional position to a release position in the vertical direction; and the activation mechanism has a sensor and is adapted to initiate the increase and/or decrease of the distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support in dependence of the sensor signal.

20. The handling device according to claim 16, wherein: a distance between the first end and the second end is at most 1.50 m; a base area of the handling device is 1.80 m1.00 m; and/or a vertical height of the handling device off a supporting surface and measured at the first end and/or of the second end is at least 0.60 m and at most 1.20 m.

21. The handling device according to claim 18, wherein: the activation mechanism is adapted to reduce a distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support from an insertion position to the functional position; and/or the activation mechanism is adapted to reduce the distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support from a release position to the functional position and/or to the insertion position.

22. The handling device according to claim 18, wherein the handling device has a first functional device and a second functional device.

23. The handling device according to claim 22, wherein the activation mechanism is adapted in dependence of the sensor signal to initiate at least one change in distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support and to activate at least the first and/or the second functional device.

24. The handling device according to claim 22, wherein: the handling device, the first functional device, and/or the second functional device comprise a substance provision device; and the first functional device, second functional device, and/or the substance provision device comprise a modular exchange unit.

25. The handling device according to claim 24, wherein the modular exchange unit comprises a disposable unit.

26. The handling device according to claim 16, wherein: the guide rail is aligned essentially horizontally; or the two guide legs are arranged opposite one another; a poultry animal holder is formed between the two guide legs; the poultry animal support is shaped to be ergonomic for poultry animals, has a recess therein, and/or has a breast stop; the poultry animal support is arranged so as to be movable relative to the guide rail, wherein the poultry animal support is arranged so as to be movable exclusively in the vertical direction relative to the guide rail; the guide legs are widened, flattened, and/or rounded at a first end of the guide rail; the guide legs have a stop at a second end of the guide rail; a flexible hold-down device is arranged between the guide legs and/or in the poultry animal holder; the handling device has a mobile chassis, and further comprises a chassis with rollers; and/or a structure is provided for a wing vaccination, which has a drive mechanism which is designed to move a needle forwards and backwards, in particular within a horizontally aligned plane.

27. The handling device according to claim 22, wherein the first functional device comprises a needle arrangement that is adjustable in height and comprises at least two needle generators comprising one, two, or more needles, the needle generators being arranged symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis and/or being arranged at an angle between 15 degrees and 25 degrees with respect to the vertical and/or a vertical plane encompassing the longitudinal axis.

28. The handling device according to claim 22, wherein: the second functional device has a needle which is arranged essentially horizontally, the needle being arranged on one of the two guide legs; and/or the needle is arranged to puncture the skin of a poultry animal placed on the poultry animal support in the region of the inside of the wing; and/or the needle is arranged above a flexible hold-down device.

29. A method for handling of poultry animals in a handling device comprising: a guide rail extending between a first end and a second end, with two guide legs; and a poultry animal support for placing the breast area of a poultry animal thereon; the method comprising the steps of: inserting a poultry animal between the two guide legs of the guide rail and placing the breast area of the poultry animal on a poultry animal support; and increasing a distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support from a functional position to a release position in the vertical direction by means of an activation mechanism.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein when the poultry animal is inserted between two guide legs of the guide rail, the distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support corresponds to an insertion position, and the distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support is reduced from the insertion position to a functional position after the poultry animal has been inserted in dependence of a sensor signal; wherein the method further comprises the step of: activating at least a first functional device and/or a second functional device before the distance between the guide rail and the poultry animal support is increased from the functional position to the release position.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of exchanging the first functional device, the second functional device, and/or a substance provision device after handling a plurality of poultry animals treated in a poultry house population or a poultry house subpopulation as a modular exchange unit.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the modular exchange unit comprises a disposable unit.

33. Use of a handling device, the device comprising a handling device for poultry animals for assisting manual handling of poultry animals, comprising: a guide rail extending between a first end and a second end, with two guide legs; and a poultry animal support for placing the breast area of a poultry animal thereon for handling poultry animals, in or in front of a poultry house and/or in a method according to at least one of the preceding two claims.

34. The use of the method of claim 30.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Preferred embodiments are described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures. They show:

[0050] FIG. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional representation of an exemplary handling device;

[0051] FIG. 2 is a side view of the handling device according to FIG. 1 in an insertion position;

[0052] FIG. 3 is a front view of the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the insertion position;

[0053] FIG. 4 is a side view of the handling device according to FIG. 1 in a functional position with the functional devices retracted;

[0054] FIG. 5 is a front view of the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the functional position with the functional devices retracted;

[0055] FIG. 6 is a side view of the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the functional position with the functional devices extended;

[0056] FIG. 7 is a front view of the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the functional position with the functional devices extended;

[0057] FIG. 8 is a side view of the handling device according to FIG. 1 in a release position;

[0058] FIG. 9 is a front view of the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the release position;

[0059] FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of an exemplary method for, in particular manual, handling of poultry animals; and

[0060] FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of a set-up for a wing vaccination.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0061] FIG. 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional representation of an exemplary handling device 1. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the insertion position P0, FIGS. 4 and 5 show the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the functional position P1 with the functional devices 410, 420 retracted, FIGS. 6 and 7 show the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the functional position P1 with the functional devices 410, 420 extended, and FIGS. 8 and 9 show the handling device according to FIG. 1 in the release position P2. FIG. 10 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary method for, in particular manual, handling of poultry animals.

[0062] In the Figures, identical or essentially functionally identical elements are marked with the same reference numerals. General descriptions generally refer to all embodiments, unless differences are explicitly stated.

[0063] Handling device 1 comprises a guide rail 100 extending between a first end 101 and a second end 102 with two guide legs 110 and a poultry animal support 200 for placing the breast area of a poultry animal thereon.

[0064] The guide rail 100 is essentially horizontal and the two guide legs 110 are arranged opposite each other. A poultry animal holder 120 is formed between the two guide legs 110. The guide legs 110 are widened and/or flattened and rounded at a first end 101 of the guide rail 100.

[0065] The handling device 1 is free of transport devices for the, in particular fully or partially automatic, transport of poultry animals through the handling device 1, in particular from the first end 101 to the second end 102 and/or into the handling device 1 and/or out of the handling device 1.

[0066] A user grasps a poultry animal and the wings and inserts it between the guide legs 110 from the first end 101 into the handling device 1, so that the breast area of the poultry animal comes to rest in a recess 210 on the ergonomically shaped poultry animal support 200. The poultry animal is inserted until the user's hand reaches the stop 301 at the second end 102 of the guide rails 110 and the breastbone of the poultry animal rests against the breast stop 211.

[0067] The poultry animal support 200 is arranged to be movable in the vertical direction, in particular exclusively in the vertical direction, relative to the guide rail 100. The handling device 1 also has an activation mechanism 300, which is designed to change a distance between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200, in particular in the vertical direction. The activation mechanism 300 is in particular designed to initiate a sequence of distance changes between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200.

[0068] The activation mechanism 300 is designed to reduce the distance between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200 from an insertion position P0 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) to a functional position P1 (shown in FIGS. 4 to 7) and then to increase it to a release position P2 (shown in FIGS. 8 and 9). Since the distance in the release position P2 is greater than in the insertion position P0, the activation mechanism 300 can reduce the distance from the release position P2 back to the insertion position P0 after the poultry animal has been released to make the handling device 1 ready for the insertion of the next poultry animal.

[0069] The activation mechanism 300 has a sensor 302 and is designed to initiate the increase and/or decrease of the distance between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200 in dependence of the sensor signal. The sensor 302 is preferably arranged and designed to detect the position of a user's hand at the stop 301 and/or the position of a poultry animal at the breast stop 211 and preferably then to generate a sensor signal, in particular to reduce the distance between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200 from an insertion position P0 to the functional position P1.

[0070] The handling device 1 further comprises a first functional device 410 and preferably a second functional device 420. Furthermore, the handling device 1 may comprise a substance provision device, which may in particular be configured to provide one or more substances to the first functional device 410 and/or a second functional device 420.

[0071] The activation mechanism 300 is preferably designed, in particular in dependence of the sensor signal, not only to initiate the at least one change in distance between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200, but also to activate at least the first functional device 410.

[0072] The first functional device 410 comprises a height-adjustable needle arrangement 411, which comprises two needle generators, each for one, two, or more needles. The needle generators are preferably arranged symmetrically to a longitudinal axis and arranged at an angle to the vertical.

[0073] The second functional device 420 has a substantially horizontally arranged needle 421, wherein the needle 421 is arranged on the guide rail 100, in particular on one of the two guide legs 110. The needle 421 is arranged to puncture the skin of a poultry animal placed on poultry animal support 200, in particular in the area of the inside of the wing.

[0074] The first functional device 410 and/or the second functional device 420 and/or the substance provision device is/are preferably designed as a modular exchange unit, in particular a disposable unit. This has the advantage that after vaccination of a (partial) population of poultry animals these units can be exchanged in order to meet hygiene, safety, and health requirements and in particular to counteract the spread of diseases.

[0075] The handling device 1 further comprises a mobile chassis 20 with four rollers 21. The poultry animal support 200 as well as the first functional device 410 to be described and the activation mechanism 300 also to be described are arranged within the chassis, in particular laterally within the chassis and not protruding laterally.

[0076] The handling device 1 is preferably used in the exemplary method 1000 shown schematically in FIG. 10 for, in particular manual, handling of poultry animals. For this purpose, in a first step 1001, a poultry animal is inserted in the insertion position P0 of the handling device 1 between two guide legs 110 of the guide rail 100 and the breast region of the poultry animal is placed on a poultry animal support 200. When the user's hand reaches the stop 301 and/or when the poultry animal reaches the breastbone stop 211, the sensor 302 sends a signal in step 1002 and the activation mechanism 300 reduces the distance between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200 from the insertion position P0 to the functional position P1 and preferably also activates the first and second functional devices 410, 420.

[0077] Subsequently, in step 1003, the distance between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200 is increased from the functional position P1 to the release position P2 by means of the activation mechanism 300 and the poultry animal is released.

[0078] Subsequently, in step 1004, the distance between the guide rail 100 and the poultry animal support 200 is reduced from the release position P2 back to the insertion position P0 by means of the activation mechanism 300 and the handling device 1 is ready for the insertion of the next poultry animal in a repetition of step 1001. To trigger step 1004, a light barrier can preferably be used as a sensor.

[0079] After handling a plurality of poultry animals, in particular a poultry house population or a poultry house subpopulation, the first functional device 410 and/or the second functional device 420 and/or the substance provision device(s) can be exchanged in a step 1005, preferably as a modular exchange unit, in particular disposable unit(s).

[0080] FIG. 11 shows a structure 500 for the handling device for poultry animals as described here. The structure 500 can in particular be integrated into the handling device and/or arranged next to the handling device. The structure 500 is a structure for a wing vaccination, for example a smallpox vaccination. The structure 500 for a wing vaccination comprises two sections, namely a first section 500a and a second section 500b. The first section 500a of the structure 500 has a drive mechanism 510 which is designed to move a needle forwards and backwards, in particular within a horizontally aligned plane. Such a needle can be pushed from behind into a tube 511 of the mechanism and locked to it. The tube 511 is preferably moved by a crank drive and is preferably sealed towards the outside so that dirt can be prevented from entering the drive mechanism 510. A cartridge 530, preferably made of plastic, can be attached to the drive mechanism 510, to which a vaccine 520 can then be attached. The vaccine 520 is additionally removed from the operator's hand area by this cartridge 530, so that improved operator safety can be achieved. The vaccine 520 flows within the cartridge 530 via a channel to the tip of a needle and wets it. Preferably, on the opposite side of the needle, a further tube 550 arranged in the region of the section 540 can be extended, wherein this further tube 550 can form a counter-pressure point to the needle so that the wing skin of the poultry animal can be pierced more easily. The entire structure 500 of the wing vaccination can preferably be moved along the direction of insertion of the poultry animal. In this way, the needle position can be adapted to the anatomy of the individual poultry animal in a particularly preferred manner.