PIGLET-PROTECTION DEVICE FOR A FARROWING PEN, AND RESPECTIVE FARROWING PEN

Abstract

A piglet-protection device for a farrowing pen is equipped with a first side part, with a trough console, which is connected to the first side part, and with a second side part, which is connected to the trough console so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis. By pivoting the second side part, the piglet-protection device can be brought into a piglet-protection position, in which the second side part is arranged substantially parallel to the first side part, and into a movement position, in which the second side part is spread away from the first side part. A first door element and a second door element delimit the piglet-protection device at the rear in the piglet-protection position. The first door element and/or the second door element are arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the first and second side part, respectively.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. A piglet-protection device for a farrowing pen, comprising: a first side part; a trough console connected to the first side part, and a second side part connected to the trough console so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis; wherein, by way of pivoting of the second side part, the piglet-protection device can be brought into a piglet-protection position, in which the second side part is arranged substantially parallel to the first side part, and into a movement position, in which the second side part is spread away from the first side part; wherein a first door element is arranged on the first side part and a second door element is arranged on the second side part, the first and second door elements delimiting the piglet-protection device at the rear in the piglet-protection position; and wherein the first door element is arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the first side part and/or the second door element is arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the second side part.

18. The piglet-protection device according to claim 17, wherein the first or second door element is arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the first or second side part, respectively, by means of a sliding-rail arrangement.

19. The piglet-protection device according to claim 18, wherein the sliding-rail arrangement comprises a slotted guide arranged on the first or second side part, and wherein the first or second door element has a guide section which is displaceably received in the slotted guide.

20. The piglet-protection device according to claim 19, wherein the guide section is received in the slotted guide so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis.

21. The piglet-protection device according to claim 20, wherein the pivot axis is arranged substantially vertically.

22. The piglet-protection device according to claim 17, wherein the first side part and/or the second side part is in the form of a grid-like side part.

23. The piglet-protection device according to claim 17, wherein the first and/or the second side part have/has a piglet deflector.

24. The piglet-protection device according to claim 23, wherein the piglet deflector has a lying-down aid for a mother animal.

25. The piglet-protection device according to claim 23, wherein: the piglet deflector is arranged spaced apart from a lower edge of the side part; the side part has multiple substantially horizontally extending tubular elements which are arranged one above the other; and the piglet deflector is arranged on a tubular element which, as viewed from the lower edge of the side part, is the second tubular element.

26. The piglet-protection device according to claim 17, wherein the first or second door element comprises a first section extending from the guide section and, in the piglet-protection position, extends substantially parallel to the first and second side parts, and has at least one second section adjoining the first section and, in the piglet-protection position, extends in the direction of a rear side of the piglet-protection device and inwards.

27. The piglet-protection device according to claim 26, wherein the first or second door element further comprises a third section extending from the second section and, in the piglet-protection position, is directed inwards substantially at a right angle to the first and second side parts.

28. The piglet-protection device according to claim 17, wherein a locking means is arranged on at least one of the first or second door elements, and is configured to lock the first and second door elements to one another in the piglet-protection position.

29. The piglet-protection device according to claim 17, wherein the trough console comprises one or more tubular elements, wherein the tubular elements are arranged on the trough console at the upper side substantially at a right angle to the first side part.

30. A farrowing pen having a piglet-protection device, wherein the piglet-protection device comprises: a first side part; a trough console connected to the first side part; and a second side part connected to the trough console so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis; wherein, by way of pivoting of the second side part, the piglet-protection device can be brought into a piglet-protection position, in which the second side part is arranged substantially parallel to the first side part, and into a movement position, in which the second side part is spread away from the first side part; wherein a first door element is arranged on the first side part and a second door element is arranged on the second side part, the first and second door elements delimiting the piglet-protection device at the rear in the piglet-protection position; and wherein the first door element is arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the first side part and/or the second door element is arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the second side part.

31. The farrowing pen according to claim 30, wherein the first side part is arranged spaced apart from and parallel to an outer enclosure of the farrowing pen.

32. The farrowing pen according to claim 30, wherein the farrowing pen has a contact grid and the first and second door elements are configured to be arrested adjacent to the contact grid in the movement position.

33. A piglet-protection device for a arrowing pen comprising: a first side part, a second side part, and a trough console connected to the first and second side parts; and a first door element coupled to the first side part and a second door element coupled to the second side part; wherein the piglet-protection device has a piglet-protection position, in which the first and second side parts are parallel, and a movement position, in which the second side part is spread away from the first side part, whereby the piglet protection position is obtained by pivoting the second side part about a pivot axis from the movement position to the piglet-protection position; wherein the first and second door elements delimit the piglet-protection device at the rear of the piglet-protection position; and wherein the first door element and the second door element are adjustably mounted to the first and second side parts, respectively, in a length-adjustable manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention will be described in more detail below on the basis of a preferred exemplary embodiment with reference to the appended Figures.

[0026] In the figures:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows, in a plan view, an exemplary embodiment of a farrowing pen according to the invention with a piglet-protection device in a movement position; and

[0028] FIG. 2 shows, in a plan view, the exemplary embodiment of the farrowing pen according to the invention with the piglet-protection device in a piglet-protection position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a farrowing pen 2. The farrowing pen 2 has an outer enclosure 50 and a contact grid 52 which is arranged in an immovable (fixed) manner. The contact grid 52 may alternatively also be in the form of a stabling element, in particular, a pen profile. A piglet-protection device 4 is arranged in the farrowing pen 2. The contact grid 52 is preferably at least the same height as the piglet-protection device 4. The piglet-protection device 4 has a first side part 8. A trough console 12 is connected to the first side part 8. Furthermore, a second side part 10 is connected to the trough console 12. The second side part 10 is connected to the trough console 12 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis 14. The piglet-protection device 4 can be brought into a movement position S, which is shown in FIG. 1, by way of pivoting of the second side part 10. In the movement position S, the second side part 10 is spread away from the first side part 8. The piglet-protection device 4 can furthermore be brought into a piglet-protection position F, which is shown in FIG. 2, by way of pivoting of the second side part 10. In the piglet-protection position F, the second side part 10 is arranged and oriented substantially parallel to the first side part 8.

[0030] A first door element 16 is arranged on the first side part 8. A second door element 18 is arranged on the second side part 10. The door elements 16, 18 delimit the piglet-protection device 4 at the rear in the piglet-protection position F. The first door element 16 is arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the first side part 8. The second door element 18 is arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the second side part 10. The respective door elements 16, 18 are arranged in a length-adjustable manner on the respective first side part 8 and second side part 10 in each case by means of a sliding-rail arrangement 22. Each of the sliding-rail arrangements 22 has a slotted guide 24 which is arranged on the side part 8, 10. The door elements 16, 18 have a guide section 26 which is displaceably received in the slotted guide 24. The guide section 26 is received in the slotted guide 24 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis 28. The pivot axis 28 is arranged substantially vertically.

[0031] The first side part 8 and the second side part 10 are in the form of a grid-like side part 8, 10. The second side part 10 has a piglet deflector 30. The piglet deflector 30 has a lying-down aid 32 for a mother animal 6, in particular, for a sow 6. The piglet deflector 30 is arranged spaced apart from a lower edge 34 of the side part 10. The side part 10 has multiple substantially horizontally extending tubular elements 36 which are arranged one above the other. The piglet deflector 30 is arranged on a tubular element 36 which, as viewed from the lower edge 34 of the side part 10, is the second tubular element, and is welded thereto.

[0032] The first door element 16 and the second door element 18 each have a first section 38, which extends from the guide section 26 and, in the piglet-protection position F, extends substantially parallel to the side parts 8, 10. The first door element 16 and the second door element 18 furthermore have a second section 40, which adjoins the first section 38 and, in the piglet-protection position, extends in the direction of a rear side 56 of the piglet-protection device 4 and inwards. The first door element 16 and the second door element 18 furthermore have a third section 42, which extends from the second section 40 and, in the piglet-protection position F, is directed inwards substantially at a right angle to the side parts 8, 10.

[0033] A locking means 44 is arranged on one or both door elements 16, 18. The locking means 44 is configured to lock the door elements 16, 18 to one another in the piglet-protection position F. The trough console 12 has a climbing prevention means 46. The climbing prevention means 46 has multiple, in particular two, tubular elements 48. The tubular elements 48 are arranged on the trough console 12 at the upper side substantially at a right angle to the first side part 8.

[0034] The first side part 8 is arranged spaced apart from and in particular parallel to the outer enclosure 50 of the farrowing pen, so that a piglet retreat space 58 is formed between the outer enclosure 50 of the farrowing pen 2 and the first side part 8. As shown in FIG. 1, the door elements 16, 18 of the piglet-protection device 4 are configured to be arranged, in particular arrested, adjacent to the contact grid 52 of the farrowing pen 2 in the movement position S. In other words, in the movement position S shown in FIG. 1, the movement area of the sow 6 is thus delimited exclusively by the piglet-protection device 4, when considered jointly with the contact grid 52. No further stabling equipment components are required in this regard.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows the farrowing pen 2 according to the invention with the piglet-protection device 4, wherein the piglet-protection device 4 is in the piglet-protection position F. In this case, in comparison with FIG. 1, the second side part 10 has been pivoted in such a way that it is now arranged substantially parallel to the first side part 8. By means of the sliding-rail arrangement 22, the length of the piglet-protection device 4 in the piglet-protection position F can be adapted to the anatomy of the sow 6, in particular to the length of its body. The first door element 16 and the second door element 18 have been pivoted in such a way that these now form a rear delimitation 20. By means of the locking means 44, the door elements 16, 18 can be locked to one another. As emerges from FIG. 2, a sufficiently large volume remains adjacent to and behind the sow 6, in order for said sow to for example undergo veterinary treatment or be assisted at the time of farrowing.