A broiler metabolism assay cage

Abstract

This utility model discloses a broiler metabolism measurement cage, relating to the field of poultry breeding technology. It includes a cage body with a feeding trough fixedly installed inside. The bottom of the cage body is hollowed out, and a feces collection component is located directly below the hollowed-out area. A movable ring is horizontally arranged inside the cage body, and a strainer is fixedly installed inside the movable ring. Through holes are opened at each of the four corners of the movable ring, and sliding rods are slidably fitted into these holes. A limit block is fixedly installed at the upper end of the sliding rod, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the cage body. A spring and two buffer pads I are fitted onto the sliding rod between the movable ring and the cage body, with the spring located between the two buffer pads I. A buffer pad II is fitted onto the sliding rod between the movable ring and the limit block. This broiler metabolism measurement cage, through spring vibration of the strainer structure and driven by the broiler's own movement, automatically shakes off the strainer and removes feces adhering to it, eliminating the need for manual cleaning. This reduces labor intensity, avoids interference with broiler metabolism during cleaning, and improves data accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of poultry breeding technology, specifically a broiler metabolism measurement cage. Background Technology

[0002] Mechanism measurement of broilers is a core part of livestock research and breeding optimization. By accurately measuring parameters such as feed intake, water intake and fecal excretion of broilers, it is possible to assess the nutritional value of feed, optimize breeding programs and analyze growth performance, and provide data support for efficient breeding.

[0003] Existing broiler metabolism measurement cages mostly adopt traditional frame structures, with feeding troughs often placed externally and fed through holes in the cage wall, and a strainer fixed to the bottom of the cage. However, this design has obvious shortcomings: chicks can easily crawl out of the feeding holes, resulting in sample loss; the strainer is sticky with feces and requires frequent manual cleaning, which increases the workload and interferes with broiler metabolism, seriously affecting the accuracy of the data.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a broiler metabolism measurement cage to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] Technical problem to be solved: The purpose of this utility model is to provide a broiler metabolism measurement cage to solve the problems mentioned in the background art of existing broiler metabolism measurement cages, such as chicks easily crawling out of the feeding hole, resulting in sample loss; and the feces stuck in the cage requiring frequent manual cleaning, which increases the workload and interferes with broiler metabolism, seriously affecting the accuracy of the data.

[0006] Technical Solution: To achieve the above objectives, this utility model is implemented through the following technical solution: A broiler metabolism measurement cage includes a cage body, a feeding trough fixedly installed inside the cage body, a hollow bottom of the cage body, a manure collection component located directly below the hollow bottom of the cage body, a horizontally arranged movable ring inside the cage body, and a strainer fixedly installed inside the movable ring; through holes are opened at the four corners of the movable ring, and a sliding rod is slidably fitted inside the through holes, a limit block is fixedly installed at the upper end of the sliding rod, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the cage body; a spring and two buffer pads I are sleeved on the sliding rod between the movable ring and the cage body, with the spring located between the two buffer pads I, and a buffer pad II is sleeved on the sliding rod between the movable ring and the limit block.

[0007] Preferably, the cage includes two fixed rings arranged opposite each other, and a sealing door is hinged in the upper fixed ring. Four support rods are fixedly installed between the two fixed rings, and the four support rods are respectively installed at the four corners of the fixed rings. A grid is fixedly installed between each pair of adjacent support rods.

[0008] Preferably, one of the grids has a window at its bottom, the feeding trough includes a trough body bolted to the window, a guide plate obliquely upward is fixedly installed on the top of the outer wall of the trough body, the other end of the guide plate extends out of the cage body through the window, and a partition is fixedly installed inside the trough body, the partition dividing the trough body into a feed trough and a water trough.

[0009] Preferably, the feces collection assembly includes a support ring fixedly installed at the bottom of the cage, one end of the support ring has a slot, a drawer-type feces collection box is slidably installed in the slot, connecting plates are fixedly installed on both sides of the support ring below the feces collection box, and a handle is fixedly installed on the exposed end of the feces collection box.

[0010] Preferably, the fecal collection box is T-shaped, with magnets fixedly embedded on both sides of the fecal collection box, and an iron block fixedly installed on the support ring opposite to the magnet.

[0011] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, this utility model provides a broiler metabolism testing cage with a unique structure and convenient use. The spring-vibrating mesh structure is driven by the broiler's own movement to automatically shake off the feces adhering to the mesh, eliminating the need for manual cleaning. This reduces labor intensity and avoids interference with broiler metabolism, thus improving data accuracy. In addition, the design of the built-in feeding trough and the extended guide plate not only facilitates feeding but also completely avoids the problem of young broilers crawling out of the feeding hole, ensuring the integrity of the test samples and solving the safety hazards of traditional external feeding troughs. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional front view schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional side view of the structure of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the feeding trough structure of this utility model; Figure 5 This utility model Figure 3 Enlarged schematic diagram of the structure in area A; Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the feces collection box of this utility model.

[0013] In the diagram: 1. Cage body; 11. Fixing ring; 12. Support rod; 13. Grille; 14. Feeding trough; 141. Trough body; 142. Guide plate; 143. Partition; 15. Sealing door; 16. Moving ring; 17. Strainer; 18. Sliding rod; 19. Limiting block; 110. Spring; 111. Buffer pad I; 112. Buffer pad II; 2. Feces collection assembly; 21. Support ring; 22. Feces collection box; 23. Connecting plate; 24. Handle; 25. Magnet. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0015] Example 1: This Example 1 provides a broiler metabolism measurement cage, which is a direct improvement on the existing metabolism measurement cage. It features a unique structure. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1-6 As shown, the cage includes a cage body 1, which consists of two fixed rings 11 arranged opposite each other and four support rods 12 fixedly connected between the two fixed rings 11. The four support rods 12 are respectively located at the four corners of the fixed rings 11. A grid 13 is fixedly installed between two adjacent support rods 12, which together form the side of the cage body 1. A sealing door 15 is hinged to the upper fixed ring 11 to facilitate the placement and removal of broilers.

[0016] A feeding trough 14 is fixedly installed inside the cage 1. Specifically, a window is provided at the bottom of one of the grids 13. The feeding trough 14 includes a trough body 141, which is detachably fixed inside the window by bolts. A feed guide plate 142 is fixedly installed at the top of the outer wall of the trough body 141, which is set at an upward angle. The other end of the feed guide plate 142 passes through the window and extends to the outside of the cage 1. Feed or water can be added into the trough body 141 through the feed guide plate 142, avoiding the interference of the broilers by reaching into the cage 1 during operation. The interior of the trough body 141 is divided into two independent cavities by a fixed partition 143, which serve as a feed trough and a water trough, respectively, for holding feed and drinking water.

[0017] The bottom of the cage 1 is a hollow structure. Inside the cage 1, above the hollow area at the bottom, a movable ring 16 is horizontally arranged. A mesh 17 is fixedly installed on the inner ring of the movable ring 16. The mesh 17 is a stainless steel woven mesh with a mesh size of 1-1.5cm. The mesh 17 is used to support the broilers and allow feces to pass through. A through hole is opened at each of the four corners of the movable ring 16. A vertically arranged sliding rod 18 is slidably fitted in each through hole. The lower end of the sliding rod 18 is fixedly connected to the fixed ring 11 below, and the upper end is fixedly installed with a limiting block 19 with a diameter larger than the through hole. Through the limiting action of the limiting block 19 and the fixed ring 11, the movable ring 16 can slide in a limited vertical direction along the sliding rod 18.

[0018] On each slide rod 18, in the section between the moving ring 16 and the lower fixed ring 11, a spring 110 and two buffer pads I 111 are fitted. The two buffer pads I 1111 are located at the upper and lower ends of the spring 110, respectively, to buffer the impact when the moving ring 16 moves downward and reduce noise. At the same time, on each slide rod 18, in the section between the moving ring 16 and the upper limiting block 19, a buffer pad II 112 is fitted to buffer the impact when the moving ring 16 moves upward.

[0019] Below the hollowed-out area at the bottom of the cage 1, there is a feces collection component 2. The feces collection component 2 includes a support ring 21 fixedly installed at the bottom of the cage 1, and a slot is opened at one end of the support ring 21. A drawer-type feces collection box 22 is slidably installed in the support ring 21 through the slot to collect feces falling from the strainer 17 above. Connecting plates 23 are fixedly installed below the feces collection box 22 and on both sides of the support ring 21 to support the feces collection box 22. A handle 24 is fixedly installed at the exposed end of the feces collection box 22 to facilitate its removal for cleaning.

[0020] Working principle: When using this testing cage for metabolic testing, first open the sealing door 15 of the upper fixing ring 11, put the broiler to be tested (such as 1-4 week old white-feathered broilers) into the cage body 1, close the sealing door 15 and lock it with the buckle (to prevent the broiler from opening it by itself); add a fixed amount of feed (such as the daily feed amount calculated according to the weight of the broiler) to the feed trough of the trough body 141 through the feed guide plate 142, add a fixed amount of drinking water to the water trough, and record the initial feed weight and water volume; when the broiler moves in the cage body 1, its excrement falls into the manure collection box 22 below through the mesh of the strainer 17.

[0021] When broilers walk or jump on the strainer 17, they exert downward pressure on the moving ring 16, compressing the spring 110. When the broilers leave the area, the spring 110 releases its elastic potential energy, pushing the moving ring 16 back to its original position, creating an up-and-down vibration (vibration amplitude 5-6mm, producing only a "slight tremor" rather than a violent shaking). This vibration can shake off the feces adhering to the surface of the strainer 17, avoiding feces residue that could lead to subsequent weighing errors. After the measurement cycle is completed (e.g., 24h or 48h), the sealed door 15 is opened to remove the broilers, and the remaining feed and water in the feed trough and water trough are collected. The feed intake and water intake are weighed and calculated. At the same time, the feces collection box 22 is pulled out by the handle 24, and the collected feces are weighed, sampled, and analyzed to complete the determination of metabolic parameters.

[0022] Example 2: This example is an optimization based on Example 1. The core improvement is as follows: Figure 6As shown, the feces collection box 22 adopts a T-shaped structure. Symmetrical circular grooves are formed on the inner wall of the horizontal portion of the feces collection box 22. A magnet 25 is fixedly embedded in each groove with strong adhesive. The surface of the magnet 25 is flush with the inner wall of the collection box 22. Corresponding to the position of the magnet 25, an iron block matching the size of the magnet 25 is welded and fixed to the inner wall of the support ring 21. When the feces collection box 22 is fully pushed into the groove of the support ring 21, the magnet 25 and the iron block adhere to each other, thus fixing the collection box 22 in place. When the collection box 22 is pushed in, the magnet 25 and the iron block on the support ring 21 automatically adhere to each other, preventing the collection box 22 from shifting due to vibration of the cage 1 or external collisions. When the collection box 22 is removed, it can be separated simply by applying a pulling force greater than the magnetic attraction through the handle 24, making the operation convenient.

[0023] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A broiler metabolism assay cage, comprising a cage body (1), characterized in that: The cage (1) is fixedly installed with a feeding trough (14). The bottom of the cage (1) is hollowed out. A feces collection component (2) is provided directly below the hollowed-out cage (1). A moving ring (16) is horizontally installed inside the cage (1). A strainer (17) is fixedly installed inside the moving ring (16). Through holes are opened at the four corners of the moving ring (16). A sliding rod (18) is slidably fitted inside the through hole. A limit block (19) is fixedly installed at the upper end of the sliding rod (18), and the lower end is fixedly connected to the cage (1). A spring (110) and two buffer pads I (111) are fitted on the sliding rod (18) between the moving ring (16) and the cage (1). The spring (110) is located between the two buffer pads I (111). A buffer pad II (112) is fitted on the sliding rod (18) between the moving ring (16) and the limit block (19).

2. The broiler metabolism measurement cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cage (1) includes two fixed rings (11) arranged opposite each other, and a sealing door (15) is hinged in the upper fixed ring (11). Four support rods (12) are fixedly installed between the two fixed rings (11). The four support rods (12) are respectively installed at the four corners of the fixed rings (11), and a grid (13) is fixedly installed between each pair of adjacent support rods (12).

3. The broiler metabolism measurement cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: One of the grids (13) has a window at the bottom. The feeding trough (14) includes a trough (141) bolted to the window. A guide plate (142) is fixedly installed on the top of the outer wall of the trough (141) and is set at an upward angle. The other end of the guide plate (142) extends out of the cage (1) through the window. A partition (143) is fixedly installed inside the trough (141) and the partition (143) divides the trough (141) into a feed trough and a water trough.

4. The broiler metabolism measurement cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fecal collection assembly (2) includes a support ring (21) fixedly installed at the bottom of the cage (1). One end of the support ring (21) has a slot, and a drawer-type fecal collection box (22) is slidably installed in the slot. Connecting plates (23) are fixedly installed on both sides of the support ring (21) below the fecal collection box (22). A handle (24) is fixedly installed on the exposed end of the fecal collection box (22).

5. A broiler metabolism measurement cage according to claim 4, characterized in that: The feces collection box (22) is T-shaped, and magnets (25) are fixedly embedded on both sides of the feces collection box (22). Iron blocks are fixedly installed on the support ring (21) opposite to the magnets (25).

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