An apparatus for enriching the environment of a pig and a method of enriching the environment of a pig

Abstract

An apparatus 1 for enriching the environment of a pig comprising a pig pen 2, with a pig pen wall 3 defining an aperture; a frame 10 within the aperture 9; a support bar [15, fig. 2] extending along a

Claims

1. An apparatus for enriching the environment of a pig comprisinga pig pen, the pig pen comprising a pig pen wall, a portion of the pig pen wall defining an aperture extending therethrough;a frame received within the aperture;a support bar extending along a rotation axis and connected to the frame by first and second connectors at first and second spaced apart points; and,at least one article connected to the support bar and free to rotate about the rotation axis.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a second pig pen, the second pig pen comprising a second pig pen wall;a portion of the pig pen wall and second pig pen wall being a common wall portion, the common wall portion defining the aperture.

3. An apparatus as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of articles connected to the support bar, each of the plurality of articles being free to rotate about the rotation axis.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one article comprises a salt lick.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one article comprises a tube6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claim s 1 to 5, wherein at least one article comprises a bar.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims Ito 6, wherein at least one of the first and second connectors comprises a frame aperture in the frame on the rotation axis, the support bar being received in the frame aperture.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims Ito 7, wherein at least one of the first and second connectors comprises a cover plate extending from the frame, the cover plate comprising a face portion spaced apart from the frame and defining a face portion aperture on the rotation axis, the support bar extending through the face portion aperture.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the face portion is arranged in a plane normal to the rotation axis.

10. An apparatus as claimed in either of claims 8 or 9, wherein the support bar comprises a bar aperture extending therethrough substantially normal to the rotation axis, the bar aperture being arranged between the face portion and the portion of the frame proximate to the face portion,the apparatus further comprising a retaining bar extending through the bar aperture and dimensioned to prevent removal of the support bar from the face portion aperture.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one of the frame and support bar is made from a plastics material.

12. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least one of the frame and support bar is metal.

13. A method of enriching the environment of a pig comprising the steps of(a) providing an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12; and,(b) arranging at least one pig in the pig pen.

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