breeding equipment

Abstract

A rearing apparatus (1) for rearing a living organism (C) comprises: a rearing case (10) having a rearing area (10a) for the living organism (C); and an environment setting part (30) for setting the environment of the rearing area (10a) in the rearing case (10). The environment setting part (30) is configured to promote migration of the living organism (C) from a downstream region (25) in the conveying direction to an upstream region (24) in the conveying direction by setting the environment of at least one of the upstream region (24) in the conveying direction and the downstream region (25) in the conveying direction in the rearing area (10a) to an environment preferred by the living organism (C) on the basis of the habit of the living organism (C).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a breeding device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 listed below describes a breeding device for breeding living organisms. This breeding device is equipped with a belt conveyor placed at the bottom of a breeding case. This belt conveyor has a belt that forms the floor of the breeding case, and is configured to move left and right as rollers rotate. This belt conveyor makes it possible to transport sediments (e.g., feces, shed shells, carcasses, leftover food, etc.) that have accumulated on the floor of the breeding case from the inside to the outside of the breeding case by rotating the rollers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-151190 Summary of the Invention

[0004] In the above-described rearing device, if organisms remain on the belt, they are transported from the upstream side of the belt in the conveying direction to the downstream side of the belt in the conveying direction as the belt moves during the cleaning of the deposits. At this time, the organisms are concentrated in the downstream area in the conveying direction, increasing the rearing density of the organisms in this area. This high rearing density of the organisms can lead to food shortages, water shortages, cannibalism, and other problems, which can be a factor in reducing the survival rate of the organisms. Therefore, when the rearing density of the organisms in a given area becomes high, it is necessary to change that area from an overcrowded state to a depopulated state to reduce the rearing density of the organisms. This makes it possible to prevent overcrowding in the rearing area and prevent a decrease in the survival rate of the organisms.

[0005] In addition, in the above-described breeding device, a collection operation is performed to collect the organisms after the breeding period has ended. In this collection operation, in order to improve the efficiency of the operation, it is preferable to gather the organisms scattered throughout the breeding area into a collection region. In other words, when collecting the organisms, it is necessary to change the collection region from a sparsely populated state to an overpopulated state, thereby increasing the breeding density of the organisms.

[0006] As mentioned above, when considering both improving the survival rate of organisms and making collection work more efficient, when designing this type of breeding device, technology is required that allows the breeding density of organisms in each area of ​​the breeding area to be adjusted according to the user's wishes.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide a rearing device that can adjust the rearing density of living organisms such as insects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is A breeding device for breeding living organisms, a breeding case having a breeding area for the organism; an environment setting unit that sets the environment of the breeding area of ​​the breeding case; Equipped with the environment setting unit is configured to set the environment of at least one of the first and second areas of the breeding area to an environment preferred by the living organism based on the habits of the living organism, thereby promoting movement of the living organism from one of the first and second areas to the other; is located. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above-described aspect of the breeding device, the environment of the breeding area of ​​the breeding case is set by the environment setting unit, which sets the environments of the first and second areas to be different from each other based on the habits of the living creatures in order to promote movement of the living creatures from at least one of the first and second areas to the other of the breeding area.

[0010] Such environment setting by the environment setting unit allows organisms to be moved between the two areas by taking advantage of the difference in the environments of the first area and the second area. By setting either the environment of the first area or the environment of the second area to an environment preferred by the organisms, organisms can be easily moved between the first area and the second area. This allows the rearing density of organisms in each of the first and second areas to be adjusted. For example, the rearing density in the second area can be adjusted to decrease by moving organisms from the second area to the first area, or the rearing density in the second area can be adjusted to increase by moving organisms from the first area to the second area.

[0011] According to the above-described aspect, it is possible to provide a rearing device capable of adjusting the rearing density of living organisms such as insects.

[0012] Note that the symbols in parentheses in the claims indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rearing device according to a first embodiment, seen from diagonally above; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the rearing device of the first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the rearing unit in the rearing apparatus of FIG. 1 has moved from an initial position to a carry-out preparation position; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an environmental setting for promoting movement of living organisms during a breeding period in the breeding device of the first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an environment setting that promotes the movement of living organisms when collecting them in the breeding device of embodiment 1; [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rearing device of the second embodiment seen from diagonally above; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view of the rearing device of the second embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an environmental setting for promoting movement of living organisms during a breeding period in the breeding device of the second embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an environmental setting that promotes the movement of living organisms when they are collected in the breeding apparatus of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, a specific structure of the rearing device according to one embodiment of the above aspect will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] In this specification and drawings, unless otherwise specified, the first direction, which is the up-down direction of the rearing device when placed on a horizontal surface, is indicated by arrow X, the second direction, which is the width direction of the rearing device, is indicated by arrow Y, and the third direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the rearing device, is indicated by arrow Z.

[0016] (Embodiment 1) 1. What to keep The organisms to be reared are, for example, small organisms such as arthropods. The organisms to be reared are, for example, organisms used for food, feed, research, etc. For example, insects such as crickets, locusts, grasshoppers, etc. can be reared. In particular, the organisms to be reared are arthropods that undergo incomplete metamorphosis, in which larvae directly metamorphose into adults, and incomplete metamorphosis larvae are more preferable. In this example, among insects, cricket and locust larvae of the order Orthoptera are described as suitable examples of organisms to be reared. However, adult insects (emerged incomplete metamorphosis arthropods) may also be reared. Furthermore, the rearing device may rear organisms from eggs or after hatching.

[0017] 2. Basic configuration of the breeding device As shown in Fig. 1, the rearing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is used to rear a living organism C to be reared. In Fig. 1, a cricket, a type of insect, is shown as an example of the living organism C. The rearing apparatus 1 basically comprises a rearing case 10, a rearing unit 20, an environment setting section 30, and a transport device 40.

[0018] The breeding case 10 is placed on an installation surface for the breeding device 1. The breeding case 10 is formed using a plurality of frames. The plurality of frames include two first frames 11 provided at both ends in the third direction Z, two second frames 12 connecting the two first frames 11, and two third frames 13 connecting the two first frames 11. The two second frames 12 extend parallel to the third direction Z, which is the longitudinal direction, with a gap in the second direction Y between them. The two third frames 13 extend parallel to the third direction Z, which is the longitudinal direction, with a gap in the second direction Y between them.

[0019] The breeding case 10 has a breeding area 10a that serves as a breeding space for the organism C. The breeding area 10a is covered by a holder 21 located above it and a plurality of walls (not shown). Therefore, the breeding area 10a is always kept sealed during the breeding period, and this sealed space is appropriately set to an environment suitable for the growth of the organism C.

[0020] 3. Internal structure of the breeding case The breeding case 10 is configured to house breeding units 20 in a breeding area 10a. For ease of explanation, Fig. 1 illustrates a case in which only one breeding unit 20 is housed in the breeding area 10a, but the number of breeding units 20 is not limited to one and can be changed as appropriate.

[0021] The two second frames 12 of the breeding case 10 are support elements for supporting the breeding units 20 so that they can slide in the third direction Z. For this reason, a plurality of support rollers 14 are provided along the third direction Z on the inner surface of each second frame 12 in the second direction Y. Each support roller 14 is a rotatable member such as a roller or bearing, and is configured to rotate on its own axis when it receives input in the third direction Z.

[0022] 4. Structure of the breeding unit As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rearing unit 20 has a holding portion 21 and a plurality of stop members 22.

[0023] The holding portion 21 is a plate-shaped member with its thickness direction aligned with the first direction X. The holding portion 21 is configured to serve as a wall (top portion) that defines the upper side of the breeding area 10a. The stopping members 22 are for the organisms C to stop in the breeding area 10a. The multiple stopping members 22 are fixed to the holding portion 21, and are configured to form hiding places for the organisms C. For this reason, the breeding unit 20 having multiple stopping members 22 is also referred to as a "hiding place unit."

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2, when the breeding apparatus 1 in Fig. 1 is viewed from the front in the direction of arrow A1, the multiple stop members 22 extend downward from the underside of the holding portion 21, with their ends closer to the holding portion 21 as base ends 22a, to lower ends 22b. The multiple stop members 22 are arranged in the second direction Y, separated by gaps 23 of the same dimension. In other words, the multiple stop members 22 are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the second direction Y. The gaps 23 are sized to allow movement of the living organism C and to serve as hiding places depending on the size of the living organism C.

[0025] The stop member 22 is a plate-like member extending in the first direction X along a plane defined by the first direction X and the third direction Z, with the second direction Y being the plate thickness direction. The stop member 22 is configured so that the organism C to be raised can stay on its surface. The stop member 22 may be formed in a flat plate shape or a corrugated shape. In this example, the stop member 22 is formed in a flat plate shape.

[0026] The material of the stop member 22 is not particularly limited, and as an example, metals such as iron and aluminum, resin, rubber, wood, paper, etc. can be used as appropriate. The stop member 22 preferably has a mesh structure with many through-holes formed over the entire surface so as to serve as a foothold for the organism C. For example, the stop member 22 can be formed from punched metal, wire mesh, etc.

[0027] 5. Structure of the conveying device 1, the breeding apparatus 1 includes a conveying device 40 on the floor of the breeding area 10a of the breeding case 10. The conveying device 40 includes a pair of rollers 41, 41 spaced apart from each other in the third direction Z, an endless conveyor belt 42 looped around the pair of rollers 41, 41, and a motor 43 that drives one of the rollers 41.

[0028] In the transport device 40, when the motor 43 drives one of the rollers 41 and the roller 41 rotates around a rotation axis extending in the second direction Y, the transport surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42 moves continuously in the transport direction. The transport surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42 forms the floor surface (bottom surface) of the rearing area 10a.

[0029] Here, the conveying direction of the conveying device 40 means the moving direction of the conveying surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42. The motor 43 and the rollers 41, 41 may be rotatable in only one direction or in both directions. In other words, if the motor 43 is rotatable in only one direction, the conveying direction of the conveying device 40 is one direction in the third direction Z. If the motor 43 is rotatable in both directions, the conveying direction of the conveying device 40 is both directions in the third direction Z.

[0030] The transport device 40 functions to transport at least one of the organisms C to be reared, the food and water to be given to the organisms C, the exoskeleton or carcass of the organisms C, the organisms C in the early stages of growth or their eggs, feces, remaining food, and dust. For example, the transport device 40 can be used to transport food E for rearing from outside to the rearing area 10a. In this case, the area of ​​the transport surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42 where the food E is placed becomes the feeding area 26, which serves as a feeding ground for the organisms C. Note that a water supply area, which serves as a water source for the organisms C, may be provided on the transport surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42 instead of or in addition to the feeding area 26.

[0031] 6. Structure of the Preferences section 1 functions to set the light and dark environment of the breeding area 10a of the breeding case 10. The environment setting unit 30 is configured to promote the movement of living organisms C from one of the first area B1 and the second area B2 to the other by setting the light and dark environments of the first area B1 and the second area B2 of the breeding area 10a to be different from each other. Note that the entire area of ​​the breeding area 10a may be formed by the first area B1 and the second area B2, or the breeding area 10a may include one or more areas other than the first area B1 and the second area B2.

[0032] Here, assuming that the conveying direction of the conveying device 40 is the direction indicated by arrow Z1, when the rearing unit 20 is in the initial position P1, the upstream region 24 of the rearing area 10a in the conveying direction by the conveying device 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "upstream region 24") corresponds to the first region B1. In contrast, the downstream region 25 of the rearing area 10a in the conveying direction by the conveying device 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "downstream region 25") corresponds to the second region B2. The downstream region 25 also includes the feeding region 26 on the conveying surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42. For this reason, in this embodiment, the feeding region 26, like the downstream region 25, is also considered to be the second region B2.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the environment setting unit 30 includes a light blocking member 31, two lighting devices 32 and 33, and a control unit 34 that controls each of the two lighting devices 32 and 33.

[0034] The light-shielding member 31 is intended to block light from outside the rearing area 10a. Typically, the light-shielding member 31 can form two side walls that cover the rearing area 10a from both sides in the second direction Y. In this embodiment, the light-shielding member 31 is attached to the frames 12, 13 of the rearing case 10 so as to cover the upstream area 24 from the outside in the second direction Y. When the light-shielding member 31 is attached to the rearing case 10, the upstream area 24 is darker than before the light-shielding member 31 was attached because the light-shielding member 31 blocks light from entering from outside.

[0035] Alternatively, the light-blocking member 31 may be a curtain member such as a blackout curtain, which may be attached to the outside of the translucent side wall portion. When the curtain member is attached, the upstream area 24 is darker than before the curtain member was attached because the light-blocking function of the curtain member blocks light from entering from the outside. In contrast, when the curtain member is removed, the upstream area 24 is bright because light is allowed to enter through the side wall portion without being blocked from entering from the outside.

[0036] Both lighting devices 32 and 33 are configured as lighting devices that can be switched between an on state and an off state. Lighting device 32 is arranged facing the upstream region 24, and when turned on by control unit 34, it projects illumination light onto the upstream region 24. As a result, the brightness of the upstream region 24 is increased compared to when it receives only room lighting. On the other hand, lighting device 33 is arranged facing the downstream region 25, and when turned on by control unit 34, it projects illumination light onto the downstream region 25. As a result, the brightness of the downstream region 25, like the upstream region 24, is increased compared to when it receives only room lighting.

[0037] 7. Operation of the breeding unit The operation of the rearing unit 20 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, during the breeding period, organism C is bred in the breeding area 10a of the breeding case 10. At this time, the breeding unit 20 is placed at the initial position P1. Then, when the breeding period for organism C ends, the process moves to the collection operation. In this collection operation, the breeding unit 20 is slid in the transport direction Z1.

[0039] If the rearing unit 20 does not have a self-propelling means, an operator can slide the rearing unit 20 in the conveying direction Z1 by directly grasping the rearing unit 20 with their fingers and manually moving it. On the other hand, if the rearing unit 20 has a driving means such as an actuator, the driving means can be used to automatically slide the rearing unit 20 in the conveying direction Z1.

[0040] The rearing unit 20 slides in the transport direction Z1 with both ends of the holding part 21 in the third direction Z supported from below by a plurality of support rollers 14. This rearing unit 20 is transported from the initial position P1 to the transport preparation position P2 and then out of the rearing case 10. Then, the organisms C are collected from the transported rearing unit 20.

[0041] 8. Operation of the Preferences The operation of the environment setting section 30 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0042] 4, when the rearing unit 20 is placed at the initial position P1 during the rearing period of the organism C, the conveying device 40 is driven to feed the organism C with food E and to remove the sediment. When the conveying device 40 is driven, the conveying surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42 moves in the conveying direction Z1.

[0043] At this time, the organisms C remaining on the transport surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42 move to the downstream region 25 as the conveyor belt 42 moves. Therefore, organisms C are concentrated in the downstream region 25 within the rearing area 10a, resulting in a locally high rearing density in the downstream region 25. Furthermore, because organisms C tend to gather in the feeding region 26, providing the feeding region 26 on the transport surface 42a of the conveyor belt 42 also increases the rearing density in the downstream region 25. On the other hand, the upstream region 24 is prone to becoming depopulated, with a low rearing density of organisms C, due to organisms C concentrating in the downstream region 25. Furthermore, if the downstream region 25 becomes overcrowded with organisms C, a high rearing density may occur, which may lead to food shortages, water shortages, cannibalism, and other problems, which may result in a decrease in the survival rate of organisms C.

[0044] This embodiment utilizes the fact that organisms C, such as crickets, are nocturnal and prefer darkness and dislike brightness. During the rearing period of organisms C, the upstream region 24 is set as a first region B1 and the downstream region 25 is set as a second region B2, and the environment setting unit 30 sets the environment to promote the movement of organisms C from the second region B2 to the first region B1.

[0045] Based on the above-described behavior of the living organism C, when the rearing unit 20 is at the initial position P1, the environment setting unit 30 sets the upstream area 24 to a favorable environment for the living organism C. That is, the environment setting unit 30 sets the environment so that the upstream area 24 is darker than the downstream area 25 by using a light-shielding member 31. By setting the environment in this manner, it is possible to encourage the movement of the living organism C, which prefers darkness, from the downstream area 25 to the upstream area 24.

[0046] Therefore, organisms C that have moved to the downstream area 25 due to the movement of the conveyor belt 42, or organisms C that have finished feeding in the feeding area 26, will naturally move to the dark upstream area 24. As a result, the rearing density of organisms C in the downstream area 25 can be adjusted to be lower during the rearing period of organisms C, thereby eliminating local overcrowding of organisms C that occurs in the downstream area 25. For this reason, the environmental function provided by the environment setting unit 30 can also be called a rearing density adjustment function that adjusts the rearing density of organisms C in the rearing area 10a.

[0047] If necessary, lighting equipment 33 can be used in addition to the light-blocking member 31. The lighting equipment 33 is turned on by the control unit 34. This allows the upstream area 24 to be set as a favorable environment preferred by the living organism C, and also allows the downstream area 25 to be set as an unfavorable environment preferred by the living organism C compared to the upstream area 24.

[0048] With such an environmental setting, the living organisms C in the downstream area 25 move toward the darkness of the upstream area 24, and also move to the upstream area 24 as if escaping from the illumination light of the lighting device 33. Therefore, the effect of promoting the movement of the living organisms C from the downstream area 25 to the upstream area 24 is enhanced. As a result, the local overcrowding of the living organisms C in the downstream area 25 can be resolved in a short period of time.

[0049] As a modification of this embodiment, the movement of living organisms C from the downstream region 25 to the upstream region 24 may be promoted without using the light-shielding member 31. In this case, the lighting device 32 is kept off and the lighting device 33 is turned on. This makes it possible to set the downstream region 25 as an environment that living organisms C dislike more than the upstream region 24, thereby promoting the movement of living organisms C from the downstream region 25 to the upstream region 24.

[0050] 4 and 5, the rearing unit 20 is placed at an initial position P1 (see FIG. 4) during the rearing period of the organism C, and is placed at a carry-out preparation position P2 (see FIG. 5) during the collection work of the organism C. In other words, the rearing unit 20 is configured to be placed at different positions in the rearing area 10a during the rearing period of the organism C and during the collection work. In this case, the rearing unit 20 is placed in the upstream region 24 at the initial position P1, and is placed in the downstream region 25 at the carry-out preparation position P2.

[0051] When collecting organisms C, the collection can be completed efficiently in a short time by gathering the organisms C scattered throughout the breeding area 10a in the downstream region 25. To achieve this, it is necessary to quickly move the organisms C in the breeding area 10a to the downstream region 25.

[0052] Therefore, during the collection work of organism C, the downstream area 25 is set as the first area B1 and the upstream area 24 is set as the second area B2, which is the opposite of the breeding period of organism C, and the environment setting unit 30 sets the environment to promote the movement of organism C from the second area B2 to the first area B1.

[0053] Specifically, when the breeding unit 20 is in the carry-out preparation position P2, the environment setting unit 30 turns on the lighting device 32 and turns off the lighting device 33 via the control unit 34. This sets the upstream area 24 to an environment that organisms C dislike, thereby promoting the movement of organisms C from the upstream area 24 to the downstream area 25. As a result, organisms C can be locally gathered in the downstream area 25 during collection work. Thereafter, organisms C can be collected by carrying out the breeding unit 20, which is in the carry-out preparation position P2, from the breeding case 10.

[0054] Next, the effects of the above-described first embodiment will be described.

[0055] According to the breeding apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the environment of the breeding area 10a of the breeding case 10 is set by the environment setting unit 30. In order to promote the movement of organism C from either the upstream area 24 or the downstream area 25 of the breeding area 10a to the other, the environment setting unit 30 sets the environments of the upstream area 24 and the downstream area 25 to be different from each other based on the habits of the organism C. That is, during the breeding period of the organism C, the environment is set to promote the movement of organism C from the downstream area 25 to the upstream area 24, and when collecting the organism C, the environment is set to promote the movement of organism C from the upstream area 24 to the downstream area 25.

[0056] Such environment setting by the environment setting unit 30 allows organism C to be moved between the two regions by taking advantage of the difference in the environments of the upstream region 24 and the downstream region 25. By setting either the environment of the upstream region 24 or the environment of the downstream region 25 to an environment preferred by organism C, organism C can be easily moved between the upstream region 24 and the downstream region 25. This allows the rearing density of organism C in each of the upstream region 24 and the downstream region 25 to be adjusted. That is, the rearing density in the downstream region 25 can be adjusted to be lowered by moving organism C from the downstream region 25 to the upstream region 24, or the rearing density in the downstream region 25 can be adjusted to be higher by moving organism C from the upstream region 24 to the downstream region 25. As a result of such adjustment, the rearing density in the downstream region 25 can be decreased below that of the upstream region 24, increased to exceed that of the upstream region 24, or uniformed to be approximately the same as that of the upstream region 24.

[0057] According to this embodiment, overcrowding of the organisms C in the downstream region 25 of the rearing area 10a can be prevented during the rearing period of the organisms C, thereby preventing a decrease in the survival rate of the organisms C due to factors such as lack of food, lack of water, cannibalism, etc. On the other hand, since the organisms C can be gathered in the downstream region 25 of the rearing area 10a when collecting the organisms C, the collection work of the organisms C can be carried out efficiently in a short time.

[0058] As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide a rearing device 1 that can adjust the rearing density of living organisms C, such as insects, taking into consideration both an improvement in the survival rate of living organisms C and the efficiency of collection work.

[0059] Hereinafter, other embodiments related to the above-described embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the other embodiments, the same elements as those in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same elements will be omitted.

[0060] (Embodiment 2) As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rearing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment differs from the rearing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment in that a heater 35 is added to the components of the environment setting unit 30.

[0061] This embodiment utilizes the fact that organisms C, such as crickets, are nocturnal and prefer warm places and dislike cold places. The environment setting unit 30 is equipped with a heater 35 to accommodate this behavior of organisms C. This heater 35 is built into the holding unit 21 of the rearing unit 20, and its output is controlled by the control unit 34. The heat generated by the heater 35 warms the holding unit 21, and the heat from the holding unit 21 is further transferred to each of the stop members 22, thereby heating the entire rearing unit 20. When the rearing unit 20 is heated, the temperature of the area surrounding the rearing unit 20 in the rearing area 10a locally increases.

[0062] Other configurations of the breeding device 2 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 8, when the rearing unit 20 is in the initial position P1, the environment setting unit 30 sets the upstream area 24 to a favorable environment for this organism C. That is, the environment setting unit 30 operates the heater 35 to set the environment so that the upstream area 24 is warmer than the downstream area 25. This can encourage the organism C, which prefers warm places, to move from the downstream area 25 to the upstream area 24. As a result, it is possible to eliminate local overcrowding of organism C that occurs in the downstream area 25 during the rearing period of organism C.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 9 , when the breeding unit 20 is in the carry-out preparation position P2, the environment setting unit 30 sets the downstream area 25 to a favorable environment for the organism C. That is, by maintaining the operation of the heater 35, the environment setting unit 30 sets the downstream area 25, where the breeding unit 20 is located, to be warmer than the upstream area 24. This encourages the organism C, which prefers warm places, to move from the upstream area 24 to the downstream area 25. At this time, the organism C remaining in the breeding unit 20, which is in a warm place, automatically moves from the upstream area 24 to the downstream area 25 as the breeding unit 20 moves. As a result, the organisms C can be gathered in the downstream area 25 during collection work.

[0065] In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0066] In addition, in a modified example particularly related to embodiment 2, instead of or in addition to the heater 35, a fan capable of blowing out warm air can be used to create a favorable environment for the organism C, or a fan capable of blowing out cold air can be used to create an unfavorable environment for the organism C.

[0067] In a further modification of the second embodiment, the environment setting unit 30 can be configured based solely on the fact that the living organism C prefers warm places and dislikes cold places. In this case, the light blocking member 31 and the two lighting devices 32 and 33 can be eliminated from the components of the environment setting unit 30, and a structure using only the heater 35 can be adopted.

[0068] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the environment setting unit 30 has been used to set different environments between the upstream region 24 and the downstream region 25 of the rearing area 10a. However, instead, the rearing area 10a may have a first region and a second region aligned in a first direction X, i.e., a vertical direction, and the environment setting unit 30 may set different environments for these two regions. Alternatively, the rearing area 10a may have a first region and a second region aligned in a second direction Y, and the environment setting unit 30 may set different environments for these two regions. In the case of the first region and the second region aligned in the first direction X, for example, when the rearing density of organisms C in the lower region (first region) of the rearing area 10a becomes high, the upper region (second region) of the rearing area 10a may be darkened to promote the migration of organisms C to the upper region. Furthermore, when the rearing density of organisms C in the lower region of the rearing area 10a becomes high, the upper region of the rearing area 10a may be warmed to promote the migration of organisms C to the upper region.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the environment set by the environment setting unit 30 is exemplified as a light / dark environment and a temperature environment, but this environment is not limited to only a light / dark environment and a temperature environment. The environment set by the environment setting unit 30 is appropriately selected depending on the habits of the organism C to be raised. Examples of environments other than the light / dark environment and the temperature environment include a humidity environment, an airflow environment, an air pressure environment, a feeding environment, a water supply environment, and a cleaning environment.

[0071] With regard to the humidity environment, for example, a humidity range preferred by organism C can be considered a favorable environment, and any other humidity range can be considered an unfavorable environment. With regard to the airflow environment, for example, an environment that does not provide airflow to organism C can be considered a favorable environment, and an environment that provides airflow to organism C can be considered an unfavorable environment. With regard to the pressure environment, for example, a pressure range preferred by organism C can be considered a favorable environment, and any other pressure range can be considered an unfavorable environment. With regard to the feeding environment, an environment in which a feeding area for organism C is provided in a predetermined area can be considered a favorable environment, and an environment in which a feeding area for organism C is provided in a separate area can be considered an unfavorable environment. With regard to the water supply environment, an environment in which a water supply area for organism C is provided in a predetermined area can be considered a favorable environment, and an environment in which a water supply area for organism C is provided in a separate area can be considered an unfavorable environment. With regard to the cleaning environment, for example, an environment in which cleaning work is performed regularly can be considered a favorable environment, and an environment in which cleaning work is not performed can be considered an unfavorable environment.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the case where the transport device 40 is provided on the floor surface of the breeding area 10a of the breeding case 10 has been exemplified, but a structure in which the transport device 40 is omitted may also be employed.

[0073] In addition, in consideration of the above-mentioned embodiments and the various modified examples, the following aspects can be adopted. (Aspect 1) "A breeding method for breeding a living organism (C), A breeding method in which the environments of a first area (B1) and a second area (B2) in a breeding area for the organisms are set to be different from each other based on the habits of the organisms, thereby promoting the movement of the organisms from either the first area or the second area to the other. According to this first aspect, it is possible to provide a rearing method that can adjust the rearing density of organism C, such as insects, taking into consideration both an improvement in the survival rate of organism C and the efficiency of collection work.

Claims

1. A breeding device (1, 2) for breeding a living organism (C), a breeding case (10) having a breeding area (10a) for the organism; an environment setting unit (30) that sets the environment of the breeding area of ​​the breeding case; Equipped with the environment setting unit is configured to set the environment of at least one of the first area (B1) and the second area (B2) of the rearing area to an environment preferred by the living organism based on the habits of the living organism, thereby promoting movement of the living organism from one of the first area and the second area to the other; The breeding device (1, 2) is provided with a conveying device (40) provided on the floor of the breeding area of ​​the breeding case, and the breeding area includes an upstream area (24) in the conveying direction by the conveying device and a downstream area (25) in the conveying direction, the upstream area in the conveying direction being the first area and the downstream area in the conveying direction being the second area.

2. 2. The breeding device of claim 1, comprising a breeding unit (20) having a stop member (22) for the organism to rest on, the breeding area including a feeding area (26) that serves as a feeding ground for the organism, and the area in which the breeding unit is placed during the breeding period of the organism being the first area and the feeding area being the second area.

3. The breeding device described in claim 2, wherein the breeding unit is configured to be placed in different positions in the breeding area during the breeding period of the organism and during the collection work of the organism, and the area in which the breeding unit is placed during the collection work of the organism is the first area.

4. The rearing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the environment is at least one selected from a light / dark environment, a temperature environment, a humidity environment, an airflow environment, an air pressure environment, a feeding environment, a water supply environment, and a cleaning environment.

5. (delete)

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