Adjustable Duck Nesting Support for Litter Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing poultry accommodation devices for ducks face challenges such as limited automatic egg removal, inadequate lighting, frequent cleaning needs due to litter introduction, and changing nest conditions, which affect animal well-being and productivity.
Innovation Solution
A poultry accommodation device with movable support elements that adjust to maintain consistent nest height, allowing for easy litter management and reduced manual effort, combined with features like egg transport devices and adjustable lighting, to enhance animal welfare and productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If bedding is regularly introduced into the barn, then the barn remains clean and comfortable for poultry, but the nesting conditions change constantly and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support legs are designed to be height-adjustable, allowing the nesting box to dynamically adapt to varying bedding depths. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to maintain consistent nest conditions even as bedding levels change, resolving the contradiction between maintaining barn cleanliness and ensuring stable nesting conditions for egg production
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the height parameter of the nesting box by adjusting the support leg length. This parameter adjustment compensates for changes in bedding depth, maintaining optimal nesting conditions despite variations in bedding introduction frequency and amount, thereby preserving egg production while allowing flexible bedding management
2Stability of the object's composition
If support legs are made height-adjustable to adapt to uneven ground and bedding depth changes, then nesting conditions remain consistent, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is segmented into multiple adjustable support legs rather than a single fixed support structure. Each leg can be independently adjusted in height, allowing fine-tuned adaptation to ground unevenness and bedding depth variations. This segmentation provides the necessary adjustability while keeping each individual component relatively simple
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs incorporate dynamic height adjustment capabilities through mechanisms such as friction-fit clamps and positive-locking screw connections. These mechanisms allow for straightforward height changes without complex controls, maintaining nesting condition consistency while minimizing device complexity through simple, manual adjustment features
3Productivity
If eggs are removed manually from nests, then egg collection is possible, but labor costs increase and animal welfare may be disturbed
Solution Approach 1:
The nesting box is elevated to a height that creates an equipotential working condition for egg removal. By positioning the nest at an optimal height above the ground, eggs can be easily accessed and removed without requiring significant bending or lifting effort from handlers, thereby reducing labor effort while maintaining effective egg collection
Solution Approach 2:
The elevated nesting box structure acts as an intermediary platform that facilitates easier egg removal. By providing a raised, accessible platform, the system mediates between the poultry and the egg collection process, making egg removal simpler and less labor-intensive while minimizing disturbance to the animals
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device ensures consistent nest conditions, reduces manual cleaning frequency, and improves animal well-being and productivity by allowing automatic adjustment of litter height and egg collection, minimizing human disturbance and maintaining optimal lighting.
Implementation Method 1
The support element (100) is arranged and configured to be movable in a vertical direction relative to a floor surface (6) of the poultry housing device (1), in particular to extend by its own weight when the poultry housing device (1) is lifted
Implementation Method 2
a locking element (120) which interacts with the support element (100) to prevent movement of the support element (100) in a vertically upward direction relative to the floor surface (6) and to allow movement of the support element (100) relative to the floor surface (6) in a vertically downward direction
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a poultry housing device, in particular for egg-laying ducks, a poultry house, in particular for keeping ducks, and a method for keeping ducks. The invention relates in particular to a poultry housing device, in particular for egg-laying ducks, with a plurality of laying nests arranged side by side above a floor surface, at least one support element extending vertically from a lower end to an upper end and being movable vertically relative to the floor surface, and with a locking element that interacts with the support element to prevent movement of the support element in a vertically upward direction relative to the floor surface and to allow movement of the support element relative to the floor surface in a vertically downward direction.