Segmented Livestock Feeder Design for Feed Waste Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional livestock feeders suffer from significant feed waste due to trampling, spoilage, and unnatural feeding postures, as animals can easily access and push feed material out, leading to inefficiencies and potential injuries.
Innovation Solution
A feeder design featuring a lower portion with a sidewall and spaced-apart bars forming a feed-receiving enclosure, combined with an upper portion that includes a top member, intermediate member, and additional bars to limit access, allowing animals to feed naturally while preventing feed material from being trampled or wasted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional feeders with large vertical openings are used to allow animal access to feed material, then ease of operation is improved, but feed material is pushed out and lost
Solution Approach 1:
The feeder is divided into multiple horizontal levels with progressively smaller openings. The lower portion has larger openings for initial access, while upper portions have smaller openings that prevent feed material from being pushed out, thus segmenting the access control by height
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a vertical dimension to access control by creating multiple levels at different heights. Animals must reach upward to access higher feed portions, which naturally limits their ability to push feed out while still allowing access when needed
2Ease of operation
If animals are allowed to access feed at elevated positions along the feeder side, then ease of operation is improved, but animal injury may occur due to unnatural feeding posture
Solution Approach 1:
The feeder structure is designed to be stable and fixed at an appropriate height, allowing animals to access feed at a natural head level without requiring unnatural stretching or positioning that could cause injury
3Ease of operation
If conventional feeders allow animals to remove feed material freely, then ease of operation is improved, but feed waste increases due to trampling and spoilage
Solution Approach 1:
The feeder is segmented into multiple compartments or levels, each with controlled openings. This segmentation allows animals to access feed in a controlled manner while preventing them from removing large amounts of feed at once, thereby reducing waste from trampling and spoilage
Data Source
AI summary
A feeder for livestock is disclosed and includes a sidewall having a top portion and a bottom portion, at least a portion of the sidewall forming a feed-receiving enclosure. A plurality of spaced-apart first bars is provided, each first bar extending inwardly from the top portion of the sidewall and are spaced sufficiently apart to allow an animal to place its head therebetween during feeding. An upper portion includes a top member and an intermediate member having a substantially smaller perimeter than a perimeter of the top portion of the sidewall. At least some of the first bars extend between the sidewall and the upper portion. A plurality of spaced-apart second bars are also provided, each the second bar extending between the intermediate member and the top member spaced close enough to prevent feeding from the top portion.