WO2021143988A1

WO2021143988A1 - Automatic feeder

Info

Publication number: WO2021143988A1
Application number: PCT/DK2021/050005
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henrik Rasmussen; Kim Schacht
Original assignee: Bluetag Aps
Current assignee: Bluetag Aps
Priority date: 2020-01-13
Filing date: 2021-01-12
Publication date: 2021-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-13
Also published as: DK202000002U3

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic feeder for feeding pigs. The object of the invention is to provide a reliable automatic feeder which has a high resistance to high pressure cleaning, shocks and bites caused by pigs. It is also an object of the invention to provide an automatic feeder which has a high standard of hygiene and is easy to maintain, as well as has low production costs. According to the invention, this is achieved by an automatic feeder (1) for feeding pigs, where the automatic feeder comprises: - a storage container (2) for storing feed, where the storage container has a container top part (3), a container bottom part (4) and at least one container side shell (8, 9), where the container top part, the container bottom part and the container side shell define a container volume, where a container opening (6) is arranged in connection with the container volume, where a container accessory (5) is arranged in relation to the container opening, where the feed is led into the storage container via the container opening, where a feed opening is arranged in the container bottom part, where the feed is led from the storage container to a feed area (11); - at least one liquid duct (13, 14), where the liquid duct is arranged along and adjacent to the container shell, where the liquid duct extends at least from the container top part to the container bottom part, where the liquid duct has a top inlet and a bottom outlet, where liquid may be led into the top inlet and further out of the bottom outlet to a liquid area (12).

Description

AUTOMATIC FEEDER

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an automatic feeder for feeding livestock, primarily pigs.

Background of the invention

The global demand for animal proteins is steadily increasing worldwide. Pig producers produce more pork to meet the increasing demand. Similarly, feeding costs for feeding pigs are increasing, with feed and water becoming costly over time. These increasing costs of producing pork, combined with operating costs, force producers to produce pork using fewer resources, which may have a negative effect on the welfare of the pigs.

Hygiene is also an important parameter in relation to the welfare of the pigs. A lack of good hygiene in a piggery adversely affects the operating costs of the pig producer. Bacteria of any kind must be avoided. If a herd is infected by a disease, it may be com plicated and costly to eliminate the disease. The hygienic conditions in the piggeries are therefore of great importance, both for the pigs and for the pig producer.

Storage of feed and water may easily be an area from which diseases spread. If there is too little focus on hygiene in and around the feeding area, diseases may spread very quickly. The quality of food and water should be checked regularly, and periodic clean ing of the feeding area must ensure that the bacterial incidence does not develop uncon trolled.

Automatic feeders are often designed in such a way that feed is stored in a feed con tainer, where water is transported in water lines/water pipes next to the feed container. Both the feed container and the water lines are therefore exposed to the external envi ronment in the piggery. The life of the water lines are significantly reduced due to high- pressure cleaning as well as any blows and bites caused by the pigs. A great deal of attention must therefore be paid to the maintenance of the water line system, which is very time-consuming and may result in damage to the pigs as well as lead to increased operating costs and reduced sales prices for the pig producer. Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a reliable automatic feeder which has a high resistance to high-pressure cleaning, shocks and bites caused by pigs. It is also an object of the invention to provide an automatic feeder which has a high standard of hygiene and is easy to maintain, as well as has low production costs.

Description of the invention

According to the invention, this is achieved by an automatic feeder for feeding pigs, where the automatic feeder comprises:

- a storage container for storing feed, where the storage container has a container top part, a container bottom part and at least one container side shell, where the container top part, the container bottom part and the container side shell define a container vol ume, where a container opening is arranged in connection with the container volume, where a container accessory is arranged in relation to the container opening, where the feed is led into the storage container via the container opening, where a feed opening is arranged in the container bottom part, where the feed is led from the storage container to a feed area;

- at least one liquid duct, where the liquid duct is arranged along and adjacent to the container shell, where the liquid duct extends at least from the container top part to the container bottom part, where the liquid duct has a top inlet and a bottom outlet, where liquid may be led into the top inlet and further out of the bottom outlet to a liquid area.

Many piggeries have automatic feeders for feeding pigs, so that pigs always have access to feed and water. The addition of feed and water to the automatic feeder must be easy to control and maintain. It is important for there to be sufficiently fresh water and feed for the pigs. The pigs repeatedly switch between the feed area and the liquid area while eating. If it is not possible for pigs to consume sufficient water and/or feed, the risk of diseases in the herd increases. An automatic feeder enables the pig producer to adjust the feed composition and quantity according to the needs of the pigs, even the needs of each individual pig, if necessary.

In recent years, requirements for animal welfare and animal performance have increased continuously, making costly requirements of the pig producer. A well-developed/de- signed automatic feeder does more than simplify the feeding process. Using an automatic feeder, more pigs may be handled with less manpower, which reduces some of the operating costs.

The automatic feeder must provide feed and water to enable the pigs to easily access the feeding area. For example, the feed stored in the storage container may be in the form of pellets, granules and/or powder. The feed area may be arranged at a predefined distance under the storage container, which is suitable for feeding pigs. Next to the feed area, one or more liquid areas may be arranged, possibly designed as a water bowl. The liquid areas may be arranged on opposing sides of the feed area. This allows one or more pigs to repeatedly switch between feed and water while being fed.

In the event that the feed area and the water area(s) are arranged in the same feeding tray, cleaning must be carried out very carefully to maintain a high standard of hygiene. Cleaning is often carried out using high-pressure cleaning tools. However, using high- pressure cleaning results in a high load, such as wear and damage, on the automatic feeder. Therefore, a robust and reliable automatic feeder is required, which can with stand this type of cleaning. This results in easy and quick maintenance of the automatic feeder, as the automatic feeder is able to withstand the use of high-pressure cleaning, as well as an automatic feeder where the liquid duct is not exposed to damage caused by the pigs.

To avoid unnecessary wear and damage to the automatic feeder, the automatic feeder may be designed with a high level of protection of the water line(s). The design of the automatic feeder comprises an approximately moisture-proof storage container consist- ing of, inter alia, the following parts: a container top part, a container bottom part and a container side shell. All the parts are provided in a material which has a high resistance to high-pressure cleaning. The container top part, the container bottom part and the con tainer side shell surround a volume intended for the storage of feed, such as pellets, granules and/or powder, etc. In the container top part, a container opening is arranged, which is used to lead the feed into the storage container. A container accessory, a lid or an interconnection to an external feed distribution system is arranged in relation to the container opening. The lid may be tiltably arranged in relation to the container opening, where the lid may cover at least the entire container opening. This lid may, for example, be used for opening and closing when manually filling feed into the storage container. Alternatively, an external feed distribution system may be connected, which may, for example, be controlled for automatic feed filling according to a predefined filling sched ule and/or via a computer-controlled control system. The container top part may have more than one container opening, where each container opening is provided with one or more container accessories for manual and/or automatic filling of feed. A feed open ing is arranged in the container bottom part, where the feed is led from the storage con tainer to one or more feed areas, where the feed is thus accessible to the pigs.

The automatic feeder is provided with at least one liquid duct which is located in a direction extending at least from the container top part of the storage container to the container bottom part of the storage container. The liquid duct is approximately ar ranged along the container side shell. The liquid duct may be adjacent to and/or in con tact with the container side shell. The liquid duct may be attached to the container side shell. The liquid duct may extend away from the container top part and/or the container bottom part.

The liquid duct has a top inlet and a bottom inlet, where the top inlet is in fluid commu nication with the bottom outlet. Water, which is led into the top inlet, is led through the liquid duct and out through the bottom outlet, where the liquid, such as water, is led to a liquid area, for example corresponding to a water bowl, where the water is easily accessible to the pigs.

In a preferred embodiment, the container shell has an inner surface and an outer surface, where the liquid duct is arranged inside the container shell between the inner surface and the outer surface.

The liquid duct may be protected from the surroundings by being arranged inside the container volume. Thereby, the liquid duct may be protected from high-pressure clean ing as well as shocks, bites and blows from the pigs. For example, the liquid duct may be part of the container side shell design, and thus the liquid duct may be arranged wholly or partially inside the storage container. The liquid duct may extend away from the container top part and/or the container bottom part. The container shell or part of the container shell may be provided with a material thickness approximately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the storage container. The material thickness may be designed as a tube arranged to house the liquid duct and/or liquid. The tube from the material may be shaped as a projection which extends along the container side shell. Thereby, wear and damage to the liquid duct(s) may be significantly reduced. Mainte nance becomes easier and less time-consuming.

In a further preferred embodiment, a connection unit is located in relation to the top inlet of the liquid duct.

A connection unit may be provided at the top inlet of the liquid duct. The connection unit may be connected to an external water supply system. The external water supply system may supply the liquid duct with fresh water. An inlet on a liquid distributor may be arranged to the external water supply system by means of an connection unit. One or more outlets on the liquid distributor may be connected to one or more top inlets on liquid ducts by means of connection units, after which the liquid distributor is able to distribute water from the external water supply system to one or more liquid ducts in the automatic feeder. For example, the liquid distributor may be located on the container top part.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottom outlet of the liquid duct extends away from the storage container.

When using a feeding tray consisting of both feed area and water area, it may be a great advantage to lead the bottom outlet of the liquid duct away from the storage container so that the water may more easily be led in the desired direction down into the water area. The bottom outlet of the liquid duct is thus displaced a given distance away from the feed opening of the container bottom part. An alternative is for the water area to be arranged in another feeding tray than the feeding tray with the feed area.

In a further preferred embodiment, a feed dosing unit is arranged wholly or partially in the feed opening of the container bottom part.

In order to dose the right amount of feed for the pigs, a feed dosing unit is arranged in or partially in the container bottom part of the storage container. The feed dosing unit must be controlled by either manual or computer-controlled activation. Upon manual activation, the dosing unit will release the correct amount of feed when a user activates an activating means. The feed dosing unit may be controlled from a central location by a feed control system. When the feed control system activates an activating means, the feed dosing unit will release the correct amount of feed. The feed dosing unit may be controlled manually or computer-controlled according to a predefined feed dosing schedule.

In a preferred embodiment, a drinking valve is located in continuation of the bottom outlet of the liquid duct, where the bottom outlet of the liquid duct is attached to the drinking valve.

The bottom outlet of the liquid duct is attached to the drinking valve so that the inter connection does not inadvertently break during use and/or cleaning. Depending on the distance to the feed and liquid area, the drinking valve may be arranged at a given dis- tance to the container bottom part and/or to the feed and liquid area, so that it is possible for the pigs to activate the drinking valve during feeding. The drinking valve may be selected based on the development stage of the pigs, if necessary. The water from the drinking valve may be led into a designated water bowl. In a further preferred embodiment, a feeding tray comprises at least one of said feed area and at least one of said liquid area, where the feeding tray is located at a predefined distance to the container bottom part using mounting brackets.

A feeding tray may be part of the automatic feeder, specially designed to feed pigs. For example, the feeding tray may comprise a feed area, where a water bowl may be ar ranged next to the feed area. Alternatively, several water bowls may be arranged on either side of the feed area. For example, the drinking valve may be arranged at a dis tance away from the storage container so that feed and water are not mixed inadvertently before feed and water are accessible to the pigs. If feed and water are mixed inadvert- ently at the feed dosing unit and the drinking valve, feed and water may together form a mass which eventually may clog the feed dosing unit and/or the drinking valve.

The feeding tray may be located at a predefined distance to the container bottom part and the drinking valve(s). The predefined distance may be based on the development state of the pigs. For example, small pigs may access a feeding tray arranged close to the container bottom part, whereas large pigs need more space between the container bottom part and the feeding tray. Inter alia, pigs will be able to access and activate the drinking valve more easily if the distance between the container bottom part and the feeding tray is arranged in relation to the head size of the pigs. The feeding tray may also contain several devices in different dimensions of bowls and/or plates.

The distance between the container bottom part and the feeding tray may be mounted using mounting brackets. The mounting brackets may be adjustable so that the distance between the container bottom part and the feeding tray can be easily varied. The feeding tray may be moulded, making production easy and fast, as well as reducing the produc tion costs of the overall automatic feeder. Furthermore, the feeding tray may be easily and quickly replaced as needed using the mounting brackets. In a preferred embodiment, the storage container has a first container side shell and a second container side shell, where the first container side shell and the second container side shell are adjacent and extend from the container top part to the container bottom part, where the liquid duct is arranged between the first container side shell and the second container side shell.

By using container side shells, a storage container may easily be shaped and joined. The container side shells may be designed so that each container side shell extends from the container top part to the container bottom part. For example, the storage container has a fmstoconical shape, where the area of a top end surface is larger than the area of a bottom end surface. The cross section of the top end surface may have an approximately elliptical shape, where the cross-section of the bottom end may have an approximately circular shape. The oval shape of the storage container may extend from the container top part to the container bottom part. However, the top end surface and bottom end surface may be designed differently as needed. This narrowing of container volume from top to bottom means that all the feed in the storage container will be led directly to the container bottom part, where all the feed may be led out through the container opening in the container bottom part, using only gravity. The storage container has an elliptical longitudinal cross-section, defined as a major axis, which is larger than an elliptical transverse cross-section, defined as a minor axis. For example, the storage container may be divided into two or more container side shells. For example, a first and a second container side shell may be divided relative to the major axis. The first container side shell and the second container side shell are divided in relation to the first of the large axis intersection points with the periphery of the ellipsis and the second of the large axis intersection points with the periphery of the ellipse. The first container side shell is arranged on one side of both intersection points, where the second container side shell is arranged on the opposing side of both intersec- tion points. The widest end of the first container side shell and second container side shell are adjacent to the container top part. The narrowest end of the first container side shell and second container side shell are adjacent to the container bottom part.

A first and a second side of the first container side shell are adjacent to a first and a second side of the second container side shell. The first container side shell and second container side shell may be attached to each other by means of fasteners such as screws or clips or similar. The liquid duct may be arranged between the first container side shell and the second container side shell within the container volume. One or more liq uid ducts may be conducted in the joint, where the first and/or a second side of the first container side shell is adjacent to a first and/or a second side of the second container side shell. Between the first container side shell and the second container side shell, side flanks may be formed, which extend from the widest end to the narrowest end of the container side shells, where the side flanks may house the liquid duct or liquid ducts. When the first container side shell and the second container side shell are joined, the container side shells will together form an oval frustoconical storage container. The liquid duct or liquid ducts will be protected in the storage container.

In a further preferred embodiment, at least one liquid distributor is in fluid communica tion with a liquid supply, and where the liquid distributor is in fluid communication with a first top inlet on at least a first liquid duct and a second top inlet on at least a second liquid duct, where the liquid distributor is able to distribute liquid from the liquid supply to the first and second liquid ducts. The liquid distributor is in fluid communication with an external fluid supply. Water from an external water supply may be controlled by an automatic feeder. The liquid distributor is able to distribute the water to a plurality of liquid ducts. The liquid distrib utor is in connection with the top inlets of the liquid ducts.

For example, the liquid distributor may be arranged on an outer surface of the container top part, where the liquid ducts extend up along the container top part to the liquid distributor. The liquid ducts may be conducted in recesses in the container top part. The recesses cause the liquid ducts to be in a fixed position. The liquid ducts may be con ducted on the inside and/or on the outside of the container top part. It is a great ad vantage during feeding and cleaning that the liquid ducts are protected and cannot un intentionally be destroyed by being tom loose. The top inlets of the liquid ducts may be connected to the liquid distributor in the proper manner. Thus, water from the liquid supply is led through the liquid distributor to the liquid ducts. The water will then be led down through the liquid ducts and out through the bottom outlet to the drinking valves.

In a preferred embodiment, the storage container is arranged in a container frame.

The storage container may be mounted in a container frame. The container frame en sures that the storage container is in the desired position during use. Drinking valves may be mounted on either side of the storage container in the container frame at a given distance. The drinking valves are placed at a distance over the drinking area, which may be located in a feeding tray. The liquid ducts may be conducted to the respective drink ing valves, possibly hidden in ducts in the container frame. The feeding tray may pos sibly be mounted using adjustable mounting brackets at the bottom of the container frame and serve as a base for the automatic feeder. Alternatively, the automatic feeder may be integrated into a larger frame system designed for several automatic feeders.

The automatic feeder as described above has a great immunity to high-pressure cleaning as well as harsh treatment by the pigs during feeding. In particular the protection of the liquid ducts is an essential part of this immunity compared to known systems where the liquid ducts are separated from the storage container. Production and maintenance costs can be kept at a low level. The storage container may be made from a material which is approximately resistant to the environment present in a piggery. Materials such as polymer material are easily formable and may advanta geously be used for several of the automatic feeder parts, such as the container shell, the upper part of the container, the lower part of the container and the feed tray, and may easily be shaped into a form which applies for a predefined use in the automatic feeder.

The outer surface of the storage container may highly advantageously be smooth, which will make cleaning the automatic feeder easier and faster. Cleaning may thus easily be carried out using a high-pressure cleaner without the high water pressure damaging the automatic feeder. The automatic feeder may therefore easily be kept at a high standard of hygiene due to the easy maintenance. The invention has now been explained with reference to a few embodiments, which have been described to illustrate the many possibilities with different combinations that may be achieved with an automatic feeder according to the present invention.

Description of the drawings

The embodiment of the invention is described in relation to the following figures: Fig. 1: Illustration of an automatic feeder shown from a front side.

Fig. 2: Illustration of an automatic feeder shown from a back side.

Fig. 3: Illustration of an automatic feeder shown from above.

Fig. 4: Illustration of an automatic feeder shown from below.

Fig. 5: Illustration of an automatic feeder shown in an exploded drawing. Detailed description of the invention

An embodiment of the feeding system is explained in this detailed description. It should be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to the following description as well as the illustrated drawings shown. The invention may appear in other embodi ments, which may be practised or designed in various ways.

Fig. 1 illustrates an automatic feeder 1 shown from the front side. The automatic feeder 1 is suitable for use in feeding pigs, but may easily be used for feeding other animals. The automatic feeder 1 comprises a storage container 2 consisting of a container top part 3, a container bottom part 4 and two container side shells 8, 9, which together define a container volume suitable for storing feed. The storage container 2 is mounted in a container frame 7. The container frame 7 ensures that the storage container is in an upright position during use.

A container accessory, in this example a tiltable lid 5, is arranged in relation to the con tainer opening, which is arranged in the container top part 3. The container opening is covered by the lid 5 and cannot be seen in Fig. 1. The lid 5 may be tilted upwards and away from the container opening. The feed is led into the storage container 2 via the container opening. A feed opening is arranged in the container bottom part 4, where the feed is led from the storage container 2 to a feed plate in the feed tray 10, where the feed is thus accessible to the pigs.

The automatic feeder 1 further comprises two liquid ducts 13, 14. The liquid ducts 13, 14 each have a top inlet and a bottom inlet. A liquid distributor 15 is in fluid communication with an external water supply. The liquid distributor 15 is in fluid com munication with the top inlets on each of the liquid ducts 13, 14. The liquid distribu tor 15 distributes water to the first and second liquid ducts 13, 14. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are partially shielded from the surroundings by being partially placed in the stor- age container 2. The liquid ducts 13, 14 extend down along the container side shells 8, 9, away from the container top part 3 down towards the container bottom part 4.

A liquid distributor 15 is arranged on an outer surface of the container top part 3 at a distance to the lid 5. The liquid ducts 13, 14 extend up along the container top part 3 to the liquid distributor 15. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted in recesses in the con tainer top part 3. The recesses cause the liquid ducts 13, 14 to be arranged in a fixed position. The top inlets of the liquid ducts 13, 14 may be connected to the liquid distrib utor 15 using waterproof connection units. The water is led into the top inlets of the respective liquid ducts 13, 14. The water is led out through the bottom outlet, where the water is led to the respective drinking bowls 12’, 12”, where the fresh water is easily accessible to the pigs. Drinking valves 17 are mounted on either side of the storage container 2 in the container frame 7 at an appropriate distance away from the container bottom part. The drinking valves are placed at a distance over the drinking area 12’, 12”. The drinking area 12’, 12” is shaped like drinking bowls and is arranged in each side of the feeding tray 10. The liquid ducts 13, 14 may be conducted down along the side of the storage container 2 and out to the respective drinking valves 17. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted hidden, down along the storage container 2 and/or the container frame 7, re spectively. Fig. 2 illustrates an automatic feeder shown from the back side. The storage container 2 and the drinking valves 17 are mounted in a container frame 7. The drinking valves 17 are arranged on either side of the storage container 2. The container frame 7 ensures that the storage container 2 is in an upright position during use, and that the distance between the storage container 2 and the drinking valves 17 is in a fixed position when the automatic feeder is in use. The feeding tray 10 is mounted using mounting brack ets 21 at the bottom of the container frame 7.

The liquid ducts 13, 14 are partially shielded from the surroundings by being partially placed in the storage container 2. The container shells 8, 9 are provided with a material thickness where the container shells 8, 9 are joined. Material thickness is shown as a projection on each side of the storage container 2, where the projection is approximately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the storage container 2. The projection may be designed as a tube arranged to house the liquid duct and/or liquid. The liquid ducts 13, 14 extend down along the container side shells 8, 9, away from the container top part 3 down towards the container bottom part 4, where the liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted inside the projection 20’, 20”.

The drinking valves 17, which are mounted on either side of the storage container 2 in the container frame 7, are mounted at an appropriate distance away from the container bottom part 4. The drinking valves 17 are placed at a distance above the drinking area 12’, 12”, which makes it easy for the pigs to activate the drinking valve 17 and to drink from the drinking bowl. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted down along the side of the storage container 2 and out to the respective drinking valves 17. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted hidden, down along the storage container 2 and the container frame 7, respectively.

Fig. 3 illustrates an automatic feeder 1 shown from above. The storage container has an approximately elliptical cross-section, defined as a major axis S and a minor axis L. The storage container 2 is divided into two container side shells. The liquid ducts 13, 14 and the liquid distributor 15 are arranged along the major axis S. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted in recesses in the container top part 3 in a fixed position. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted inside the projection 20’, 20” and conducted down to the respective drinking valves.

Fig. 4 illustrates an automatic feeder 1 shown from below. The feeding tray 10 is mounted using mounting brackets 21 at the bottom of the container frame 7. The feed ing tray comprises a feed plate 11 and two water bowls 12. The feeding tray 10 may be part of the automatic feeder, but the automatic feeder 1 may be placed over an external feed area.

The feeding tray 10 in this embodiment is located at a predefined distance to the con tainer bottom part and the drinking valves. The feeding tray 10 may also contain several devices of water bowls 12 and feed plates 11 in different dimensions of bowls and/or plates than shown in this embodiment.

Fig. 5 illustrates an automatic feeder 1 shown in an exploded 3D drawing. The auto matic feeder 1 comprises a storage container 2 consisting of a container top part 3, a container bottom part 4 and two container side shells 8, 9, which enclose a container volume suitable for storing feed. The storage container 2 is mounted in a container frame 7. The container frame 7 ensures that the storage container is in an upright posi tion during use. The container top part 3 has a tiltable lid 5 attached. The lid 5 is arranged in relation to the container opening 6. Feed is led into the storage container 2 via the container open ing 6, where the lid 5 may be tilted upwards and away from the container opening 6. A feed opening is arranged in the container bottom part 4, where a feed dosing unit 22 is arranged wholly or partially in the feed opening of the container bottom part 4. The feed may be led down into the feed dosing unit 22, using gravity alone.

The feed dosing unit 22 is mounted on an shaft vertical in use, which in an upper part of the automatic feeder is connected to a horizontal second shaft. This second shaft protrudes from the shells 2, 3 diametrically opposite. Since the shells are alike, they will have directly opposing openings. Where the vertical shaft is connected to the second shaft, a mechanism is arranged so that when the second shaft is rotated, the vertical shaft will either be moved upwards or downwards. This moves the feed dosing unit 22, whereby more or less feed is led into the trough. At one end of the second shaft, a dosing button 24 is mounted in communication with a scale 25. This allows the desired position to be easily positioned and thus how much feed to dispense. At the other end where the second shaft protrudes, only a scale and an arrow are mounted, so that the dispensing size may be easily read remotely on both sides of the automatic feeder.

The automatic feeder 1 comprises two liquid ducts 13, 14. The liquid ducts 13, 14 each have a top inlet and a bottom inlet. The liquid ducts 13, 14 extend down along the con tainer side shells 8, 9, away from the container top part 3 down towards the container bottom part 4. The liquid distributor 15 is in fluid communication with the top inlets on each of the liquid ducts 13, 14. The liquid distributor 15 distributes water to the first and second liquid ducts 13, 14.

The drinking valves 17 are mounted on either side of the storage container 2 at an ap propriate distance away from the container bottom part 4 and the feed dosing unit 22. The drinking valves are placed at a distance over the drinking area 12’, 12”. The drink ing area 12’, 12” is shaped like drinking bowls and is arranged in each side of the feed ing tray 10. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted down along the side of the storage container 2 and out to the respective drinking valves 17. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are conducted hidden, down along the storage container 2 and/or the container frame 7, re- spectively.

A first and a second side of the first container side shell 8 are adjacent to a first and a second side of the second container side shell 9. The first container side shell 8 and second container side shell 9 are mounted to each other using screws. The liquid ducts 13, 14 are arranged between the first container side shell 8 and the second con tainer side shell 9. A first and second side of the first container side shell 8 and the second container side shell 9 are formed as side flanks extending from the widest upper end to the narrowest lower end of the container side shells 8, 9. The side flanks 20’, 20” may house the liquid duct or liquid ducts. When the first container side shell 8 and the second container side shell 9 are joined, the container side shells 8, 9 form an oval frus- toconical tube, where the liquid ducts 13, 14 will be conducted hidden and protected in the adjacent joints of the container side shells 8, 9.

Claims

1. An automatic feeder for feeding pigs, comprising:

2. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, where the container shell has an inner surface and an outer surface, where the liquid duct is arranged inside the container shell, either between the inner surface and the outer surface or on the inner surface.

3. The automatic feeder according to claim 1 or 2, where a connection unit is located in relation to the top inlet of the liquid duct.

4. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, 2 or 3, where the bottom outlet of the liquid duct extends away from the storage container.

5. The automatic feeder according to one or more of the preceding claims, where a feed dosing unit is arranged wholly or partially in the feed opening of the container bottom part, and where a shaft is provided, the shaft being manipulatable from a knob mounted on the outside of the automatic feeder, so that the feed dosing may be adjusted by ma nipulating the button.

6. The automatic feeder according to one or more of the preceding claims, where a drinking valve is located in continuation of the bottom outlet of the liquid duct, where the bottom outlet of the liquid duct is attached to the drinking valve.

7. The automatic feeder according to one or more of the preceding claims, where a feeding tray comprises at least one of said feed area and at least one of said liquid area, where the feeding tray is located at a predefined distance to the container bottom part using mounting brackets.

8. The automatic feeder according to one or more of the preceding claims, where the storage container has a first container side shell and a second container side shell, where the first container side shell and the second container side shell are adjacent and extend from the container top part to the container bottom part, where the liquid duct is ar ranged between the first container side shell and the second container side shell.

9. The automatic feeder according to one or more of the preceding claims, where at least one liquid distributor is in fluid communication with a liquid supply, and where the liquid distributor is in fluid communication with a first top inlet on at least a first liquid duct and a second top inlet on at least a second liquid duct, where the liquid distributor is able to distribute liquid from the liquid supply to the first and second liquid ducts.

10. The automatic feeder according to one or more of the preceding claims, where the storage container is arranged in a container frame.