Willis Ray Voran

US Patent:

43218873, Mar 30, 1982

Filed:

Jan 19, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/226497

Inventors:

Harlan W. Martin - New Holland PA
Harvey Z. Burkholder - Denver PA
Willis R. Voran - New Holland PA
Galen A. Winters - Conestoga PA

Assignee:

Favorite Manufacturing, Inc. - New Holland PA

International Classification:

A01K 3104

US Classification:

119 22

Abstract:

A cage and manure removal system for egg-laying poultry is disclosed. In the system, a bank of cages are disposed in pairs of rows in vertically-spaced tiers. A horizontally disposed manure dropping board overlies the cage rows in the lower tiers for collecting droppings excreted by poultry in the overlying cage rows. The droppings are periodically cleaned from the dropping boards by a manure scraping assembly which comprises a carriage mounted for movement along a monorail which overlies the cage bank and has a depending post mounting a series of augers adapted to travel along the top surfaces of the dropping boards. As the carriage advances and the augers rotate, the droppings are displaced inwardly on the dropping boards for collection in a collection pit located below the cage bank. A method of handling manure to promote drying is also disclosed.