Abstract:
A poultry watering device for use with a conduit system in a confinement house having at least a portion thereof associated with the actuation of the device by birds marked by a photo-luminescent material such that the birds can drink therefrom in darkness or low light conditions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to the field of livestock husbandry and more particularly to the field of poultry production. In greater particularity, the present invention relates to the field poultry production with respect to the housing and environmental aspects of raising poultry to a marketable size and weight. In even greater particularity, the present invention relates to providing poultry with adequate periods of dark and light and sufficient water during such periods to optimize growth in the birds and to minimize hydration stress.  
         [0002]     Poultry science has progressed in the management of temperature, water, and light such that these and other parameters are increasingly viewed as efficiency variables in the same manner as nutrition. One factor which has been recently received attention relates to the effect of light and darkness on the growth rate of poultry. There is a possibility that by managing light and darkness, the fowl can be allowed to feed and rest in periods which will increase the rate of growth. This may be related to the tendency of fowl to roost in darkness, thereby reducing their metabolic requirements as compared to the normal activities during the waking hours. Accordingly, some experimentation has been undertaken to determine the efficiency of the growth cycle by artificially darkening the confinement house to allow the poultry to rest. Although some results indicate that there is an increase in growth due to lower light conditions, and adverse aspect may be that poultry tend to roost and do not move to drink during periods of darkness, thus some birds may have hydration stress induced by increased period of darkness due to the roosting phenomenon.  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0003]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved watering system to poultry confinement houses.  
         [0004]     Another object of the invention is to induce poultry to drink water during periods of darkness.  
         [0005]     Yet another object of the invention is to reduce hydration stress in poultry while reducing the amount of light received in poultry houses.  
         [0006]     Still another object of the invention is to increase the weight gain of poultry per unit of time by reducing energy consumption and increasing water consumption.  
         [0007]     These and other objects and advantages of the invention are accomplished by a modification to existing watering systems to make them visible to poultry in low light or darkness conditions. More particularly, the present invention utilizes photo-luminescent materials in the vicinity of the water outlets to allow the poultry to locate the water outlets in the dark. The various structural variations and the manner in which the objects of the invention are accomplished will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     An apparatus embodying the features of the present invention is depicted in the accompanying drawings which form a portion of this disclosure and wherein:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a modern watering system in a poultry confinement house;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of a nipple type watering device showing activation of the device by poultry;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of a typical watering device with various components which can be used as a photo-luminescent marker in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is side elevation view of a nipple type watering device with a portion of the housing made from photo-luminescent marker.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of a watering device with a lower photo luminescent marker.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of a watering device with clip on photo luminescent marker. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]     Referring to FIGS.  1  to  6 , it will be appreciated that the invention is intended for use in commercial poultry houses  10  in which a watering system provides water to thousands of birds. Typically the house  10  has an external source of water, not shown and a network of conduits  11  supplying water under low pressure throughout the house  10 . The conduits  11  will have a number of drop pipes  12  or extensions which terminate in valved drinking units  13 . Such units are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,185,590; 4,770,126; 5,293,836; and others. As noted in various instances in the cited patents poultry quickly learn to drink from these valved drinking units by actuating the valve with their beak. However, even though there are thousands of such drinking units in a confinement house, the majority of the poultry confined therein do not drink in darkness.  
         [0016]     The present invention provides the drinking unit with a photo-luminescent marker which is visible to the poultry in low light or dark conditions. Observation in confinement houses in which prototypes of the markers were installed show that poultry generally settled down to roost when the lights go out, but also rise to drink from the marked drinking units even in darkness, then return to the roosting position.  
         [0017]     Accordingly, as shown in FIGS.  2  to  6  the drinking units  13  typically include body unit  40 , valve actuating member  50 , metering pin  70  and an internal valve chamber  80 . Drinking units  13  are attached to conduit system  11  as described in the prior art. It known to make housing  40  out of ABS plastic. Housing  40  has a frusto-conical bore  44  located at one end, which provides the outlet for water as is well known. Actuating member  50  includes a generally cylindrical pin  52  with an actuator head, not shown, disposed at one end thereof within the housing  40 . As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,836 a drinking disc  60  may be disposed on actuating member  52  in a nipple type drinker as shown in  FIG. 2  and may be made from plastic, metal or any suitable material.  
         [0018]     Photo-luminescent pigments are available which are non toxic, water proof, non-radioactive and which can be blended with plastics or ceramics, mixed in paint, and applied to films or tapes. These pigments are activated by exposure to light from incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lighting, sunlight or UV light depending on the type pigment selected and will remain luminescent for up to several hours in darkness. Accordingly in  FIG. 4 , the plastic body or housing  40  is made with photo-luminescent pigments in the plastic such that the housing  40  glows in the dark. Alternatively, for disk watering stations, the disk  60  may be made completely or partially from plastic or ceramic which is impregnated with photo-luminescent pigment such that the poultry can see the disc directly as in  FIG. 5 . In drinking units without discs, trigger pin  52  may be painted with luminescent paint which is waterproof and durable as in  FIG. 3 . Likewise all or part of a metal watering disc  60  may be painted with photo-luminescent paint. Although photo-luminescent tape is available and is considered within the scope of the claims for use in each instance in which the component is made from or painted with photo-luminescent material, the durability of such tape in this application has not been evaluated. Also encompassed within the scope of the invention is a retrofit adapter  65  made from photo-luminescent material that can be attached to the drinking unit such as depicted in  FIG. 6 . The physical construction of such units will be dependant upon the type watering units are in place. Flexible tabs may be provided to support a marker, or the marker may comprise a sleeve or snap on rim made from plastic or other suitable photo-luminescent material.  
         [0019]     Other type drinkers which are amenable to use with the present invention. As with  FIG. 3-5 , selected components may be made from photo-luminescent material or may be painted or coated with such material in a manner that will allow the poultry to see the drinker mechanism in the dark and allow the poultry to actuate the drinker and return to roosting.  
         [0020]     It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown is a preferred embodiment thereof and that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope as defined in the following claims.