Abstract:
A system and method for feeding poultry are disclosed. The system may include a bucket, a cover configured to removably seal the top of the bucket, a plurality of openings on the bottom of the bucket; and a plurality of arced pipes extending from the openings at the bottom past the sides of the bucket. The method may include the steps of drilling an opening in a housing; placing first elbows in the housing; securing second elbows to the housing; placing spacers on the second elbows; forming a dispersion floor; placing the dispersion floor in the housing; filling the housing with feed; and placing the housing amongst poultry.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/148,405, filed Apr. 16, 2015, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    This invention is generally related to poultry systems and methods, and more particularly to a system and method for feeding poultry using a bucket and tubes. 
         [0004]    2. Background 
         [0005]    Systems and methods for feeding poultry have been around for thousands of years. However, the industry is in need of a more efficient and convenient system and method for feeding poultry. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    Disclosed herein is a new and improved system and method for feeding poultry. In accordance with one aspect of the approach, a system for feeding poultry may include a bucket, a cover configured to removably seal the top of the bucket, a plurality of openings on the bottom of the bucket, and a plurality of arced pipes extending from the openings at the bottom past the sides of the bucket. 
         [0007]    In accordance with a method of deeding poultry, the method may include the steps of drilling an opening in a housing; placing first elbows in the housing; securing second elbows to the housing; placing spacers on the second elbows; forming a dispersion floor; placing the dispersion floor in the housing; filling the housing with feed; and placing the housing amongst poultry. 
         [0008]    Other systems, methods, aspects, features, embodiments and advantages of the system and method disclosed herein will be, or will become, apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, aspects, features, embodiments and advantages be included within this description, and be within the scope of the accompanying claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    It is to be understood that the drawings are solely for purpose of illustration. Furthermore, the components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the system disclosed herein. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is an angled view of a poultry feeding system with a housing, a lid, and with portions of three feed access spouts shown. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the poultry feeding system of  FIG. 1  without the lid. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a second exemplary poultry feeding system having feed in the housing and with two feed access spouts shown. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged side view of one of the feed access spouts of  FIG. 3  and a cover for the feed access spout. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating a poultry feeding method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The following detailed description, which references to and incorporates the drawings, describes and illustrates one or more specific embodiments. These embodiments, offered not to limit but only to exemplify and teach, are shown and described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice what is claimed. Thus, for the sake of brevity, the description may omit certain information known to those of skill in the art. 
         [0016]    Poultry feeding system and method are provided.  FIG. 1  shows of an exemplary poultry feeding system  100 . The poultry feeding system  100  may have a lid  102  and a housing  104 . The housing  104  may be a bucket, for example, a five gallon bucket. The housing  104  may include a cylindrical portion  104   a,  a floor portion  104   b,  a handle  104   c,  and one or more holes  104   d.    
         [0017]    The housing  104  and lid  102  may form a re-sealable locking system, such as, but not limited to, a screw threaded rim at the top of the housing  104 , and a corresponding threaded interior lip portion of the lid  102 , as is known to those have ordinary skill in the art. The re-sealable locking system may also be a rounded portion  310  (see  FIG. 3 ) on the rim of the housing  104  and a corresponding ridge grip  312  on the interior lip portion of the lid  102 . 
         [0018]    Protruding through a lower portion of the cylindrical portion  104   a  may be one or more feed access spouts  106 . The feed access spouts  106 , may be formed, for example, but not limited to, from a two inch 45 degree PVC street elbow  106   a  (shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ), and a two inch 90 degree PVC standard elbow  106   b  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), a two inch PVC nipple of two inches in length  106   c  (shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ), and an end cap  106   d  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). The system  100  may include four of the feed access spouts  106  that may be positioned at 90 degrees around the lower portion of the cylindrical portion  104   a  of the housing  104 . The feed access spouts  106  may be sealed and fixed to the housing  104 , for example, but not limited to, through the use of a first caulk seal  108 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a top view showing the interior of the housing  104 .  FIG. 2  illustrates that the system  100  may include a dispersion floor  110 . The dispersion floor  110  allows for poultry feed  306  (See  FIG. 3 ) to be partially supported in the housing  104  between the dispersion floor  110  and the top of the feeder housing  104 .  FIG. 3  shows a side view of second exemplary poultry feeding system  100   a.  The dispersion floor  110  includes one or more dispersion openings  110   a  that may allow for feed  306  to flow through gravity from the interior of the housing  104  above the dispersion floor  110 , to the feed access spouts  106 . The feed access spouts  106  may be positioned, and of sufficient length and height, for the gravity feed to be impeded within the feed access spouts  106  near the end  106   e  of the feed access spout  106 , such that the feed  306  will remain within the feed access spout  106 , but shall be available to poultry (not shown) through the extension of the a beek of the poultry into the end  106   e  of the feed access spouts  106 . The dispersion floor  110  may be sealed and fixed to the interior of the housing  104 , for example, but not limited to, through the use of a second caulk seal  112 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows and end cap  106   d  that may be included in the feed access spout  106 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary poultry feeding method  500 . The poultry feeding method may include a first step  502  of drilling openings in a housing. Step  502  may include drilling one or more holes in a housing, for example, but not limited to, housing  104 . Step  102  may include drilling four holes  104   d  on the side(s) of a housing  1  ⅝ th  inch above the bottom of the housing. Step  102  may include deburring the drilled holes to remove unwanted material from the housing. 
         [0022]    Method  500  may include a second step  504  of placing first tubing elbows inside the housing such that the first elbows terminate at the openings of Step  502 . For example, step  504  may include placing four elbows, such as, but not limited to, four two inch 90 degree PVC standard elbows  106   b,  such that the elbows terminate on a first elbow end at a dispersion floor, such as dispersion floor  110 , and second elbow end at a hole, such as hole  104   d.  Step  504  may include using ties  316  to position the tubing elbows prior to the placement of a dispersion floor in the housing. 
         [0023]    Method  500  may include a third step  506  of securing one or more second elbows to the housing. For example, second step  506  may include securing 45 degree PVC street elbow  106   a  to housing  104  at the holes of step  502 . The second elbows may be secured, for example, through a combination of pressures fitting, by passing a portion of the second elbow through the hole of step  502 , where the hole is sized to snuggly fit around the exterior of the 45 degree elbow, and using caulk, such as first caulk seal  108 , to secure the second elbow to the exterior of the housing. 
         [0024]    Method  500  may include a fourth step  508  of placing spacers on the end of the second elbows of step  506 . For example, fourth step  508  may include placing two inch PVC nipples of two inches in length  106   c  onto the end of 45 degree PVC street elbow  106   a.  The spacer may be sized to form a pressure fitting to secure the spacer in the second elbow. The spacers may be sufficient length to prevent feed (not shown) that flows by gravity from the housing through the second elbow to come to rest in the spacer, without flowing out of the spacer. Step  508  may include cutting a length of PVC to form the spacer, for example, two-inch PVC, and deburring the spacer to remove unwanted material from the spacer. 
         [0025]    Method  500  may include a fifth step  510  of forming a dispersion floor. For example, step  510  may include forming dispersion floor  110 . Step  510  may include cutting four circular holes on a circular plastic sheet. The plastic sheet may be formed to have an exterior edge matched to the interior of the housing of step  502 . For example, dispersion floor  110  may have a circumference matched to the interior of the housing  104 . Step  510  may include cutting one or more holes in the plastic sheet to align with the ends of first elbows placed in second step  504 , for example, dispersion openings  110   a.    
         [0026]    Method  500  may include a sixth step  512  of placing the dispersion floor of step  510  in the housing of step  502 . Step  510  may include aligning the holes of step  510  with the centerline of the first elbows of second step  504 . For example, step  510  may include placing the dispersion floor  104  into the interior of housing  104 . Step  510  may also include sealing and securing the tops of the first elbows to the dispersion floor. For example, step  510  may include gluing the top of the first elbows to the underside of the dispersion floor. Step  510  may further include caulking the exterior of the dispersion floor to the interior of the housing. For example, step  510  may include forming second caulk seal  112 . 
         [0027]    Method  500  may include a seventh step  514  of filling the housing with poultry feed, for example feed  306 , and placing the housing amongst poultry. 
         [0028]    Method  500  may include an eighth step  516  of sealing the 45 degree elbows of third step  506  using end caps. For example, eighth step  516  may include placing end cap  106   d  on 45 degree elbow  106   a.    
         [0029]    Benefits of the systems and methods disclosed include a no mess feeder, a feeder that fills, for example, thirty pounds, a feeder that may last for weeks, a portable feeder, a feeder that is semi-contamination proof, a feeder that resists mice and migratory birds, a feeder that is constructed from recyclable materials, a feeder that inhibits poultry from fighting over food, a feeder that results in less waste and better balanced meal, a feeder that is easy to clean, a feeder that is gravity operated, and a feeder that is waterproof when inside a coop or covered pen. 
         [0030]    The feeding system and method allow for more convenient and efficient provision of feed for generally free roaming poultry. The system may include a sealable feed housing  104 , for example, a bucket with a detachable cover, that may have one or more dispersion openings on the lower side(s) of the feed housing that allow a controlled discharge of feed from the bucket, through the dispersion openings, where the feed is then made available to the poultry. The poultry feeding method may include filling a sealable feed housing, sealing the housing, a making feed available at one or more dispersion openings on the lower side(s) of the feed housing. The poultry feeding system and method allow for quickly providing safe and secure feed to poultry through a devise that may be readily constructed from materials that are commonly available and that may be assembled with rudimentary tools. 
         [0031]    The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or variant described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or variants. All of the embodiments and variants described in this description are exemplary embodiments and variants provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and not necessarily to limit the scope of legal protection afforded the appended claims. 
         [0032]    The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use that which is defined by the appended claims. The following claims are not intended to be limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other embodiments and modifications will readily occur to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of these teachings. Therefore, the following claims are intended to cover all such embodiments and modifications when viewed in conjunction with the above specification and accompanying drawings.