Patent Publication Number: US-2022211003-A1

Title: System and method for delivering nutrients to recently hatched chicks

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/365,377, filed Mar. 26, 2019, now, U.S. Pat. No. 11,284,603 which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/648,052, filed Mar. 26, 2018, which are expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure is related to an automated system for delivering nutrients to recently hatched chicks. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to the automated delivery of a digestible nutrient material to a container containing a number of recently hatched chicks as the container moves through a processing facility for preparing the chicks for transport to a growing facility. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Recently hatched chicks must be hydrated, fed, and immunized. There are many challenges to feeding and watering chicks as they are processed in the hours after hatching. The difficulty in accurately delivering the appropriate nutrients should be easily understood as the new chicks are relatively fragile organisms and easily susceptible to injury. In addition, delivering the food to the chicks can impede the productivity of the hatchery due to high levels of labor required. 
     With regard to medicating the chicks, it is known to apply vaccines by injection at the time of sorting of the hatchlings for brooding and/or transport. It is also known to apply aqueous live vaccines in a sprayed on feed or by adding the vaccine to a drinking water. 
     Vaccines are also sometimes applied through the use of a spray cabinet. A spray cabinet is utilized in a hatchery to spray the chicks with a liquid form of the vaccine. 
     A container of chicks having about 100 birds is placed in the cabinet and material is sprayed directly on the chicks. As the birds preen they ingest the vaccine from their feathers. 
     There have been several approaches to making feed products available to hatchling chicks, but most are labor intensive. For example applying a strip of feed in an area where hatchlings are located requires placement without injuring the chicks. This generally requires extra handling to effect the feeding process. 
     Clearly, providing nutrients, hydration, and vaccinations early in the chicks&#39; lives will improve the viability of the chicks. Thus, a system which solves the problems of excessive handling and labor, potential injury to chicks, and inadequate consumption of the nutrient products by the chicks would have significant commercial value. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure includes one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter. 
     According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for delivering digestible products to hatchling fowl includes a controller, a receiving portion for receiving a container of hatchling fowl, a sensor electrically coupled to the controller and operable to detect that the container is within the receiving portion, and a metered delivery mechanism. The metered delivery mechanism is electrically coupled to the controller and configured to deliver a pre-defined quantity of digestible product to the container. The controller includes a processor and a memory device, the memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to monitor the sensor for the presence of a container, and, when a container is present, activate the metered delivery mechanism to deliver the pre-defined quantity of digestible products to the container. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a grip including an actuator, the grip electrically coupled to the controller and configured to secure the container in a delivery position. The controller is operable to activate the actuator of the grip to secure the container in the delivery position, and, when the container is secured, deliver the digestible products. The controller is also operable de-activate the grip when the digestible products have been delivered to thereby allow the container to move out of the receiving portion. 
     In some embodiments, the controller is operable to monitor the number of containers processed and keep a record of the number of deliveries of pre-defined quantities of digestible product that have been delivered. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a mixer operable to mix a plurality of constituents together to form the digestible product. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a dry material holding bin and a feeder. 
     In some embodiments, the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to mix a batch of digestible products and transfer the batch to a holding bin for feeding the metered delivery device. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a mixer under the control of the controller, the mixer operable to vary a speed and duration of a mixing cycle to varying the characteristics of the digestible products. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a bulk powder delivery unit operable to deliver a variable amount of bulk powder to the mixer as determined by the controller. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a water delivery unit operable to deliver a variable amount of water the mixer as determined by the controller. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a vaccine delivery assembly operable to deliver a variable amount of a pre-mixed liquid material to the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the water delivery unit measures the amount of water delivered using a flow meter and the controller is operable to receive a signal from the flow meter. 
     In some embodiments, the water delivery unit includes a valve and the controller is operable to cause the valve to open and close to control the flow of water into the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the vaccine delivery assembly is operable to deliver a flow of fluid from to the flow of water from the water delivery unit. 
     In some embodiments, the vaccine delivery assembly includes a valve and the controller is operable to cause the valve to open and close to control the flow of liquid from the vaccine delivery assembly. 
     In some embodiments, the vaccine delivery assembly includes a load cell coupled to the controller, and the controller is operable to monitor the signal from the load cell to determine the amount of fluid delivered to the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the bulk powder delivery unit further includes a scale assembly operable to measure the weight of the bulk powder stored in the bulk powder delivery unit. 
     In some embodiments, the controller is operable to monitor the weight measured by the scale assembly of the bulk powder delivery unit to control the amount of bulk powder delivered to the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the controller is operable to vary the amount of digestible product delivered by the metered delivery mechanism. 
     In some embodiments, the digestible product includes an edible and digestible semisolid material. 
     In some embodiments, the digestible product includes a gelatin-based gel 
     In some embodiments, the digestible product includes a silica gel. 
     In some embodiments, the digestible product includes a cellulose-based gel. 
     In some embodiments, the digestible product includes a dextrose-based gel. 
     In some embodiments, the digestible product includes amino acid additives. 
     In some embodiments, the digestible product includes medicament additives. 
     In some embodiments, the digestible product is configured to form a structure having a height and a diameter and the height is approximately one-fourth of the diameter. 
     In some embodiments, the container has a solid bottom. 
     In some embodiments, the controller includes a touchscreen user interface. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a water delivery unit operable to deliver a variable amount of water the mixer as determined by the controller. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a thermostatic mixing valve for controlling the temperature of the water fed to the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes at least one inlet for adding a cleaning agent to the flow of water fed to the mixer. 
     According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for delivering digestible product to hatchling fowl includes a controller, a batching unit, and a dispensing unit. The batching unit includes a mixer for mixing constituents of the digestible product to form a gel. The dispensing unit receives the gel from the batching unit. The dispensing unit includes a receiving portion for receiving a container of hatchling fowl, a sensor electrically coupled to the controller and operable to detect that the container is within the receiving portion, and a metered delivery mechanism, the metered delivery mechanism electrically coupled to the controller and configured to deliver a pre-defined quantity of digestible product to the container. The controller includes a processor and a memory device, the memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to monitor the sensor for the presence of a container, and, when a container is present, activate the metered delivery mechanism to deliver the pre-defined quantity of digestible products to the container. 
     In some embodiments, the batching unit includes a dry powder delivery system and a mixer, the memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the dry powder delivery system to deliver a predefined quantity of dry powder to the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the batching unit receives water from an externa water source, the flow of water measured by a flow meter of the batching unit and controlled by a valve, and the memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the flow of water through the valve, measure the flow of water, and operate the valve to deliver a pre-defined quantity of water to the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the batching unit includes a vaccine delivery assembly and the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the vaccine delivery assembly to deliver a pre-defined quantity of vaccine to the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the mixer includes a drive motor and a mixing paddle driven by the drive motor, and the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the operation of motor to drive the mixing paddle to mix the powder, water, and vaccine to form a gel. 
     In some embodiments, the batching unit includes a pump driven by a pump motor, the pump moving gel from the batching unit to the delivery unit, the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the operation of the pump motor to move a batch of gel from the mixer to the delivery unit. 
     In some embodiments, the delivery unit includes an actuable stop, the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the operation of the actuable stop to stop movement of the container relative to the delivery unit until the pre-defined quantity of digestible products is delivered to the container, and then control the operation of the actuable stop to release the container for movement relative to the delivery unit. 
     According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, method of feeding hatchling fowl includes in a batching unit the steps of (i) automatically delivering a pre-determined quantity of a powder mixture into a mixer by automatically measuring the amount of powder mixture delivered to the mixer as it is delivered until the pre-determined quantity is delivered, the powder mixture including nutritional digestible products, (ii) automatically delivering a pre-determined quantity of water into the mixer by automatically measuring the amount of water delivered to the mixer as it is delivered until the pre-determined quantity is delivered, (iii) operating the mixer the mixer for a predetermined period and at a pre-determined speed to form a gel to complete a batching cycle, and (iv) transferring the gel from the batching unit to a delivery unit. The method also includes, in the delivery unit the steps of (i) sensing the entry of a container of hatchling fowl into the delivery unit, (ii) securing the container of hatchling fowl in the delivery unit, (iii) automatically delivering a predetermined quantity of gel to the container of hatchling fowl, and (iv) releasing the container of hatchling fowl from the delivery unit to complete a delivery cycle. 
     In some embodiments, the step of measuring the amount of powder mixture includes measuring a weight of powder mixture. 
     In some embodiments, measuring the amount of water includes measuring a volume of water. 
     In some embodiments, the method further includes the step of, in the batching unit (v) automatically delivering a medicament to the mixer prior to operating the mixer. 
     In some embodiments, the method further includes the step of, in the delivery unit, counting the number of delivery cycles completed. 
     In some embodiments, the method further includes the steps of, in the delivery unit, determining that the number of delivery cycles has depleted a predetermined amount of gel, and in response to the predetermined amount of gel being depleted, in the batching unit, cause an additional batch cycle to be completed. 
     Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), such as those listed above and/or those listed in the claims, can comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the embodiments as presently perceived. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an apparatus for automatically delivering an digestible nutrient shot to a container of recently hatched fowl, the view of  FIG. 1  taken with the front control panel positioned on the left side of the view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 , the view of  FIG. 2  taken with the front control panel positioned on the right side of the view of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front plan view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the right side of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart of the operation of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a portion of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  interacting with a conveyor system to secure a container in a position suitable for the digestible nutrient shot to be delivered to a container; 
         FIG. 8  is a front plan view of a control panel for the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of a mixer of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a paddle assembly of the mixer of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a top plan view of the mixer of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the mixer of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a load cell assembly used to support one end of a bulk powder bin of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  to measure the weight of the material in the bin; 
         FIG. 14  is a plan view of a load cell assembly used to support another end of the bulk powder bin of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 , the load cell assembly of  FIG. 14  cooperating with the load cell assembly of  FIG. 13  to weigh the material in the bin; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a vaccine delivery assembly of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  showing a single ended load beam supporting a container so that the weight of the material in the container can be sensed; 
         FIG. 16  is a front plan view of a pneumatic regulation assembly of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a diagrammatic representation of the use of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a conveyor assembly for transferring hatchling chicks through a post-hatch processing facility; 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a chick box with a nutrient shot present in the box; 
         FIG. 19  is a diagrammatic side view of a nutrient shot positioned in a solid bottom container; 
         FIG. 20  is a diagrammatic representation of the control system of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view of another embodiment of an apparatus for automatically delivering a digestible nutrient shot to a container of recently hatched fowl, the view of  FIG. 21  taken with a batching unit control panel positioned on the left side of the view of  FIG. 21  and a delivery unit positioned on a right side of the view of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view of a portion of the batching unit of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 23  is a front plan view of the portion of the batching unit shown in  FIG. 22 ; 
         FIG. 24  is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the batching unit shown in  FIG. 23 , the cross section taken along lines  24 - 24 ; 
         FIG. 25  is a perspective view of the batching unit of  FIG. 21  taken from a different perspective from  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 26  is another perspective view of the batching unit of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 27  is a perspective view of a vaccine delivery unit of the batching unit of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 28  is a side plan view of the vaccine delivery unit of  FIG. 27 ; 
         FIG. 29  is a side plan view of the batching unit of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 30  is a front plan view of the batching unit of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 31  is a perspective view of the delivery unit of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 32  is another perspective view of the delivery unit of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 33  is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the delivery unit of  FIG. 21 ; and 
         FIG. 34  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a chick box having a solid bottom. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus  10  and method for delivering a digestible product to a container that contains a number of recently hatched fowl. In the disclosed embodiment, the hatchling fowl includes chicken chicks. In this disclosure, the terms chick and hatchling illustratively refer to the newly hatched chicken offspring that have recently hatched and are being prepared to be transferred to a grower facility. It should be understood that the process could be applied to other hatchling fowl, such as duck, goose, or turkey, for example. 
     The present disclosure is directed to a step of the post hatch chick processing as illustrated by the flow chart in  FIG. 17 , where chicks move from a hatchery  240  to a post-hatch processing area  242  where the chicks may be processed, such as de-beaking or de-clawing. The chicks are then transferred to a sorting and gathering process  244  where chicks that are ready to be advanced are accumulated into containers to be further processed. The containers are then moved along a conveyor  32  past the apparatus  10  wherein a nutrient shot, which will be discussed in further detail below, is delivered to the container. The containers are then transferred to a transport prep step  246  where containers are accumulated and prepared for transportation to a growing facility. At step  248 , the chicks are transported to the growing facility, usually several miles away from the hatchery. 
     In one embodiment, an apparatus  10  for preparing and delivering the digestible product/nutrient shot is shown in  FIGS. 1-5  with the various control components of the system shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 20 . The apparatus  10  includes a control panel  12  that houses a controller  92  (shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 20 ) which provides the master control of the control system architecture for the apparatus  10  and provides the logic necessary to operate the apparatus  10  in an automatic mode so that the apparatus  10  can automatically deliver the digestible product to a container (see  FIG. 18 ) full of chicks in the course of regular processing in a hatchery facility, as will be described relative to  FIG. 17  in further detail below. The apparatus  10  includes several subsystems, including a bulk powder delivery unit  16 , a water delivery unit  18 , and a vaccine delivery assembly  20 , which each feed a mixer  22  of a mixer assembly  14  where water, bulk powder, and vaccines are mixed together to form the digestible product. The apparatus also includes a transfer assembly  24  that transfers the digestible product from the mixer  22  to a dispensing unit  26 , where the digestible product is delivered to a container of hatchlings moving along on a conveyor  32  (shown in  FIG. 17 ). The dispensing unit  26  is illustratively a Model B-350E vertical dispenser available from All Fill, Inc., 418 Creamery Way, Exton, Pa. 19341. The apparatus  10  is arranged so that the dispensing unit  26  operates under the control of the controller  92 . 
     The dispensing unit  26  cooperates with a dwell clamp  36  (shown in  FIG. 7 ) which secures a hatchling container  30  (also referred to as a chick box  30  or box  30 ) in a dwell zone  34  so that the container  30  is maintained in a fixed relationship to the dispensing unit  26  while the dispensing unit  26  dispenses a predetermined quantity of digestible product to the container  30 . In operation, the dwell clamp  36  extends a grip  94  which urges the container  30  against a clamp block  96  as indicate by arrow  98  in  FIG. 7 . The dwell clamp  36  is activated by the controller  92  when the controller  92  receives a signal from an optical sensor  38  indicating that a container  30  is present in the dwell zone  34 . The optical sensor  38  is housed in a housing  150  which is mounted to a frame  152  of the apparatus  10 . Similarly, the dwell clamp  36  is also mounted to the frame  152 . In some instances, the predetermined quantity of digestible product is referred to as a “nutrient shot” and includes a nutrient mixture and, in some embodiments may optionally include a vaccine. 
     In one embodiment, the digestible product described herein can be any edible and digestible semisolid material, including, for example, a gel such as a gelatin-based gel, a silica gel, a cellulose-based gel, a dextrose-based gel, or any other suitable gel material that is a semisolid material and that is edible and digestible. In one illustrative embodiment, the digestible product can have various the formulations as described in this patent application. 
     In one aspect, the digestible product described herein can contain one or more nutrients or medicaments for agricultural animals. In various illustrative embodiments, optional ingredients that can be included in the digestible product may include, but are not limited to, sugars and complex carbohydrates such as both water-soluble and water-insoluble monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. Other optional ingredients include, but are not limited to, phosphorous, sodium bicarbonate, phytate, calcium, sodium, sulfur, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, and antioxidants. In one embodiment, minerals may be added to the digestible product in the form of a mineral premix. 
     In other illustrative embodiments, amino acid ingredients may be added to the digestible product including, but not limited to, arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, cysteine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, tyrosine ethyl HCl, alanine, aspartic acid, sodium glutamate, glycine, proline, serine, cysteine ethyl HCl, and analogs, and salts thereof. In yet other embodiments, vitamins may be added including, but not limited to, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, niacin, niacinamide, inositol, choline chloride, calcium pantothenate, biotin, folic acid, ascorbic acid, and vitamins A, B (e.g., vitamins B6 and B12), K (e.g., vitamin K3), D (e.g., vitamin D3), E, and the like. In another embodiment, vitamins may be added in the form of a vitamin premix. 
     In another illustrative aspect, any medicament ingredients known in the art may be added to the digestible product, such as antibiotics. In various embodiments, the antibiotic can be selected from the group consisting of ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, Denagard™, BMD™, Carbadox™, Stafac™, erythromycin, levofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, daptomycin, rifampicin, Tylan™, Pulmotil™, vancomycin, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the digestible product may lack antibiotics. 
     In still other embodiments, the digestible product described herein can also contain one or more direct-fed microbial strains, including, but not limited to,  Bacillus  strains or  Lactobacillus  strains. Exemplary direct-fed microbial strains include  Bacillus  strains 86, 300, 101, 102, 177, and 235, described in U.S. Appl. Publication No. U.S. 2017/0079308 and U.S. Appl. Publication No. U.S. 2017/0246224, each incorporated herein by reference for the disclosure of direct-fed microbial strains. 
     The method of operation of the apparatus  10  can best be understood with reference to a process diagram shown at  FIG. 6 . It should be understood that the control system architecture allows a user to establish predefined rates of delivery for the pre-mixed powder, pre-mixed liquid mixture, and the water delivered by water delivery unit  18  to define the ratios of each that are delivered to the mixer  22 . These parameters are defined at step  100  where a cycle of operation of the apparatus  10  is pre-defined with the various operating parameters and batching ratios being pre-defined. The parameters are set at a user interface  210  on the control panel  12  shown in  FIG. 8 . The user interface  210  is a touchscreen user interface, illustratively embodied as an Allen Bradley® Panelview Plus 600, available from Rockwell Automation, 1201 South Second St., Milwaukee, Wis. The exterior of the control panel also includes a safety lockout  212 , an emergency stop  214 , and an industrial outlet  216 . The controller  92  of the illustrative embodiment is an Allen Bradley® 1769-L24ER-QBIB industrial programmable logic controller, also available from Rockwell Automation, 1201 South Second St., Milwaukee, Wis. The controller  92  operates an Ethernet® bus  218  which provides the communication between the various components of the control system as shown in  FIG. 20 . At a first step  102 , the apparatus is initialized for operation by loading a pre-mixed powder into a bin  40  of the bulk powder delivery unit  16 . The powder is positioned in bin  40  from a platform  226  accessed by a ladder  228 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . At optional step  104 , a pre-mixed liquid mixture is loaded into a container  42  of the vaccine delivery assembly  20 . 
     Once a particular cycle of operation is defined by a user the operation of the apparatus  10  is started by the user at step  105 . The controller  92  begins operation of the apparatus  10  at step  106  by feeding water to the mixer  22  from a line  44  connected to a typical source of pressurized water, such as a typical water line. In the illustrative embodiment, the water temperature is permitted to vary between fifty degrees Fahrenheit and seventy degrees Fahrenheit. In some embodiments, the water may be heated to a particular temperature to control the rate of dissolution of the pre-mixed powder. Referring to  FIGS. 11-12 , the amount of water delivered is controlled by opening and closing a valve  46  operated by the controller  92 . The flow of water is measured by a flowmeter  48 . Once sufficient water has been delivered to the mixer  22 , the valve  46  is closed. The valve  46  is a solenoid valve actuated and operated by the controller  92  as shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 20 . 
     When needed, the flow of pre-mixed liquid from the vaccine delivery assembly  20  is metered into the mixer  22  of the mixer assembly  14  by a flow assembly  50  at optional step  107 . The flow assembly  50  includes a bubble feeder which is connected to a pneumatic regulator assembly  160  (shown in  FIG. 16 ) which is operable to selectively provide a regulated flow of air to the flow assembly  50 . The pneumatic regulator assembly  160  is pneumatically connected to a primary regulator  224  which receives plant air and regulates it down to an appropriate level for the operation of the apparatus  10 . Referring to  FIG. 15 , the flow assembly  50  includes an inlet  162  coupled to the pneumatic regulator assembly  160  by a conduit and an outlet  164  which is coupled to a peristaltic pump  198  which meters the flow through a conduit (not shown) to a check valve  208  positioned above the mixer  22  as shown in  FIG. 9 . The valve  208  permits a flow of fluid into the mixer  22  through a conduit  166 , but prevents a back flow of fluid into the vaccine delivery assembly  20 . In some embodiments, the vaccine delivery assembly  20  may include an optional flowmeter  52  shown in  FIG. 20  to measure the flow of liquid from the vaccine delivery assembly  20  to the mixer  22 . In addition, the container  42  is supported on a load cell  54  that monitors the amount of pre-mixed liquid to confirm that the ratio is correctly delivered into the mixer. The amount of pre-mixed water delivered is dependent on the ration of mix in the container  42  and the total ratio of mix to the batch. 
     As soon as the liquid is delivered to the mixer  22 , the process proceeds to step  108  where the controller  92  initiates the operation of a motor  68  which rotates a paddle assembly  70  positioned in a housing  72  of the mixer  22 . The speed of the motor  68  and duration of operation is closely controlled by the controller  92  so that the mixture of powder and liquid is worked appropriately to achieve an acceptable consistency of the digestible product. As will be discussed in further detail below, the consistency of the digestible product is important to achieve the proper characteristics of a shot  250  (See  FIG. 18 ) delivered to the container  30 . 
     The paddle assembly  70 , shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , extends into a lower conically shaped pan  220  of the mixer assembly  14 . The paddles  222  of the paddle assembly  70  are configured to cooperate with the conically shaped pan  220  to cause the material in the housing  72  of the mixer  22  to form a vortex during rotation of the paddle assembly  70  to cause effective mixing of the materials in the mixer  22  in a relatively short duration of time. In the illustrative embodiment, the mixture is complete in about forty-five seconds to one minute. 
     Once the liquid is delivered to the mixer  22  and the motor  68  starts, the controller  92  initiates the delivery of pre-mixed powder by operation of powder feeder  56  of the bulk powder delivery unit  16  at process step  110 . The powder feeder  56  includes a motor  58  and an auger  60  driven by the motor  58  which moves powder from the bin  40  to a delivery chute  62  where the powder falls into the mixer  22 . The operation of the motor  58  is controlled by the controller  92 . The delivery of powder is controlled by a valve  64  which opens and closes. The valve  64  includes a double-acting actuator with a first line  156  from the pneumatic control assembly  154  moving the valve  46  to an open position and a second line  158  moving the valve  46  to a closed position to control the amount of powder moved in a batch. The bin  40  is supported on a scale system  66  which provides a signal used by the controller  92  to confirm that the rate of delivery of powder is correct. 
     The scale system  66  includes a first load beam assembly  168  (best seen in  FIG. 2 ) and a second load beam assembly  170  (best seen in  FIG. 1 ). The first load beam assembly  168  is shown in  FIG. 13  and includes a frame  172  with flanges  174  and  176  which mount to the frame  152  by fasteners. The bin  40  of the bulk powder delivery unit  16  is supported on supports  180  and  182  of respective load beams  184  and  186 . A junction box  188  provides electrical connections between the load beams  184  and  186  and the controller  92 . Similarly, the second load beam assembly  170  includes a frame  172  with the flanges  174  and  176  for mounting to the frame  152  by fasteners. The bin  40  is supported on a load beam  190  at a mount  196 . The signal from the load beam  190  is combined with the signal from the load beams  184  and  186  to provide a signal indicative of the weight supported by the scale system  66 . This weight signal is used by the controller  92  to control the flow from the bin  40  through the powder feeder  56  to the mixer  22 . 
     Upon completion of the mixing at process step  110 , the entirety of digestible product in the mixer  22  is transferred to a hopper  74  of the dispensing unit  26  by the transfer assembly  24  at step  112 . To transfer the digestible product, the controller  92  causes a pneumatic control assembly  200  to open a valve  78  which allows the material to exit the bottom of the housing  72  of the mixer  22 . The valve  78  includes a double-acting actuator with a first line  202  from the pneumatic control assembly  200  moving the valve  78  to an open position and a second line  204  moving the valve  78  to a closed position. When the valve  78  is open, the digestible product enters a pump  80  which is driven by a motor  82 . The controller  92  causes the motor  82  to operate the pump to push the material through a conduit  84  into the hopper  74 . Once the material is transferred, the motor  82  stops and the controller  92  closes the valve  78  under the control of the pneumatic control assembly  206 . 
     As will be described in further detail, the controller  92  monitors the number of shots of digestible product delivered by the dispensing unit  26  to determine when the amount of material in the hopper  74  drops below a pre-defined level. At decision step  114 , the controller  92  evaluates whether a new batch of digestible material is needed. The controller  92  includes a processor  230  and a memory device  232  which stores the instructions operated upon by the processor  230  to control the operation of the apparatus  10 . The status of material is monitored by storing the operating history in the memory device  232  and reviewing that information to determine the amount of material produced and the amount of material dispensed. An additional batch of material is indicated if the amount of material positioned in the hopper  74 , as measured by the controller  92 , is insufficient to complete the pre-determined cycle established at step  104 . If it is insufficient, the controller  92  returns to step  106  and proceeds to initiate the preparation of another batch. It should be understood that the batching process of steps  106  to  112  may be repeated multiple times in a single cycle, meaning multiple batches may be needed to complete a cycle. It should also be understood that a batch cycle  126 , which includes steps  106  to  112 , may be operated independently and in parallel to the remaining steps discussed below. 
     At decision step  116 , the controller  92  operates the optical sensor  38  to continuously monitor for the presence of a container  30  in the dwell zone  34 . If the presence of a container  30  is detected, the controller  92  initiates the dwell clamp  36  at step  118  to secure the container  30 . Once the container  30  is secured, a dispenser  86  of the dispensing unit  26  is operated by the controller  92  to cause a nutrient shot  250  to be dispensed into the container  30  of hatchlings at  120 . In the illustrative embodiment, a nutrient shot  250  is approximately one hundred grams. It has been determined empirically that for a container  30  containing 100 chicks, a nutrient shot  250  should be delivered centrally into the container  30  at a diameter of about four inches and a height of about one to one and one-half inches. This size and location permits all of the chicks to access the nutrient shot  250  in a timely fashion during the transport cycle from the hatchery to the growing facility. The controller  92  operates to form the digestible material such that the material is delivered with the appropriate characteristics to form the nutrient shot  250  in the desired dimensions. In some embodiments, the nutrient shot  250  may have different dimensions, depending on the age of the chicks, the environmental conditions, the size of the container  30 , or other variables which may cause the effectiveness of the size of the nutrient shot  250  to vary. 
     At step  122 , which commences upon the dispenser  86  being cycled and a minimal delay time to allow the nutrient shot  250  to drop to the container  30 , the clamp  36  is released and the container  30  is allowed to advance to a transfer conveyor  90  which conducts the container  30  to further processing in the facility. The process proceeds to decision step  124  to determine whether the pre-determined cycle defined at step  106  has been completed. If it has, then the process terminates at step  130 . If the pre-determined cycle is not complete, the process returns to the decision step  116  to monitor for another container  30 . It should be understood that the dispense cycle  128  may operate continuously and independently of the batch cycle  126  until the pre-determined cycle is completed. If so, the process ends at step  130 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 18 and 19 , a container  30  is shown with a nutrient shot  250  positioned on a solid bottom  252  of the container  30 . The solid bottom  252  in the container varies from prior art systems which use a perforated bottom with a removable paper. In the present embodiment, the solid bottom  252  prevents inadvertent loss of the ingestible product. The container  30  further includes end walls  254  and  256  and sidewalls  258  and  260 , with the walls  254 ,  265 ,  258 , and  260  form a perimeter barrier to contain the chicks during processing and transport. As shown in  FIG. 19 , the shot  250  forms a generally hemispherical pile accessible to multiple chicks. It has been found that a pile having a height that is about one-fourth to one-third of the diameter of the pile is very effective for successfully feeding the chick in a container configured like container  30  or container  270  discussed below. Thus, it is important to maintain the ratio of water to other constituents to achieve the appropriate proportions so that the material maintains a generally tight pile and does not spread throughout the container. This reduces the risk of unconsumed material from becoming contaminating by excrement from the chicks in the container. 
     Another embodiment of a hatchling container/chick box  270 , similar to the container/chick box  30 , is shown in  FIG. 34 . Notably, the container  270  is optimized for use with the apparatus  10  and an apparatus  310  discussed below. The container  270  has a length  272  of about 23 inches, a width  274  of about 20 inches, and a depth  276  of about 5.5 inches. The container  270  has a solid bottom  278  and several stiffeners  282  positioned about the walls of the container  270 . The walls of the container  270  are formed to include vents  280  and receivers  284 . The receivers  284  are configured to be engaged with the stiffeners  282  of other containers  270  such that when multiple containers  270  are stacked, the stiffeners  282  engage the receivers  284  to allow the multiple containers  270  to be securely stacked. The containers  30  and  270  can be distinguished from prior art containers that included perforated bottoms. In practice, the perforated bottoms are used with paper laid over the perforations. The paper allows for excrement and excess feed or other by-products to be gathered when the container has been emptied. The perforations allow liquids to pass through paper and through the container. In the present embodiments, it has been found that the paperless solid bottom improves the performance of the chicks in consuming the nutrient shot  250 . 
     The apparatus  10  discussed above is configured as a turn-key delivery unit on a single frame  152 . In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 21 , an apparatus  310  includes a batching unit  312  and a dispensing unit  314 . The batching unit  312  includes a frame  316  which is supported on several casters  318  that allow the batching unit  312  to be easily moved to change the position of the batching unit  312  in the hatchery. Referring to  FIGS. 29 and 30 , the batching unit  312  also includes a number of levelers  319  which are used to level the batching unit  312  when it is positioned in the hatchery. The dispensing unit  314  includes a frame  320  that is configured to be fixed to a floor in the hatchery at a location that engages the conveyor  32 . The frame  320  has legs  322  which are adjustable to vary the height of a platform  325  relative to the floor so that a dispensing unit  326  may be properly positioned relative to the conveyor  32 . 
     The batching unit  312  includes a control panel  324  which is similar to the control panel  12  described above. A bulk powder delivery unit  327  is positioned on the frame  316  so that user is able to access a bin  328  from the floor without climbing the ladder  228  of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . A powder feeder  330  includes a motor  332  that drives an auger  334  which feeds a powder chute  336  to direct powder being fed to a mixer  338 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 22-24 , the details of the interface between the powder feeder  330  and the mixer  338  is disclosed in further detail. The powder chute  336  includes the housing  346  and a drop tube  348 . A bracket  350  is secured to the drop tube  348  and is engaged by a beam  344  so that the housing  346  and drop tube  348  are freely supported on the beam  344  in a cantilevered fashion. The beam  344  is supported from a bracket  352  which is secured to a lid  354  of the mixer  338  so that all of the load of the housing  346  and drop tube  348  passes through the beam  344 . In this way, the beam  344  supports the weight of the drop tube  348 , the housing  346 , and any powder that is dropped into the housing  346 . The powder chute  336  is supported so that the drop tube  348  does not contact the mixer  338 . In some embodiments, the beam  344  is a load cell that is used to monitor the weight of powder being dispensed into the mixer  338 . When the beam  344  is configured as a load cell, a knife gate may be positioned in the drop tube  348  to selectively hold powder in the drop tube  348  to allow it to be weighed before being delivered to the mixer  338 . In the presently disclosed embodiment of the batching unit  312 , the amount of powder fed to the mixer  338  is measured by a pair of load cells  340 ,  340  which are coupled to the frame  316  and support the load of the powder feeder  330 . The mounting of load cells  340  is similar to the arrangement of the load beams  184 ,  186 , and  190  discussed above. As the powder feeder  330  moves powder to the chute  336 , the weight measured by the load cells  340 ,  340  changes with the signal being fed to the controller  92 . The controller controls the operation of the motor  332  which drives a feeder screw  441  (see  FIG. 29 ) of the auger  334 . Once the appropriate amount of powder is transferred, the controller  92  stops the motor  332  to thereby stop the flow of powder to the mixer  338 . In some embodiments, the mixer  338  may also be supported on a load cell or scale assembly to monitor the amount of material fed to the mixer  338  and to monitor the amount of material in the mixer  338  to determine whether a new batch should be mixed. 
     The mixer  338  includes a water inlet  360  that receives water as will be discussed in further detail below. A motor  362  is operable to move a paddle  370  (seen in  FIG. 24 ) to mix the powder and water inside of the mixer  338 . Referring again to  FIG. 22 , the mixer  338  includes the lid  354  which supports the powder chute  336 , water inlet  360 , and motor  362 . The lid  354  is supported on a conically shaped hopper  366  as shown in  FIGS. 23-24 . The lid  354  is secured to the hopper  366  by a number of clamps  368 . The lid  354  is removable to ease the periodic cleaning of the interior of the hopper  366 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 24 , the paddle  370  includes a shaft  372  and a pair of blades  364 ,  364  that extend from the shaft  372 . The rectangular shape of the blades  364 ,  364 , along with the positioning of the blades  364 ,  364 , within the hopper  366  cooperates to provide an efficient and effective arrangement for mixing the powder and water into a gel with the characteristics to be delivered as a nutrient shot  250  as described above. The speed of the rotation of the paddle  370  can be varied by varying the speed of the motor  362  to adjust the agitation of material in the hopper  366  depending on variations in the constituents of a particular batch of material being processed. After being mixed, the gel material formed in the hopper  366  exits the mixer  338  through an outlet  374  and into the valve  78  that feeds the material into the pump  80  driven by the motor  82  as discussed with regard to the apparatus  10 . The pump  80  moves the gel through a conduit  84  (shown in dotted lines in  FIG. 21 ) to the dispensing unit  314  in the same way that material is moved through the conduit  84  discussed above. 
     While the apparatus  310  has some variations as compared to the apparatus  10 , the control structure is similar to the apparatus  310  and the discussion of the specific pneumatic and control components are not discussed in detail, but similar components are referenced with the same reference numerals as discussed relative to apparatus  10 . 
     The control panel  324  is configured similarly to the control panel  12  discussed above and includes the controller  92 , user interface  210 , and emergency stop  214  as discussed above. The controller  92  includes the processor  230  and memory device  232  discussed above so that the controller  92  can control batch cycles in the batching unit  312  and delivery cycles in the dispensing unit  314  to automatically batch and deliver gel material over multiple batch cycles and several hours of delivery cycling through the dispensing unit  314 . 
     Further details of the batching unit  312  are shown in  FIGS. 25-30 . Plant air is provided to an air regulator assembly  380  as shown in  FIG. 26 . The regulator assembly  380  conditions and regulates the air delivered to the various pneumatically driven and controlled components in the batching unit  312 . The pneumatics are controlled by a pneumatic control assembly enclosed in a housing  382 . 
     Supply water is provided through a water supply inlet  384 . A pneumatically controlled water shut-off valve  386  controls the flow of water to the system. An additional pneumatically controlled water shut-off valve  388  allows water to be by-passed from the system and out an outlet  390 . The flow to outlet  390  may allow for the supply water to be cleared from the system or allow water to be accessed from the outlet  390  for cleaning of the apparatus  310 . The water is also processed by a strainer  392  and then further controlled by a manual flow control valve  394 . The flow is measured by a flow sensor  396  that provides a signal to the controller  92 . In some embodiments, the water supply to either the apparatus  10  or apparatus  310  may include a thermostatically controlled mixing valve to control the temperature of the water fed to the  384  using a separate cold and hot water supplies to regulate the temperature. It has been found that temperatures of between  50  degrees Fahrenheit and  70  degrees Fahrenheit provide the best result for mixing materials to form the nutrient shot  250 . An example of an appropriate mixing valve is a Guardian G3700LF Series thermostatic mixing valve from Guardian equipment of Chicago, Ill. 
     For cleaning the system, a sanitizer inlet  396  is provided to allow a sanitizer material to be introduced into the system through a valve  398 . Additionally, a detergent inlet  400  provides a position for delivering detergent into the system through a valve  402 . When being used, the cleaning materials are fed through a conduit  404  into an inlet  406  positioned on the lid  354  of the mixer  338 . This allows the mixer  338  to be easily cleaned. The main water supply is fed through a conduit  408  into the inlet  360  on the lid  354  for mixing the gel in the mixer  338 . 
     The batching unit  312  also includes a vaccine delivery assembly  410  which is configured to delivery multiple vaccines to the mixer  338  to be included in the nutrient shot  250 . The vaccine delivery system includes five vaccine vials  412 , each with a corresponding peristaltic pump  414  that meters the flow of vaccine to respective check valves  416  positioned in the lid  354  of the mixer  338 . Referring to  FIGS. 27 and 28 , each vial  412  is supported on a bracket  420 . Each bracket  420  is supported on a load cell  422 , each of which is supported on the frame  316  and each of which provides a signal to the controller  92  which monitors and controls the flow of vaccine to the mixer  338  by varying the operation of the respective peristaltic pump  414  to vary the flow of vaccine. It should be understood that while the vials  412  are referred to “vaccine” vials, other materials including nutrients or additives may be metered to the mixer  338  through the vials  412  by the operation of the peristaltic pumps  414 . Referring to  FIG. 26 , the batching unit  312  also includes a rack  430  for storing additional vials  412  to be used as replacements when a particular vial  412  that is being used to feed the mixer  338  is emptied. 
     Once the materials are mixed in the mixer  338 , the pump  80  transfers the material through the conduit  84  to an inlet  450  of the dispensing unit  314 . The inlet  450  feeds a hopper  452  of the dispensing unit  314 . The dispensing unit  314  includes, illustratively, a Model B-350E vertical dispenser available from All Fill, Inc., 418 Creamery Way, Exton, Pa. 19341. The apparatus  310  is arranged so that the dispensing unit  314  operates under the control of the controller  92 . Unlike the embodiment of apparatus  10 , the dispensing unit  314  also includes a pneumatically actuated shut-off gate  454  that controls the delivery of the shot  250 . The shut-off gate  454  is connected to an outlet  456  of the hopper  452  and drops the shot  250  through a guard  458 . As described above with regard to the dispensing unit  26 , the dispensing unit  314  senses the presence of a box  30  using a sensor, such as an optical sensor. The controller  92  then actuates a pneumatically operated stop  460  to stop the movement of the box  30  while the dispensing unit  314  cycles to deliver a shot  250 . The number of shots  250  delivered is monitored by the controller  92 , as discussed above with regard to apparatus  10 , and the controller  92  follows the algorithm of  FIG. 6 , with pneumatic stop  460  functioning in place of the clamp block  96 . 
     The hopper  452  is modified to include a vent  462  which allows air to escape from the hopper  452  when gel material is fed into the hopper  452 . It has been found that this vent  462  improves the consistency of the gel material during delivery and reduces the opportunity for air pockets to be formed in the gel, thereby causing inconsistencies in the amount of material included in a particular shot  250 . 
     The dispensing unit  314  also includes a diverter valve  464  positioned at the inlet  450 . The diverter valve  464  will direct the flow of material from conduit  84  to a cleaning assembly  466  (shown in  FIG. 33 ) that delivers a flow of water, possibly including sanitizer and/or detergent, into the hopper  452 . The cleaning assembly  466  includes nozzles  468 ,  468  that have multiple orifices and discharge the flow of water and other cleaning material in multiple directions and at an increased discharge velocity to assist with cleaning the interior of the hopper  452 . 
     Although this disclosure refers to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the subject matter set forth in the accompanying claims.