Patent ID: 7097025

Claim:
A system to maintain a healthier environment in an animal raising facility for live animals by facilitating the removing of unprocessed dead animals found therein, consisting of: a) a conveyance system for transporting the dead animals from within the live animal facility to a disposal site for receiving and storing the dead animals, the conveyance system comprising (i) a frame having a uniformly horizontal operating platform with a channel, (ii) a continuous conveyor chain or belt located in the channel, and (iii) a plurality of spaced carriers depending from and secured to the conveyor chain or belt, wherein the conveyor forms a closed loop within the live animal raising facility and the plurality of spaced carriers are attached at defined positions along the conveyor for receiving the dead animals, and wherein each of the carriers can receive and convey one of the dead animals; and b) means located at the disposal site for removing the dead animals from the carriers into the disposal site, wherein the disposal site is outside of the animal raising facility, the carriers are suitable for the unprocessed dead animals; the carriers are selected from the group consisting of buckets and hangers; the conveyor system is suspended from the ceiling of the animal raising facility at a height that does not interfere with the activities of the resident live animals; and the conveyor has a shape corresponding to the shape of the live animal raising facility on a single floor.