Patent ID: 7503281

Claim:
A device for automatically supplying feed or drink to an animal, comprising: at least one trough; a closure, movable between an open position for giving the animal access to the trough, and a closed position preventing the animal from having access to the trough; an identification device for identifying the animal and for emitting an identification signal that is indicative of the identified animal; and a control unit controlling the closure, the control unit comprising a memory for storing a first set of identification data in relation to animals that are allowed to have access to the trough and a second set of identification data in relation to animals that are not allowed to have access to the trough, and a comparing device for comparing the identification signal with the first and the second set of identification data in the memory, the control unit operating to: i. keep the closure in the open position if the identification signal belongs to the first set and the closure is in the open position; ii. release the closure from the closed position if the identification signal belongs to the first set and the closure is in the closed position; iii. keep the closure in the closed position if the identification signal belongs to the second set and the closure is in the closed position; and iv release the closure from the open position for enabling it to assume the closed position if the identification signal belongs to the second set and the closure is in the open position, wherein the device comprises a locking device connected to the closure, the locking device comprising an elongated slot interacting with a pin, the device further comprising an actuator arranged to act on the locking device to move the locking device in a direction generally perpendicular to the slot in order to respectively lock or unlock the locking device.