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EP-4408168-B1 - FACILITY FOR HIGH-SPEED PROCESSING OF NEWLY HATCHED BIRDS

EP4408168B1EP 4408168 B1EP4408168 B1EP 4408168B1EP-4408168-B1

Inventors

  • MALET, Bertrand
  • TARVYDAS, Johan
  • PENGLOAN, Johann
  • BOYER, William

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20220929

Claims (14)

  1. Facility for high-speed processing of newly hatched poultry, said facility having an upstream end and a downstream end, said facility being intended to receive, at its upstream end, first containers wherein said newly hatched live poultry are placed, - said facility comprising at least one first conveyor (10) for transporting said first containers, the first conveyors being strictly linear, said at least one first conveyor defining a conveying axis (11) along which a plurality of processing stations (13) are arranged, said at least one first conveyor (10) having an upstream end and a downstream end, - at least some of said processing stations being identical so that the poultry of a single first container in motion between said upstream and downstream ends of said at least one first conveyor (10) can receive the same processing by being shared across the various identical processing stations (13), - at least each one of said identical processing stations (13) comprising a chute (15) for transporting poultry thus processed from said corresponding processing stations to second containers (16), said facility being characterized in that: - said facility comprises stationary supports for supporting said second containers, which are arranged below said corresponding first conveyor (10), said supports also being placed level with or substantially level with a second conveyor (17) located under said corresponding first conveyor (10), so that each second container can be moved, when it is full, from its stationary support to said second conveyor (17) in order to be discharged, and in that - said at least one first conveyor (10) transporting the poultry has a constant conveying speed of between 10 and 20 m/min depending on the desired rate.
  2. Facility for processing poultry according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least two first conveyors (10) arranged parallel to one another.
  3. Facility for processing poultry according to claim 2, characterized in that said first conveyors are spaced apart by a distance such that said facility comprises a single second conveyor located under said first conveyors (10).
  4. Facility for processing poultry according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upstream end of said facility is intended to receive first containers comprising newly hatched poultry and debris to be sorted resulting from the hatching in order to allow the manual separation of these poultry and this debris.
  5. Facility for processing poultry according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the identical processing stations (13) comprises a device for injecting at least one veterinary product into poultry and other similar birds.
  6. Facility for processing poultry according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each chute (15) has an open upper end and a lower end shaped to define an intake with a gentle slope opening onto a second container placed on the stationary support thereof.
  7. Facility for processing poultry according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for transporting empty second containers to supply each of the identical processing stations (13).
  8. Facility for processing poultry according to claim 7, characterized in that said transporting means consist of a linear inclined roller conveyor, which makes it possible to slide second empty containers along the movement axis thereof by gravity.
  9. Facility for processing poultry according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a device for detecting the filling of the container, which transmits measurement signals that are processed by a processing unit, said processing unit being connected to an alarm device in order to transmit an end-of-filling signal and/or to move an end-of-travel flap placed at the end of the chute (15), the movement of said flap allowing said chute (15) to send a poultry bird sliding along the latter to a different second container.
  10. Facility for processing poultry according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said processing unit sends a signal and/or pivots an end-of-travel flap when the filling of said container reaches at least 90%, and better still at least 95% of its maximum capacity.
  11. Facility for processing poultry according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a device (18) for spraying at least one fluid, said spraying device (18) being placed at the downstream end of said second conveyor (17) for dispensing droplets of fluid onto the newly hatched poultry moving into second containers, and in that it comprises a system for managing the second containers in motion on said second conveyor (17), said management system being configured to guarantee the processing of a single second container at the same time by said spraying device (18).
  12. Facility for processing poultry according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said management system comprises a control unit and two pairs of blockers (19) actuated by actuators (20) to brake two second containers immediately adjacent on said second conveyor (17) and placed upstream of said fluid spraying device (18).
  13. Facility for processing poultry according to either claim 11 or claim 12, characterized in that said spraying device (18) comprises a fluid supply circuit comprising a syringe.
  14. Facility for processing poultry according to any of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that said spraying device (18) comprises at least one spraying station comprising a plurality of spray nozzles, said nozzles of each station being arranged to dispense a fluid in the form of droplets toward the surface of a second container transported by said second conveyor (17) under said station.

Description

technical field The present invention relates to an installation for processing newly hatched birds, in particular chicks, at a high rate. Previous technique It is known in the poultry industry to handle chicks from their first day to carry out various operations such as weighing them, assessing their health, but also injecting one or more veterinary substances, for example subcutaneous vaccines. In some operations, chicks are handled manually, which requires not only knowledge but also practice from the operator, essential to minimizing stress on the live animal. The chicks of the same batch, for example that made up of a container transported by conveyor, are then typically processed on the same workstation by a single operator who places the chicks he is processing into another container for their removal. However, it is observed that, regardless of the operator's dexterity, the time required to process such a batch of live animals is relatively long. Thus, while many efforts have been made in recent years to significantly increase the processing rates of hatching eggs, with figures now typically reaching 90,000 eggs per hour and more, the processing rates of newly hatched chicks remain low. Furthermore, it is observed that the design of facilities for processing chicks, which systematically involves changes of direction, causes chicks to undergo significant stress, and may even be subject to bruising and skeletal trauma during transport. However, compliance with animal welfare standards is now a major issue in all segments of the livestock industry. Health problems are also too frequently observed among staff working on these facilities, such as the onset of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Furthermore, it is known to administer vaccines to chicks at one day old, or between one (1) and five (5) days old, to immunize These animals are protected against various diseases during the first days of their lives. These vaccinations are necessary not only to ensure the good health of these living animals, but also to guarantee adequate production. To treat a large number of chicks simultaneously, it is known to expose these chicks, placed in containers or baskets moving on conveyors, to fine droplets of water containing the vaccine to be administered. These droplets are obtained by spraying. Direct contact of these chicks with the mist of droplets ensures their vaccination via the oculo-nasal route. It is still known to pass these trays loaded with chicks, by means of conveyors, under nozzles that eject droplets of gel containing a vaccine. These droplets adhere to the surface and are, for example, colored in a way that attracts the chicks. The chicks are then vaccinated by ingesting the gel droplets collected from the bodies of the surrounding chicks. Such coloring also makes it possible to ensure correct absorption of the product by simple visual inspection of the inside of the animal's mouth. However, for these vaccinations to be effective, it is necessary on the one hand that the container be treated in its entirety, from front to back, and on the other hand that the distribution of droplets be homogeneous over the entire container. Also, the same volume of vaccine must be applied continuously to each container. However, since the supply of a dose of vaccine to be distributed onto a container to the nozzles is done from a predetermined storage volume, such as the volume of a syringe, the result is that the containers cannot pass continuously under the fluid droplet distribution devices. JP H06 245662 A discloses an installation for processing birds, said installation having an upstream end and a downstream end, said installation comprising at least one first conveyor defining a conveying axis along which several processing stations are arranged, said at least one first conveyor having an upstream end and a downstream end, and at least each of said identical processing stations comprising a slide. There is therefore an urgent need for a processing unit for newly hatched birds, particularly chicks, whose original design overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art described above. Object of the invention The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing an installation for processing newly hatched birds, such as chicks, simple in its design and in its mode of operation, ensuring rapid rates, typically exceeding 12,000 birds per hour and more. Another object of the present invention is such an installation for processing newly hatched birds while respecting the welfare of these living animals. Another object of the present invention is such an installation for processing newly hatched birds, making it possible to reduce the risks for operators of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Another object of the present invention is such an installation for treating newly hatched birds, allowing the management of containers transported by a conveyor to expose their surface to