Material delivery systems, beak opening apparatus and methods of use

A beak opening apparatus for opening a beak of a bird positioned in a delivery location relative to the beak opening apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• a beak splitter comprising an upper beak contact surface and a lower beak contact surface forming a wedge configured for insertion between an upper mandible and a lower mandible of a beak of a bird positioned in a delivery location relative to the beak opening apparatus, the beak splitter movable between a home position and an opening position, wherein the beak splitter is configured to separate the upper mandible of the bird in the delivery location from the lower mandible of the bird to open the beak of the bird in the delivery location when the beak splitter moves from the home position to the opening position;
• a beak opening actuator operably connected to the beak splitter, wherein the beak opening actuator is configured to move the beak splitter between the opening position and the home position, wherein the upper beak contact surface of the beak splitter is configured to contact the upper mandible of the beak of the bird in the delivery location before the lower beak contact surface of the beak splitter contacts the lower mandible when the beak splitter is moving from the home position to the opening position to separate the upper mandible from the lower mandible to open the beak of the bird;
• a control unit operably connected to the beak opening actuator, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the beak opening actuator to move the beak splitter between the home position and the opening position;
• and
• a beak tip detector operably connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to:
• receive a signal from the beak tip detector when the beak tip detector detects a tip of the upper mandible of the beak of the bird in the delivery location;
• and
• operate the beak opening actuator to move the beak splitter between the home position and the opening position after receiving the signal from the beak tip detector.

A method of opening a beak of a bird, the method comprising:

• positioning a bird in a delivery location;
• moving a beak splitter from a home position to an opening position after positioning the bird in the delivery location using a beak opening actuator operably connected to the beak splitter and controlled by a control unit, wherein the beak splitter comprises an upper beak contact surface and a lower beak contact surface forming a wedge configured for insertion between an upper mandible and a lower mandible of a beak of a bird, wherein the upper beak contact surface contacts the upper mandible of the beak of the bird in the delivery location before the lower beak contact surface contacts the lower mandible when the beak splitter is moving from the home position to the opening position to separate the upper mandible from the lower mandible to open the beak of the bird;
• and
• moving the bird out of the delivery location after opening the beak of the bird.

A system for delivering material through an open beak to a digestive tract of a bird positioned in a delivery location relative to the system, the system comprising:

• a delivery tube extending between a delivery end and a supply end;
• a beak splitter configured to separate an upper mandible of the bird positioned in the delivery location from a lower mandible of the bird to open a beak of the bird, wherein the beak splitter comprises an upper beak contact surface and a lower beak contact surface forming a wedge configured for insertion between the upper mandible and the lower mandible of the beak of the bird positioned in the delivery location, the beak splitter movable between a home position and an opening position;
• a beak opening actuator operably connected to the beak splitter, wherein the beak opening actuator is configured to move the beak splitter between the opening position and the home position, wherein the upper beak contact surface is configured to contact the upper mandible of the beak of the bird in the delivery location before the lower beak contact surface contacts the lower mandible when the beak splitter is moving from the home position to the opening position to separate the upper mandible from the lower mandible to open the beak of the bird;
• a delivery tube driver configured to move the delivery tube between a retracted position and a delivery position, wherein in the delivery position, the delivery end of the delivery tube is configured to be located in a digestive tract of the bird when the bird is positioned in the delivery location and the beak of the bird is open;
• a material delivery device connected to the supply end of the delivery tube and a supply configured to contain material for delivery to the bird positioned in the delivery location, wherein the material delivery device is configured to deliver the material from the supply into the delivery tube through the supply end of the delivery tube;
• and
• a control unit operably connected to the beak opening actuator and the delivery tube driver, wherein the control unit is configured to:
• operate the delivery tube driver to move the delivery tube between the retracted position and the delivery position, and operate the beak opening actuator to move the beak splitter between the home position and the opening position.