Method and apparatus for rearing pigs in cages

A method of rearing pigs in cages comprising

• separating a litter of pigs from the sow and placing the pigs in an enclosed building within at least one elevated cage of openwork construction also having an openwork floor adapted to allow animal waste to pass therethrough while maintaining the pigs in a dry condition,
• maintaining the pigs within the cage while providing readily accessible food and water and while at least periodically introducing outside air into the building to replenish the oxygen supply therein and to remove odors,
• collecting the animal waste passing through the openwork floor of the cage in a trough positioned below the cage,
• periodically inspecting the readily accessible waste collected in the trough to locate any unhealthy pigs and thereby facilitate segregating them from the healthy pigs,
• periodically passing a sweeping flow of water along the trough to flush away the animal waste from below the cage, and
• directing the animal waste and flush water to a collection area outside the building.

Apparatus for rearing animals in cages, and being especially suited for rearing pigs, said apparatus comprising

• an elongate confinement building,
• a plurality of elongate cages arranged end-to-end in tiered relation to form respective upper and lower elongate series of cages extending longitudinally within said confinement building,
• each cage comprising a floor of open mesh construction to allow animal waste to pass therethrough while maintaining the animals in a dry condition, and an open-bottomed open mesh enclosure restingly positioned on and supported by said floor with the floor thus serving as the bottom of the cage, said enclosure including a skeletal reinforcing frame and open mesh wire secured to the skeletal frame to define the top and sides of the enclosure, the wire being positioned exteriorly of the frame to locate any rough edges of the wire outside of the cage and shielded from contact by the animals housed therein,
• a plurality of upright cage supports at longitudinally spaced locations along the elongate confinement building and engaging and supporting the respective floors of the cages in said upper and lower series of cages,
• respective upper and lower elongate troughs underlying said upper and lower elongate series of cages and being positioned for receiving and collecting the animal waste passing through the floors of the cages while facilitating periodic inspection of the animal waste for locating any unhealthy animals and segregating them from the healthy animals,
• water supply means operably associated with a corresponding end of said upper and lower elongate troughs for periodically directing a sweeping flow of wash water along the troughs to flush away the animal waste from below the cages,
• means associated with corresponding opposite ends of said upper and lower elongate troughs for receiving the wash water and waste flushed from the troughs and for directing the same out of the confinement building, and
• ventilation means provided in said confinement building for at least periodically introducing outside air into the building to replenish the oxygen supply therein and control the temperature in the building.

A tiered cage assembly for animals, especially suited for rearing pigs, and comprising

• a plurality of upright supports,
• a plurality of cages carried by said supports and arranged in vertically spaced tiered relation to form respective upper and lower elongate series of cages,
• each cage comprising a floor carried by said supports and being of openwork construction to allow animal waste to pass therethrough while maintaining the animals in a dry condition, and an open-bottomed enclosure having side walls and a top wall also of openwork construction, said enclosure being restingly positioned on and supported by said floor with the floor thus serving as the bottom of the cage, said enclosure including a skeletal reinforcing frame and open mesh wire secured to the skeletal frame to define the top and sides of the enclosure, the wire being positioned exteriorly of the frame to locate any rough edges of the wire outside of the cage and shielded from contact by the animals housed therein, and said enclosure having door means providing access into the cage for removing or placing animals in the cage,
• respective upper and lower elongate troughs underlying said upper and lower elongate series of cages and being positioned for receiving and collecting the animal waste passing through the floors of the cages while facilitating periodic inspection of the animal waste for locating any unhealthy animals and segregating them from the healthy animals, and
• water supply means operably associated with a corresponding end of said upper and lower elongate troughs for periodically directing a sweeping flow of wash water along the troughs to flush away the animal waste from below the cages.

A tiered cage assembly for animals, especially suited for rearing pigs, and comprising

• a plurality of elongate cages arranged end-to-end in vertically aligned tiered relation to form respective upper and lower elongate series of cages,
• each cage comprising a floor of open mesh construction to allow animal waste to pass therethrough while maintaining the animals in a dry condition, and an open-bottomed open-mesh enclosure restingly positioned on and supported by said floor with the floor thus serving as the bottom of the cage, said enclosure including a skeletal reinforcing frame and open mesh wire secured to the skeletal frame to define the top and sides of the enclosure, the wire being positioned exteriorly of the frame to locate any rough edges of the wire outside of the cage and shielded from contact by the animals housed therein,
• a plurality of upright cage supports arranged in longitudinally spaced pairs on opposite sides of the cages and positioned adjacent opposite ends of the respective cages in said upper and lower series, each pair of upright supports having upper and lower cage brackets extending laterally inwardly therefrom, the upper cage brackets of each pair of upright supports engaging and supporting corner portions of the respective floors of two adjacent cages in said upper series of cages and the lower cage brackets of each pair of upright supports engaging and supporting corner portions of the respective floors of two adjacent cages in said lower series of cages,
• an upper elongate trough carried by said upright cage supports and underlying said upper elongate series of cages, said upper trough being positioned for receiving and collecting the animal waste passing through the open mesh floors of the cages in said upper series while facilitating periodic inspection of the animal waste for locating any unhealthy animals and segregating them from the healthy animals,
• a lower trough underlying said lower elongate series of cages and also being positioned for receiving and collecting the animal waste passing through the open mesh floors of the lower cages while facilitating periodic inspection of the animal waste for locating any unhealthy animals and segregating them from the healthy animals, and
• water supply means operably associated with a corresponding end of said upper and lower elongate troughs for periodically directing a sweeping flow of wash water along the troughs to flush away the animal waste from below the cages.