Laying nest for domestic fowl and method for collecting eggs

A laying nest for domestic fowl with automatic egg collection, comprising:

• a housing consisting of a substantially horizontal, at least in part substantially cylindrical drum-like structure closed at both ends and provided with a window-like opening extending at least along a portion of its length;
• a crank arrangement comprising at least one bar-like crank member located inside said housing in substantially parallel, but eccentric, relationship with the axis of said cylindrical drum-like structure, said crank member being connected by at least two crank webs to at least two crank journals rotatably mounted in said housing and substantially coaxial therewith, at least one of said crank journals being connectable to a source of rotary power and, via said crank webs, being adapted to cause said crank member to rotate through at least 360.degree. about the axis of said housing, said crank member constituting the bar portion of a rotatable rake provided with tine portion comprised of a plurality of finger-like first tines extending towards, and ending in proximity of, the cylindrical inside surface of said housing, said tine portion rotating with said crank member and, when rotating, passing along a circular path concentric with the axis of said cylindrical inside surface to sweep out a layer of the housing interior corresponding in depth to the length of said first tines;
• a stationary counter-rake having an outwardly extending bar portion attached at its ends to said housing and a further tine portion attached to said bar portion and comprised of a plurality of inwards-pointing stationary second tines, said counter-rake tine portion penetrating the path of sweep of said rotating tine portion, and
• an egg-unloading surface disposed adjacent said stationary counter-rake and extending at least along the entire length of said window-like opening.

A method for collecting eggs in an automatic laying nest, comprising the steps of:

• providing an automatic laying nest comprising a substantially horizontal, substantially cylindrical housing having a window-like opening extending therealong, a rotatable rake-like member provided with a plurality of tines and located inside said housing in substantially parallel, but eccentric relationship with the axis thereof, a stationary counter-rake attached to said housing, and an egg-unloading surface extending along said stationary counter-rake;
• rotating said rake-like member for at least one full turn;
• scooping up from the bottom region of said housing any eggs laid, using the tines of said rotating rake-like member;
• lifting the scooped-up eggs to a higher region of said housing, and depositing said eggs on said stationary counter-rake, to roll from said counter-rake onto said egg-unloading surface.