Apparatus and method for providing drinking water to poultry

A relatively long poultry house of the conventional type having an earthen floor for the raising of fowl, such as turkeys, in combination with a gravity feed water distribution system for providing drinking water for the fowl in the poultry house and wherein the gravity feed water distribution system is characterized by leaving the floor of the poultry house substantially free of obstruction to movement of the fowl thereabout and wherein the water distribution system may readily be adjustably elevated as the fowl grow and increase in height and at times elevated to much higher levels to provide clearance for a tractor when it is desirable to till or clean the earthen floor of the poultry house, said gravity feed water distribution system comprising a reservoir for water including means for controlling the level of water in said reservoir, an elongate conduit connected in fluid communication to said reservoir and arranged to extend longitudinally throughout a substantial portion of said long poultry house, a plurality of drinking stations extending along said conduit and comprising spaced apart serially arranged water cups connected in open fluid communication to said conduit and extending upwardly therefrom, water temperature sensing means positioned in the path of flow of the water from within said reservoir through said conduit and into said water cups for sensing the temperature of the water in the system, means actuated by said water temperature sensing means for replacing water in the system in response to the sensed temperature of the water exceeding a predetermined temperature, means for supplying water to said reservoir, means connected to said water supply means for providing predetermined additives to the water for promoting the health of the poultry, and means supported from upper portions of said poultry house for supportingly carrying said reservoir, conduit and drinking stations and for adjustably raising the same while maintaining the relative height relationship between said reservoir and said water cups, wherein as the fowl grow and increase in height, the drinking stations may be raised without impairment of the gravity feed of the water to the drinking stations.

An apparatus for providing drinking water for poultry or the like comprising:

• a plurality of drinking stations at which the poultry may drink;
• a conduit connected in open fluid communication to said drinking stations;
• gravity feed means for delivering water along a path of flow through said conduit and into said drinking stations;
• means for sensing the temperature of the water in the path of flow of the water;
• and means for replacing the water in said conduit and drinking stations with water of a lower temperature in response to the sensed temperature of the water exceeding a predetermined temperature.

An apparatus for providing drinking water to a poultry house for poultry or the like comprising:

• a plurality of water cups arranged at a substantially uniform height at which the poultry may drink;
• a conduit connected in open fluid communication to said water cups;
• a reservoir;
• means connecting a lower portion of said reservoir to said conduit for supplying a flow of water into said water cups by gravity feed;
• means for maintaining a predetermined level of water in said reservoir according to a desired water level in said water cups;
• means for sensing the temperature of the water in its course of flow into the water cups;
• means for replacing water in said conduit and water cups in response to the sensed temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature and including means for interrupting the flow of drinking water from said reservoir to said conduit in response to the sensed temperature of the water exceeding the predetermined temperature, means for draining the water from said conduit and water cups while the flow of water is interrupted, and means for replenishing the drained water to said conduit from said reservoir;
• and means for periodically purging and cleansing said reservoir, conduit and water cups and including:
• means for temporarily interrupting the delivery of drinking water to said reservoir;
• means for draining water from said reservoir, conduit, and water cups;
• means for substantially filling said reservoir, conduit and water cups with a liquid disinfectant;
• means for draining the liquid disinfectant from said reservoir, conduit and water cups after a predetermined dwell period;
• and means for replenishing the water drained from said reservoir, conduit and water cups.

An apparatus for providing drinking water to a poultry house for poultry or the like, comprising:

• a plurality of drinking stations at which the poultry may drink;
• a conduit connected in fluid communication to said drinking stations;
• means connected to said conduit for delivering drinking water to said drinking stations;
• and preprogrammed means for purging and cleaning said conduit and drinking station and comprising means connected to said water delivering means for periodically interrupting the delivery of drinking water to said conduit and drinking stations;
• means connected to said conduit for replacing the drinking water in said conduit and drinking stations with a liquid disinfectant;
• means connected to said conduit for draining the liquid disinfectant from said conduit and drinking stations after a predetermined dwell period;
• and means for replenishing water to said conduit and drinking stations after the liquid disinfectant has drained therefrom.

A method of providing drinking water for poultry or the like comprising the steps of:

• delivering water through a conduit to a plurality of drinking stations at which the poultry may drink;
• sensing the temperature of the water in the path of flow of the water into the drinking stations;
• and replacing water in the conduit and drinking stations with water of a lower temperature in response to the sensed temperature of the water exceeding a predetermined temperature and wherein the step of replacing the water in the conduit and drinking stations with water of a lower temperature comprises:
• interrupting the flow of drinking water from the reservoir to the conduit in response to the sensed temperature of the water exceeding said predetermined temperature;
• draining water from the conduit and drinking stations while the flow is interrupted;
• and replenishing the water to the conduit and drinking stations from the reservoir.

A method of providing drinking water to a poultry house for poultry or the like comprising the steps of:

• arranging a plurality of water cups at a substantially uniform height at which poultry may drink;
• supplying water through a conduit to the water cups from a reservoir by gravity feed;
• maintaining a generally constant predetermined drinking water level in the reservoir correlated to a desired water level in the water cups;
• sensing the temperature of water in the path of flow of the water from within the reservoir, through the conduit and into the water cups;
• replacing water in the conduit and water cups with water of a lower temperature in response to the sensed temperature exceeding a predetermined relatively warm temperature by interrupting the flow of drinking water from the reservoir to the conduit in response to the sensed temperature of the water exceeding the predetermined temperature, draining the drinking water from the conduit and drinking stations while the flow is interrupted, and replenishing the drained water to the conduit from the reservoir;
• and periodically purging and cleansing the reservoir, conduit and water cups by the steps of:
• periodically interrupting the supply of drinking water to the reservoir;
• draining the water in the reservoir, conduit and drinking stations while the supply of drinking water is interrupted;
• substantially filling the reservoir, conduit and drinking stations with a liquid disinfectant;
• draining the liquid disinfectant from the reservoir, conduit and water cups after a predetermined dwell period;
• and thereafter replenishing water to the cleaned reservoir, conduit and water cups.