Poultry stunning system
AssigneeDakota Turkey Growers, LLC
InventorsRichard Woodford, Kenneth Rutledge, John Gregory Skinner, David Allen Coolbaugh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for stunning poultry located in cages in which the system utilizing an automated control system and a series of stunning apparatuses for progressively increasing exposure of the poultry to a subduing gas. The system is adjustable to allow for varying concentrations of the subduing gas, as well as adjusting the time for which the poultry is exposed to the subduing gas. In addition, the conveyor system includes methods for maintaining the poultry in a calm state prior to dispatch.
Claims33
A system for stunning poultry located in cages, the system comprising:
- a. a conveyor system operable to move said cages along a path having a beginning and an ending;
- b. at least three stunning stations located along the path and located between the beginning and the ending of the path, wherein each stunning station is operable to provide an amount of a subduing gas into the stunning station to create and maintain a predetermined concentration of the subduing gas in the stunning station once a cage enters the stunning station;
- and
- c. wherein the predetermined concentration of the subduing gas for a first station is less than the predetermined concentration of the subduing gas for a second station, and wherein the predetermined amount of the subduing gas for a third station is more than the predetermined concentration for the second station.
A system for stunning poultry located in cages, the system comprising:
- a. at least one set of cages comprising a plurality of tiers for holding the poultry,
- b. a conveyor system operable to move said at least one set of cages along a path having a beginning and an ending;
- c. a plurality of stunning stations located along the path and located between the beginning and the ending of the path, wherein each stunning station is operable to receive the at least one set of cages having a plurality of tiers without substantially altering the vertical path of the at least one cage, and wherein each stunning station is operable to release a predetermined concentration of a subduing gas into the stunning station once at least one cage enters the stunning station;
- and
- d. wherein the predetermined concentration of the subduing gas is circulated throughout the stunning station in a manner such that the subduing gas is substantially homogenously mixed with the remaining air in the stunning station to help ensure that the poultry in each tier is exposed to approximately the same concentration of the subduing gas.
A system for stunning poultry located in cages, the system comprising:
- a. at least one set of cages comprising a plurality of tiers for holding the poultry,
- b. a conveyor system operable to move said at least one set of cages along a path having a beginning and an ending;
- c. a plurality of stunning stations located along the path and located between the beginning and the ending of the path, wherein each stunning station is operable to receive the at least one set of cages having a plurality of tiers without substantially altering the vertical path of the at least one cage, and wherein each stunning station is operable to release a predetermined concentration of a subduing gas into the stunning station once at least one cage enters the stunning station;
- and
- d. wherein the predetermined concentration of the subduing gas is circulated throughout the stunning station in a manner such that the subduing gas is substantially homogenously mixed with the remaining air in the stunning station to help ensure that the poultry in each tier is exposed to approximately the same concentration of the subduing gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.