Abstract: A threshold drain system for redirecting water entering an elevator shaft at an opening thereof is provided. The threshold drain system may include a catch channel and a sill plate. The catch channel may include a forward wall connectable to an interior wall of the elevator shaft along and below the threshold. The sill plate extends from a rearward wall of the catch channel and is offset rearward relative to at least a portion of a vertical surface of the finished floor facing the elevator shaft to define a rearward offset. The forward wall may include a flange extending from an upper end of the forward wall at an elevation lower than a bottom of the sill plate so as to define a vertical offset. The rearward offset and the vertical offset at least in part define a passageway configured to direct the water into the catch channel.

Abstract: A toilet for an animal having an up-down direction includes an upper container including a bottom part in which a plurality of holes that penetrate in the up-down direction are formed, and a lower container provided below the upper container. An outer periphery of each of the holes being surrounded with cross ribs along a direction intersecting with the up-down direction and longitudinal ribs along a direction intersecting with the up-down direction and the cross ribs. An uppermost part of the longitudinal ribs is higher than an uppermost part of the cross ribs. A part of the cross ribs connected to the longitudinal ribs being provided with an upper-side inclined surface inclined obliquely downward from the longitudinal ribs.

Abstract: A modular animal pen system comprises front and rear panels and opposed side panels extending between the front and rear panels to form a primary enclosure. The front panel has adjacent doorway apertures formed therein to receive respective selectively closable gates, and a mullion is disposed between the doorway apertures. The mullion has a first slot, and a second slot in the rear panel is in registration with the first slot. The animal pen system further comprises a removable divider panel whose longitudinal ends are sized to fit removably within the respective slots so that the divider panel can divide the primary enclosure into two secondary enclosures. The side and divider panels may be formed by interchangeable profile panels, and the front and rear panels may be formed by interchangeable face panels connectable end-to-end to form a junction slot therebetween sized to receive the longitudinal ends of the profile panels.

Abstract: A liner or pad is configured to be positioned on a bottom surface of a metabolic cage or to form a bottom of a metabolic cage so as to provide a surface that comfortably supports a confined animal in the cage. The pad provides a surface that prevents the mouse from directly contacting the wire mesh bottom of the cage.

Abstract: A portable and collapsible modular calf housing system featuring at least one pen comprising a front panel and two side panels and optionally a rear panel forming a pen. The side panels include channels in which the front panel can slide vertically to adjust the height of a feeding pail attached thereto. The channels are disposed on either face of each side panel to enable a front panel from each one of adjacent pens to be joined to form a plurality of interconnected pens.

Abstract: A cattle grid comprising a first group of fixed bars (12) that are spaced apart with gaps therebetween and a second group of bars (20) that are movable between a lower position and an upper position. With the bars of the cattle grid in a first configuration, the second group of bars (20) are in the lower position, such that the upper portions of the bars of the second group (20) are lower than the upper portions of the bars of the first group (12), whereby gaps are defined between the bars of the first group to provide a barrier to the passage of animals. When the set of bars are in a second configuration, the second group of bars (20) are in the upper position such that the second group of bars (20) intermeshes with the first group of bars (12) so that the bars of the second group (20) occupy the gaps between the bars of the first group (12) to allow passage of animals across the bars.

Abstract: A livestock breeding system including a breeding place enclosed by a fence for breeding livestock; layers of wood chips spread over and stacked up on the surface of the earth in the breeding place; and a feedstuff for breeding the livestock, and in this system, the feedstuff is prepared by mixing wood fine chips containing sawdust and/or wood fibers with large quantities of fermentation tubes.

Abstract: Apparatus for use with a slatted floor comprises a floor covering apparatus for placement on the individual slats of a slatted floor. Each floor covering apparatus includes an elongated elastomeric mat (410) adapted to be fitted to a floor slat. The mat has a rigid fixing base (411), a flexible core (11) and an outer skin (415). The rigid fixing base (411), the flexible core (11) and the outer skin (415) are integrally formed together. The mat has a longitudinal leg (413) at each side to locate the mat. Also a flap valve (412) is mounted on each leg and protrudes into the gap between adjacent slats.

Abstract: An animal confinement pen flooring system, particularly adapted for swine farrowing operations, includes at least first and third rows of spaced-apart molded plastic foraminous flooring panels and an intermediate row of cast iron foraminous flooring panels, all of the panels being supported on spaced-apart elongated support rails in a stand off position above a subfloor. The plastic and cast iron panels each include opposed sets of hooked-shaped flanges for engagement with support rails, respectively, for supporting the panels thereon. The cast iron panels each include a boss and an opposed recess disposed on opposite sides thereof for interconnecting adjacent panels by cooperating hook portions formed on the boss and in the recess of the adjacent panel, respectively. The combination of the cast iron and molded plastic flooring panels provides enhanced comfort for swine in farrowing operations.

Abstract: An animal confinement pen flooring system, particularly adapted for swine farrowing operations, includes at least first and third rows of spaced-apart molded plastic foraminous flooring panels and an intermediate row of cast iron foraminous flooring panels, all of the panels being supported on spaced-apart elongated support rails in a stand off position above a subfloor. The plastic and cast iron panels each include opposed sets of hooked-shaped flanges for engagement with support rails, respectively, for supporting the panels thereon. The cast iron panels each include a boss and an opposed recess disposed on opposite sides thereof for interconnecting adjacent panels by cooperating hook portions formed on the boss and in the recess of the adjacent panel, respectively. The combination of the cast iron and molded plastic flooring panels provides enhanced comfort for swine in farrowing operations.

Abstract: An animal confinement pen flooring system, particularly adapted for swine farrowing operations, includes at least first and third rows of spaced-apart molded plastic foraminous flooring panels and an intermediate row of cast iron foraminous flooring panels, all of the panels being supported on spaced-apart elongated support rails in a stand off position above a subfloor. The plastic and cast iron panels each include opposed sets of hooked-shaped flanges for engagement with support rails, respectively, for supporting the panels thereon. The cast iron panels each include a boss and an opposed recess disposed on opposite sides thereof for interconnecting adjacent panels by cooperating hook portions formed on the boss and in the recess of the adjacent panel, respectively. The combination of the cast iron and molded plastic flooring panels provides enhanced comfort for swine in farrowing operations.

Abstract: A barn for raising hogs includes walls, a roof, and a floor within the structure for supporting the hogs, the floor being solid such that materials on the floor settle on the floor without passing therethrough and being capable of supporting an animal and the floor including at least one sloped surface and a waste collection area at a lower end of the sloped surface and an animal feeding station adjacent an upper end of the sloped surface. A process is also taught for raising hogs it includes confining hogs on a solid floor, applying compostable, fibrous material to the solid floor, collecting manure-soiled fibrous material from the floor and composting the manure-soiled fibrous material to form a nutrient rich material suitable for use as a compost soil or soil supplement.

Abstract: An animal box for animal breeding including an endless belt that defines a support surface for the animals. The support surface is intermittently movable in the longitudinal direction of the box, while the animals are on the surface. The portion of the surface where the animals mainly dwell successively increases at the inlet end of the box and successively changes into the portion of the surface where the animals mainly leave their dung. The latter portion successively disappears at the outlet end of the box on discharge of the manure. A littering means for delivery of, for instance, straw is provided at the inlet end of the box and a belt cleaner is provided at the outlet end of the box.

Abstract: A heating element (12) is described for use in flooring, preferably for pigstys (3). The heating elements consist of a liquid filled chamber (16). The liquid in the chamber is brought into heat transmitting connection with a conduit (24) connected with a heat source. The connection between the conduit (24) and the chamber (16) do not have to be pressure tight, as no pressure occurs in the chamber (16). Therefore, a relatively simple connection may be established and there will only be a small risk of leakage.

Abstract: A base for a feed lot composed of baled rubber material such as waste tires. The bales are placed beneath the surface of the feed lot and covered with earth. Any gaps between bales are filled with sand to provide for good drainage of the lot.

Abstract: A poultry breeder flooring system including a plurality of spaced apart and substantially parallel wire mesh channel defining beams, a wire mesh floor supported on the channel defining beams and a fastener mechanism interconnecting the floor and the channel defining means. The wire mesh floor and beam assembly provides an improved surface to space ratio which reduces dung collection and thereby enhances egg production.

Abstract: Flooring for a farrowing crate particularly for pigs is formed of beams and support flanges which are manufactured of glass fiber reinforced resin so as to be electrically insulating. The beams span a pit for receiving manure. On top of the supporting structure is provided a flooring formed of a plurality of rectangular panels or tiles arranged side to side and edge to edge to form an array of the panels. An area under the sow is defined of pressure molded aluminum panels or extruded and welded aluminum bars and an area fully surrounding an island of aluminum panels is defined by panels of injection molded plastics which are again non-conductive. The steel structure of the farrowing crate is bolted to the plastics panels at positions forwardly and rearwardly of the island of aluminum panels.

Abstract: A flooring system for use in an animal shelter. The flooring system is modular and includes a disassemblable base frame having, as components thereof, a pair of end crossbars, a plurality of longitudinally extending support members, and interconnecting elements. When assembled, the base frame is formed by interconnecting the end crossbars by means of laterally spaced support members. The interconnecting elements, in turn, interconnect adjacent support members and the interconnecting elements extend generally transverse to those members. The modular flooring system also includes at least one first panel and a second panel supported on the base frame. The one or more first panels are generally coplanar, and the second panel includes a portion, intended to support an animal mother when feeding her young, which is positioned to define a second plane, elevated above the first plane, and a ramp portion angling downwardly from the second plane defining portion toward each first panel.

Abstract: An air floor for curing compost made of a series of light weight, relatively short grates each containing a plural of air slits narrow at the top of the grate openings and progressively widening toward the bottom of the opening and structure supporting the grates to provide a span spaced to limit the bending moment to which the grates are subjected and to provide space beneath the grates to facilitate removal of compost passing through the air slits and to permit unobstructed air flow through the grates.

Abstract: A modular flooring system for stables is made up of a plurality of modules that each include a frame element (1) and an insertion element (30). Each frame element (1) is equipped with supporting profiles (6,7) intended for the support of the insertion element (30), which is placed in the frame element when in use. The insertion elements can be easily replaced in accordance with the type of animals expected to be walking thereon.