Abstract: Apparatus for housing small animals, especially poultry to be fattened, such as chickens, within a housing enclosure with a continuous, grate-shaped conveyor supporting floor (21) made of plastic, and which is supported by supporting members (38) extending transversely to the conveying direction of the same and parallel to the supporting floor plane, which is functionally connected to lateral conveying agents (conveyor chains 51), whereby on the upper side of the supporting floor (21), above the supporting members (38), respectively, soft, elastic pads are arranged, especially in the form of tube-shaped or hose-shaped hollow bodies or profiles (40). To simplify the construction, the supporting floor is formed from a continuous track of a relatively finely meshed net (10).

Abstract: An apparatus for housing poultry to be fattened includes a grate-shaped animal conveyor supporting floor 21 which is contained within a housing enclosure. The floor is formed by a plurality of intersecting supporting profiles 33, each made from a soft, elastic material which is arranged so that it provides a plurality of openings 34 in the floor through which poultry droppings may pass. A plurality of soft, elastic coverings 40 are formed in a region above the supporting members 38 that are used to support the floor, the elastic coverings 40 providing extremely soft and yielding raised surfaces against which the poultry can lean, sit, or stand.

Abstract: The elevated upper floor 11 of a poultry fattening enclosure comprises a plurality of adjacent endless belts 15a, 15b, etc. movable in unison toward a transverse cross-conveyor 17 at one end of the enclosure to facilitate the removal of the birds. Each belt comprises a plurality of I-shaped double bushings 29 journalled at their ends to cross rods 30 to form a flexible floor grate, which engages sprocket-like rollers 20 at both ends of the run. The lower belt runs may comprise only drive cables 38 to save material and enable the free dropping of excrement to the lower enclosure floor 10. Alternatively, the floor 11 may comprise a series of rectangular frames 41 in which grates or mats 42 are clamped, the frames being connected by withdrawal cables 43 which pull them through slots 47 in an end wall 48 of the enclosure.