ANIMAL FEED DISPENSING APPARATUS AND A SYSTEM FOR DISPENSING ANIMAL FEED

摘要

A dispenser (5) for dispensing discrete predefined quantities of animal feed to animals comprises first and second primary containers (28a, 28b) for ingredients of the animal feed. Primary metering augers (34) are provided in each primary container (28) for metering predefined quantities of the ingredients to produce a discrete predefined quantity of animal feed for dispensing to an animal. A radio frequency identity detector (82) located in the dispenser (5) identifies the identity of an approaching animal, and a microprocessor (48) in the dispenser (5) operates the primary metering augers (34) for metering out appropriate quantities of the ingredients in the first and second primary containers (28a, 28b) to produce a specific discrete predefined quantity of the animal feed for consumption by the animal. The discrete predefined quantity of the animal feed is presented to the animal in a dish-shaped base (22) of the dispenser (5). Data containing particulars of the sizes of the discrete predefined quantities of the animal feed for respective ones of the animals is stored in an electronic memory cross-referenced with the identities of the respective animals for reading by the microprocessor (48).