IMPROVED ANIMAL FEEDER WITH DISPENSING MECHANISM AND DUST COVER

摘要

An improved livestock feeder use with an automatic feed delivery system having a feed drop tube operatively connected thereto for dispensing into a feed bin is disclosed. The improved feeder is provided with an adjustable feed dispensing mechanism including control levers which are operatively connected to the feed metering gates to control the flow of feed to livestock. The dispensing mechanism feature a plurality of adjustable control levers which engage an array of indexing holes formed in the feeder to set the vertical height adjustment of the feed gates. The dispensing mechanism include a graduated scale corresponding to each of the index holes to provide a standard setting for the feeder which can b e utilized by an animal producer to supply of feed flow at a given stage in the animal's life cycle to obtain a desired growth rate. In a production facility wh ere several of the feeders are in use a standard setting for the release of feed may be obtained to reduce variations in animal growth rate. The feeder is also provided with a removable dust cover which is installed within the feed bin to reduce airborne particles generated by the automatic feed delivery system.