Improvements relating to containers and methods of transportation.

摘要

The invention concerns a container (4) for handling small livestock, particularly poultry, in the transportation of the poultry from a pouhryhouse to a central factory at which the poultry is processed. The container comprises a frame (6) of openwork construction which supports severel tiers of superposed drawers (8) mounted for movement relative thereto between open and closed positions. The container comprises locking mechanism which is operative to lock all the drawers simultaneously. The container comprises a lifting formation (24) which enables the container to be lifted by (for example) a modified fork lift truck, and as a consequence of such lifting, the locking mechanism is automatically rendered operative. Desirably the primary transporter (lorry or trailerl upon which the container is placed by the fork lift truck is provided with a formation (62) which is operative to retain the locking mechanism operative whilst the container rests on the lorry. The container forms part of a novel system for the transportation of poultry from geographically spaced buildings to a processing factory, at which the poultry is unloaded from the containers in a smooth and efficient manner.