Farmatic, Inc.

Douglas Harkes

Donald J Gordon

Don Phillips

Eric Jarmain

Frank Hurnik

Michael Kirkland

A mechanical electronically controlled nursing apparatus for neonatal piglets which is capable of nursing up to sixteen piglets simultaneously. The apparatus operates semi-automatically and includes a refrigerated storage tank with a magnetic stirrer for storing a twenty-four hour supply of liquid feed formula, a pair of heating tanks for heating the formula to body temperature before nursing, and two nipple bars which accommodate four nipples each and are disposed along each side of the apparatus. The nipple bars are supported by nipple bar supports which are pivotally mounted within the apparatus to permit the nipples to be extended through holes provided in the housing of the apparatus for nursing and retracted into the housing to prevent damage to the nipples resulting form piglet play behavior. The apparatus further reproduces the digitized grunting sounds of a nursing sow during each nursing period. Two heat lamps are preferably suspended on each side of the apparatus and powered through receptacles provided on the apparatus. One heat lamp is suspended over a rest area remote from the apparatus and the other is suspended adjacent the nipple area of each side. The heat lamps over the rest areas are turned on between nursing periods and the heat lamps over the nipple areas are turned on during nursing periods to further condition piglet behavior.

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Thamesford, Canada

Douglas Harkes