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v there will be the Grifco Chook Saver, ensuring that the risk to birds on his farm is reduced to the absolute minimum if power failure occurs again. Joe Vella of Protective Fabrications helped Joe Galea and Adrian Nix set up the trial unit Chook Saver on one of the curtain sided sheds. Protective Fabrications also previously supplied curtains to four of the six sheds on the farm. “We have been talking about our Chook Saver concept at Chamberlain for about five years and included farmers like Joe in our discussions and plans,” said Adrian. “The unit is an adaption of one of our Chamberlain fire door systems and with input from our customers in the poultry industry, we had prototype units being tested in our factory last year and after three months of perfecting those units we had a product we could take to a farm,” he said. Key to the design of the Chook Saver is an electro magnetic system that releases the winch mechanism when there is a power failure. As the power to the magnets is cut off the ratchet on the curtain winch is released and the curtain drops. “No further alarm or other monitoring equipment is necessary, if the power fails the curtains drop,” Adrian explained. “Other important features of the design are a controlled descent of the curtain to let it fall at a speed that does not scare the birds. “The unit has a timer that can be set for a delay period varying from .25 of a second to 30 minutes from the time the power fails to when the curtains are lowered. “This time delay can be set to suit both prevailing weather conditions and the stage of bird development. “Also the unit can be set to partially or full drop the curtain so if for example there are very young birds the curtain may only need to be dropped a few centimetres – for fully developed birds the curtain can be fully lowered. “Although the test unit is shown operating on a curtain sided tunnel shed, the Chook Saver can be equally effective in lowered flaps located in the cool pad area and wall mounted mini vents which are typical features of solid walled tunnel ventilation sheds,” Adrian said. “The electro magnetic cable release winch mechanism is easy to install in existing curtain/flap/mini vent systems and Top: New sheds, silos and feed augers supplied by Patarker. Centre: Fan blinds minsimply connects into the actuating unit imise dust, odour and noise. Above: Fancom Mini Vents supplied by Patarker. Joe that monitors the power supply. resets curtains after trialling the Chook Saver. The Chook Saver is water proof, w
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POULTRY DIGEST, April/May 2010