This article documents a design element from the fattening unit within the Smart Shelters project: a dual-level feeding channel for delivering feed to the sheep, paired with a system for draining spillage and cleaning the channel from below.
Main design components:
- Two raised side walkways forming a service path on either side of the feeding channel.
- A central feeding channel with a sloped floor carrying feed distributed evenly across several rows.
- A lower collection trench adjacent to the feeding channel, separated by a stepped wall, with connecting openings between the two levels.
- A netted roof/wall section allowing natural light and ventilation, within a semi-open, naturally ventilated design.
The core feature of this design is separating the feeding level from the collection/cleaning level: the feeding channel floor is sloped so spilled feed and debris slide through side openings into the lower trench rather than accumulating in the feeding area. This allows continuous drainage of waste without halting feeding or requiring workers to enter the feeding area directly, keeps the feeding surface permanently dry and clean, and allows spilled feed to be collected and resorted rather than wasted.
This design intersects with the project's circular-economy direction, since the lower trench could serve as an initial collection point feeding into a broader waste-recycling system - for example, directing collected organic waste toward composting or biogas production within the biological-recycling component.
Methodological note: this description is based on an internal review of a 3D render for documentation purposes, not a final executed engineering drawing. The exact channel dimensions, final drainage mechanism, and floor material remain points requiring engineering verification before actual implementation.
