APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A TATTOO TO A HOG PRIOR TO MARKET

摘要

A tattoo mark is applied to a hog prior to sending the hog to market within a sorting cage with a weigh scale for detecting a weight of the hog and a sorting gate operated by a control unit in response to the detected weight. The mark is applied by a tattoo head having marking members thereon by which impact of the tattoo head on the skin of the hog applies a tattoo mark to the skin and a drive mechanism for driving movement of the tattoo head from a retracted position to an operating position for impacting the skin, the drive mechanism being mounted on a mounting assembly separate from and attached to the confining cage at the confining cage. The control unit is arranged, in response to the determination of a hog weight above the predetermined limit, to operate the drive mechanism to apply the tattoo head to the skin to apply the mark to the hog for market while operating the gate to release the hog to the market pen.