Silage additive agent and defective fermentation silage palatability improvement method

Abstract

To solve problems for example, silage which is fermented in defective fermentation includes a high content of ammonia or butyrate, and intense bad odor caused by the ammonia or butyrate applies a harmful effect to palatability of domestic animals, and silage having the high content of ammonia disturbs homeostasis in a lumen of cow and causes various disorders, and productivity of meat and raw milk is deteriorated, therefore to efficiently absorb bad odor substances such as ammonia which exists in a gas phase and liquid phase in the silage which is fermented in defective fermentation, and improve reduction of feeding property in the silage fermented in defective fermentation.SOLUTION: There are provided: a silage additive agent including, a hydrophilic zeolite expressed by SiO2 / Al2O3 and having a molar ratio of 1 to 12, and a hydrophobic zeolite expressed by SiO2 / Al2O3 and having a molar ratio of 15 to 200, a mass ratio expressed by the hydrophilic zeolite / hydrophobic zeolite being 1 / 8 to 2 / 5; and a palatability improvement method of silage which is fermented in defective fermentation using the silage additive agent.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a silage additive, and more specifically, to a silage additive that can be added to silage that has been rendered less palatable to dairy cows and other livestock due to poor fermentation during the silage production process, thereby increasing the edibility of the silage and improving the productivity of raw milk, meat, and the like, and to a method for improving the palatability of poorly fermented silage that utilizes the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In livestock production, in order to ensure a stable supply of feed such as pasture grass and forage crops throughout the year, it is necessary to improve the long-term preservation of said feed. Silage, one of the methods for this purpose, is widely used because it has the advantages of less nutrient loss compared to drying and preserving hay, and is not affected by weather conditions. Silage is livestock feed with improved storability and nutritional value, which is made by compressing and sealing high-moisture feed crops such as grass and fermenting them anaerobically with lactic acid in a silo. In silage production, it is necessary to suppress the growth of aerobic bacteria in the early stage of silage fermentation and to suppress butyric acid fermentation by butyric acid bacteria, which causes bad odors and reduced nutritional value, by blocking air and creating an anaerobic state and rapidly lowering the pH of the feed through lactic acid fermentation. On the other hand, during the silage production process, poor fermentation such as secondary fermentation (aerobic spoilage) may occur due to (1) exposure to aerobic conditions, such as the surface of the silage being exposed to aerobic conditions for a long time when it is taken out after opening the silo, (2) contamination with soil to which butyric acid bacteria generally adhere, (3) high moisture content that is favorable for the growth of mold, (4) low sugar content, and (5) insufficient chopping or treading. Silage that has undergone poor fermentation (hereinafter referred to as poorly fermented silage) has a high content of ammonia and butyric acid, which cause a strong unpleasant odor that reduces livestock palatability and reduces feed intake. In addition, the nutritional value of the silage has been reduced, making it a low-quality feed that can cause serious losses, such as adversely affecting the health of livestock.

[0003] As an indicator of the above-mentioned "low quality feed," for example, the contents of ammonia nitrogen and butyric acid in silage can be used. Ammonia nitrogen and butyric acid are mainly produced by the process of butyric acid fermentation by butyric acid bacteria, when carbohydrates and proteins in silage are decomposed into butyric acid, propionic acid, and ammonia, which leads to a decrease in palatability and a decrease in feed intake by livestock. In particular, the ammonia content in silage is strongly related to the decrease in silage intake by livestock, and in addition, in livestock that eat silage with a high ammonia content, the ammonia concentration in the rumen (first stomach) can become excessive, which can result in ammonia poisoning and problems such as reduced growth, reduced milk production, reduced feed intake, muscle cramps, ataxia, and excessive salivation. In addition to the above problems, silage with a high butyric acid concentration can also lead to diseases such as ketosis. Furthermore, silage in which butyric acid bacteria have actively grown also contains deamino acids such as valeric acid and caproic acid, resulting in silage that emits an unpleasant odor. In addition, the bad smelling substances produced by these poor fermentations, such as ammonia, butyric acid, and valeric acid, evaporate from the liquid phase in the feed and move into the gas phase, which has a significant impact on reducing the palatability of the feed through the livestock's sense of smell, which is also a problem.

[0004] Now, the rumen of dairy cows is maintained in a state of homeostasis by the feed they ingest, their saliva, fermentation products, etc., and is an environment suitable for the habitation of microorganisms, but it is strongly affected by any changes in the balance of the type of feed given, its nutrition, etc. Therefore, if the balance of the feed eaten is disrupted due to the occurrence of poorly fermented silage, the environment in the rumen changes and homeostasis is disturbed, causing various disorders such as metabolic disorders to occur frequently, and the quality of raw milk and meat will be affected. In addition, uneaten fermented silage must be discarded, which, combined with the recent rise in feed prices, results in significant economic losses.

[0005] The following techniques are known as methods for solving the problems caused by such poorly fermented silage. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for suppressing secondary fermentation by mixing a spoilage prevention agent in which caproic acid and propionic acid, which have the effect of suppressing aerobic fermentation, are adsorbed on zeolite powder with livestock feed. Patent Document 2 describes a technique for adding an additive for silage preparation containing homofermentative lactic acid bacteria having reuterin production ability during silage preparation in order to prevent butyric acid fermentation and aerobic spoilage of silage. Patent Document 3 describes a feed additive containing zeolite, natto powder, citric acid, and brown algae as essential ingredients in order to improve the edibility of roughage and increase the intake amount, and a feed containing the additive. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-40862 [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-35728 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2006-101747 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are aimed at preventing poor fermentation itself, and are not intended to improve the reduced eatability of silage in which poor fermentation has already occurred. Moreover, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 aims to synergistically improve the productivity of calves and dairy cows in particular by increasing the intake of roughage, and does not pay any attention to improving the reduced intake of poorly fermented silage. In addition, Patent Document 3 does not pay any attention to the multiple types of malodorous substances contained in the gas phase and liquid phase of poorly fermented silage, which are factors that cause poor intake by livestock. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of extensive research conducted to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors have confirmed that the combined use of hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite, which has not been reported previously, can efficiently adsorb malodorous substances such as ammonia, butyric acid, and valeric acid present in the gas phase and liquid phase of poorly fermented silage, thereby improving the palatability of the silage, which led to the present invention. That is, the embodiments of the present invention are as follows. (1) a hydrophilic zeolite having a molar ratio of SiO2 / Al2O3 of 1 to 12; Contains a hydrophobic zeolite having a molar ratio of SiO2 / Al2O3 of 15 to 200, A silage additive, characterized in that a mass ratio of the hydrophilic zeolite / the hydrophobic zeolite is 1 / 8 to 2 / 5. (2) The silage additive according to (1), characterized in that the silage additive contains sugar in an amount of 0.2 to 0.8 in terms of mass ratio when the total mass of the hydrophilic zeolite and the hydrophobic zeolite is 1. (3) The silage additive according to (1) or (2), which is an additive for improving the palatability of poorly fermented silage. (4) a hydrophilic zeolite having a molar ratio of SiO2 / Al2O3 of 1 to 12; A feed composition containing a hydrophobic zeolite having a molar ratio of SiO2 / Al2O3 of 15 to 200, The feed composition contains 0.3 to 9% by mass of the hydrophilic zeolite and the hydrophobic zeolite in total relative to the total mass of the feed composition, and A feed composition, characterized in that a mass ratio of said hydrophilic zeolite / said hydrophobic zeolite is 1 / 8 to 2 / 5. (5) The feed composition according to (4), further comprising 0.06 to 7% by mass of sugar relative to the total mass of the feed composition. (6) based on the total mass of the feed composition A hydrophilic zeolite having a molar ratio of SiO2 / Al2O3 of 1 to 12; A total of 0.3 to 9 mass% of hydrophobic zeolite having a molar ratio represented by SiO2 / Al2O3 of 15 to 200, and The hydrophilic zeolite / hydrophobic zeolite is added in an amount of 1 / 8 to 2 / 5. A method for improving the palatability of poorly fermented silage. (7) The method for improving the palatability of defective fermented silage according to (6), further comprising adding sugar in an amount of 0.06 to 7% by mass based on the total mass of the feed composition. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a silage additive can be provided that can improve the reduced eating ability of poorly fermented silage by adding it to livestock such as dairy cows, which has a reduced palatability. The silage additive of the present invention can adsorb malodorous substances such as ammonia emitted by poorly fermented silage and suppress the elution of ammonia and the like into the rumen fluid of livestock when they eat the silage, thereby stabilizing rumen homeostasis, which leads to disease prevention and can bring benefits to livestock management by improving the productivity of raw milk, meat, etc. Furthermore, the adsorption of malodorous substances improves the odor of the silage, improving its palatability and reducing the loss of self-supplied feed due to leftovers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The silage additive of the present invention improves the reduced palatability of livestock to poorly fermented silage, and is characterized by containing zeolite that adsorbs malodorous substances such as ammonia, butyric acid, valeric acid, etc. that are contained in the gas phase and liquid phase of poorly fermented silage and are factors that reduce eating ability, and also inhibits the elution of the adsorbed malodorous substances. The shape of the zeolite used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can contact with the defective fermented silage and adsorb the malodorous substances, and can be in the form of powder, granules, pellets, beads, etc., and is preferably in the form of powder in order to increase the contact area between the silage and the zeolite and to adsorb more efficiently. The crystal type of the zeolite is not particularly limited, and can be A-type, X-type, L-type, Y-type, mordenite, ferrierite, ZSM-5, beta, etc.

[0011] In addition, in order to effectively adsorb the various polar and non-polar odorous substances contained in the gas and liquid phases of poorly fermented silage and that affect reduced feed intake, it is necessary to use hydrophilic and hydrophobic zeolites in combination. Hydrophobic zeolite is a zeolite having hydrophobic properties. In general, the higher the SiO2 / Al2O3 molar ratio, the higher the hydrophobicity. In addition, as the hydrophobicity increases, it becomes difficult to adsorb highly polar water molecules, while the affinity with low polar odorous substances, hydrophobic gases, and lipophilic gases (including solvent-based gases) increases, making it easier to adsorb these. In addition, hydrophobic zeolite has a property of easily adsorbing odorous substances that have volatilized and moved to the gas phase. The hydrophobic zeolite used in the present invention preferably has a SiO2 / Al2O3 molar ratio of 15 to 200, more preferably 18 to 100, and even more preferably 20 to 50.

[0012] Hydrophilic zeolite is a zeolite that has hydrophilic properties. In general, the lower the SiO2 / Al2O3 molar ratio of zeolite, the more hydrophilic it becomes. And, the higher the hydrophilicity, This makes it easier to adsorb highly polar water molecules, etc., but conversely, it has a lower affinity with odorous substances, hydrophobic gases, and lipophilic gases (including solvent-based gases) that have low polarity, making it difficult to adsorb them. Hydrophilic zeolites also have the property of easily adsorbing odorous substances that do not volatilize and exist in the liquid phase. The hydrophilic zeolite used in the present invention preferably has a SiO2 / Al2O3 molar ratio of 1 to 12, more preferably 1.5 to 10, and even more preferably 2 to 5.

[0013] In the silage additive of the present invention, the mass ratio of the hydrophilic zeolite to the hydrophobic zeolite (hydrophilic zeolite / hydrophobic zeolite) specified by the above SiO2 / Al2O3 molar ratio is 1 / 8 to 2 / 5 from the viewpoint of effectively adsorbing various polar and non-polar malodorous substances contained in the gas phase and liquid phase in the defective fermented silage, and for example, the molar ratio is preferably 1 / 6 to 7 / 20, and more preferably 1 / 5 to 3 / 10. Silage is very diverse, with the moisture content ranging from about 15% to 80%. For example, when preferentially adsorbing malodorous substances in the liquid phase of silage with a high moisture content, the mass ratio of each zeolite can be appropriately adjusted taking into account the type and composition of the silage. For example, the proportion of hydrophilic zeolite can be increased. As described below, the inventors have found that the presence of malodorous substances in the gas phase has a greater effect on the palatability of livestock to feed (food) than malodorous substances in the liquid phase, and from this perspective, have determined the ratio of hydrophilic zeolite / hydrophobic zeolite according to the present invention.

[0014] Various zeolites may contain cations in the framework structure. The type of cation is not particularly limited as long as it adsorbs malodorous substances such as ammonia and inhibits the elution of the adsorbed malodorous substances. For example, hydrogen ions (H + ); Sodium ion (Na + ), potassium ion (K + ) and other alkali metal ions; calcium ion (Ca 2+ ), magnesium ion (Mg 2+ ), barium ion (Ba 2+ ) and other alkaline earth metal ions; zinc ion (Zn 2+ ), tin ion (Sn 2+ , Sn 4+ ), iron ion (Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ ), platinum ions (Pt 2+ ), palladium ion (Pd 2+ ), titanium ion (Ti 3+ ), silver ions (Ag + ), copper ions (Cu + , Cu2+ ), manganese ion (Mn 2+ , Mn 4+ ), cobalt ion (Co 2+ ) and other transition metal ions; gallium ions (Ga + The cations may be contained alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0015] Silage to which the silage additive of the present invention can be applied is not particularly limited as long as it is made from raw materials that are normally used as feed, and examples include silage made from pasture grasses such as alfalfa, clover, timothy, orchardgrass, reed canary grass, quackgrass, Italian ryegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, meadow fescue, festulolium, Kentucky bluegrass, redtop, guinea grass, rhodes grass, napier grass, oats, barley, rye, and sudan grass, and feed crops such as barnyard millet, sorghum, dent corn, corn, and feed rice.

[0016] The silage additive is preferably added in an amount such that the total amount of the hydrophilic zeolite and the hydrophobic zeolite is, for example, 0.3 to 10% by mass, more preferably 1.0 to 8.0% by mass, and even more preferably 1.5 to 5.0% by mass, relative to the total mass of the silage to which it is added. If it is added in an amount exceeding 10% by mass, it is preferable in terms of adsorbing malodorous substances, but if the proportion of zeolite, which is a non-nutritional substance, in the feed increases too much, it is expected that the nutritional efficiency will decrease. In addition, if even the nutritional substances are adsorbed to the zeolite and not eluted, it may cause nutritional deficiency in livestock, and it is also expected that the production efficiency of meat and raw milk will decrease. Furthermore, simply from the viewpoint of cost, it is desirable to add zeolite in a small amount, and it is desirable to select the amount of addition from various viewpoints of the adsorption effect of malodorous substances, nutritional efficiency, and cost. The present invention also covers a feed composition containing the silage additive, specifically, a feed composition containing the hydrophilic zeolite, the hydrophobic zeolite, and silage, in which the total amount of both zeolites is 0.3 to 9 mass%, preferably 1 to 7.5 mass%, and more preferably 1.4 to 4.75 mass%, based on the total mass of the feed composition. The present invention also covers a method for improving the palatability of poorly fermented silage, in which the silage additives, specifically the hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite, are added in an amount such that the total amount of the silage additives is 0.3 to 9 mass%, preferably 1 to 7.5 mass%, and more preferably 1.4 to 4.75 mass%, relative to the total mass of the feed composition. The "feed composition" and the "feed composition" in the "method for improving the palatability of poorly fermented silage" both encompass the form of the feed composition before fermentation and the form of the feed composition after fermentation (i.e., silage).

[0017] The silage additive of the present invention is intended to be added to silage that has already undergone poor fermentation, but it can also be added preventively to silage before poor fermentation occurs or to the feed crops that are the raw materials for silage. The method of adding the silage additive is not particularly limited as long as the additive comes into contact with the silage and the feed crops as raw materials and can adsorb malodorous substances in the silage. For example, the additive in powder, granule or pellet form is sprayed on the surface of the silage or its raw materials, or the additive is sprayed and then mixed to distribute the additive more uniformly throughout the silage or its raw materials.

[0018] The silage additive of the present invention further contains sugar, which can improve the palatability of livestock to silage and contribute to activating microbial activity in the rumen of livestock, thereby improving the efficiency of ammonia utilization in the rumen and reducing the risk of poisoning due to excessive intake of ammonia contained in poorly fermented silage. When the silage additive of the present invention contains sugar, the sugar can be contained in an amount of, for example, 0.2 to 0.8 when the total mass of the hydrophilic zeolite and the hydrophobic zeolite is taken as 1. When sugar is added to the silage additive that is the subject of the present invention, i.e., a feed composition containing the hydrophilic zeolite and the hydrophobic zeolite, the sugar can be added in an amount of, for example, 0.06 to 7% by mass based on the total mass of the feed composition. When sugar is added in the method for improving the palatability of poorly fermented silage that is the subject of the present invention, the sugar can be added in an amount of, for example, 0.06 to 7% by mass based on the total mass of the feed composition. EXAMPLES

[0019] Examples of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples, and various modifications are possible within the technical concept of the present invention.

[0020] (Silage additives: materials used) <Zeolite> Hydrophilic zeolite (product name: Zeolum (registered trademark) A-5, manufactured by Tosoh Corporation): powder passing 100 mesh (opening 0.15 mm), crystal type A, hydrogen ion supported, SiO2 / Al2O3 molar ratio = 2.0 Hydrophobic zeolite (product name: HSZ (registered trademark) 822HOA, manufactured by Tosoh Corporation): powder with an average particle size of 5 μm, crystal type ZSM-5 type, Ca ion-supported, SiO2 / Al2O3 molar ratio = 24

[0021] [Test Example 1] In this test example, the effects of hydrophilic and hydrophobic zeolites on gas-phase ammonia were examined.

[0022] (Test Method) 1) Preparation of ammonia Commercially available aqueous ammonia was placed in a vial, capped, and allowed to stand at room temperature (25°C ± 5°C). Ammonia was then collected from the headspace and transferred to another Tedlar bag previously filled with 6 L of clean air to create a known concentration of ammonia (54.6 ppm).

[0023] 2) Measurement of ammonia concentration in Tedlar bags The Tedlar bag filled with only ammonia was sample 1 (control), the Tedlar bag filled with ammonia and containing 0.02 g of hydrophilic zeolite was sample 2, and the Tedlar bag filled with ammonia and containing 0.02 g of hydrophobic zeolite was sample 3. These were left to stand for 10 minutes at room temperature (25°C ± 5°C). After standing, the ammonia concentration in each Tedlar bag was measured using a gas sampler (GV-100 type, manufactured by Gastec Co., Ltd.) and a gas detector (high-sensitivity tin oxide hot-wire type sintered semiconductor type, 3L, measurement range: 0.5 to 78 ppm, manufactured by Gastec Co., Ltd.). The increase / decrease rate of ammonia was calculated using the following formula from the measured ammonia concentration of each sample and the initial ammonia concentration (54.6 ppm). Note that negative values ​​in the results obtained by this formula indicate the decrease rate. Increase / decrease rate (%) = [(ammonia concentration of each sample / prepared ammonia concentration (54.6 ppm)) - 1] x 100

[0024] (Summary of results) The results are shown in Table 1. In sample 2, to which hydrophilic zeolite was added, the rate of increase or decrease in ammonia was -97.9%, whereas in sample 3, to which hydrophobic zeolite was added, the ammonia concentration decreased to below the detection limit (ND).

[0025] [Table 1]

[0026] These results show that both the hydrophilic and hydrophobic zeolites used in this test example have a high gas-phase ammonia adsorption effect, and further that the hydrophobic zeolite has a higher gas-phase ammonia adsorption effect than the hydrophilic zeolite.

[0027] [Test Example 2] In this test example, the effects of hydrophilic zeolite or hydrophobic zeolite on the strength of odor emitted from silage, and on the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, butyric acid and valeric acid in the silage were examined.

[0028] (Test Method) 1) Preparation of silage additives Hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite were prepared according to the blending ratios shown in Table 2 below, and used as silage additives (samples 1 to 3). The blending amount of each component was expressed as mass % relative to 40 g of silage material.

[0029] [Table 2]

[0030] 2) Silage preparation The material used was a mixture of chopped silage made from grasses or legumes, with various production areas and harvest dates.Specifically, the material had ammonia nitrogen of 15% TN or more and moisture of 82.9%.

[0031] 3) Control of odor generated from silage 40g of the above silage and 1L of clean air were placed in a Tedlar bag, and samples 2 and 3 were placed in each bag except for the control area. The bag was then sealed and left to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. The odor was then collected from the bag and transferred to another Tedlar bag filled with clean air to create a diluted odor.

[0032] 4) Odor measurement After collecting 50 ml of the above diluted odor with a glass syringe, the glass syringe was connected to a portable odor sensor mini (XP-329m, manufactured by New Cosmos Electric Co., Ltd., detection (measurement) range: 0 to 999) and the peak value when the sensor was automatically sucked in was measured.

[0033] 5) Measurement of ammonia nitrogen (including liquid phase ammonia), butyric acid and valeric acid in silage After collecting odor from the Tedlar bag, the silage (whole amount) in the Tedlar bag was placed in a plastic cylindrical cup, 160 ml of tap water was added, the cup was closed, and the cup was shaken at room temperature for 2 hours. The resulting extract was filtered through filter paper and a membrane filter, and ammonia nitrogen was analyzed by the Conway method (microdiffusion method), and butyric acid and valeric acid were analyzed by HPLC. The increase / decrease rate was calculated using the following formula. Note that negative values ​​in the results obtained with this formula indicate the decrease rate. Increase / decrease rate (%) = [(measurement value of sample 2 or 3 / measurement value of sample 1) - 1] x 100

[0034] (Summary of results) The odor measurement results are shown in Table 3. As shown in Table 3, there was almost no change in odor intensity in Sample 2, in which hydrophilic zeolite was added, but in Sample 3, in which hydrophobic zeolite was added, the odor was reduced by 10% compared to Sample 1 (control).

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] The measurement results of the ammonia nitrogen concentration, butyric acid concentration and valeric acid concentration in the silage extract are shown in Table 4. The ammonia nitrogen in the silage extract was reduced by 22% in sample 2, which contained hydrophilic zeolite, while the butyric acid and valeric acid were reduced by 70% and 12%, respectively, in sample 3, which contained hydrophobic zeolite.

[0037] [Table 4]

[0038] These results revealed that hydrophilic and hydrophobic zeolites have different effects on odors generated from silage and on the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, butyric acid, and valeric acid in silage. In other words, hydrophilic zeolites have a high adsorption effect on liquid-phase ammonia, while hydrophobic zeolites have a high adsorption effect on odors (gas phase) generated from silage, and on butyric acid and valeric acid in the liquid phase.

[0039] [Test Example 3] In this test example, the effect of the combined use of hydrophilic and hydrophobic zeolites on the strength of the odor emitted from silage, and on the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, butyric acid and valeric acid in the silage were examined.

[0040] (Test Method) 1) Preparation of silage additives Hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite were blended in the mass % shown in Table 5 below to prepare silage additives (samples 2 to 4). The blending amount of each component was expressed as mass % relative to 40 g of silage material.

[0041] [Table 5]

[0042] Silage preparation, preparation of odor generated from silage, odor measurement, and measurement of ammonia nitrogen (including liquid phase ammonia), butyric acid and valeric acid in the silage were performed in the same manner as in Test Example 2. The rate of increase or decrease in the odor measurement value was calculated using the following formula. Note that in the results obtained using this formula, negative values ​​indicate the rate of decrease. Increase / decrease rate (%) = [(measurement value of sample 2, 3 or 4 / measurement value of sample 1) - 1] x 100

[0043] (Summary of results) Table 6 shows the odor measurement results when hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite were used in combination. As shown in Table 6, the odor reduction rate of sample 2 (hydrophilic zeolite: hydrophobic zeolite = 1:4) was significantly greater than that of sample 4 (4:1), indicating that the greater the proportion of hydrophobic zeolite added, the greater the odor reduction, while hydrophilic zeolite had almost no odor reduction effect. Also, although odor reduction was observed in sample 3 (hydrophilic zeolite: hydrophobic zeolite = 2.5:2.5), it was not as significant as in sample 2.

[0044] [Table 6]

[0045] The measurement results of the ammonia nitrogen concentration, butyric acid concentration, and valeric acid concentration in the silage extract when hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite were used in combination are shown in Table 7. The ammonia nitrogen, butyric acid, and valeric acid in the silage extract decreased the most in Sample 4, which had a high ratio of hydrophilic zeolite added, and the increase / decrease rates were -15.1%, -21.8%, and -31.4%, respectively.

[0046] [Table 7]

[0047] From these results and the results of Example 2, when judging comprehensively the strength of the odor (gas phase) generated from the silage, and the adsorption effect of ammonia nitrogen, butyric acid, and valeric acid in the silage (liquid phase), it was found that the most effective combination of hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite, with a mixing ratio of hydrophilic zeolite:hydrophobic zeolite = 1:4 among the above three blend ratios, was obtained.

[0048] [Test Example 4] In this test example, the effect of using a hydrophilic zeolite and a hydrophobic zeolite in combination on ammonia in the gas phase was examined.

[0049] (Test Method) 1) Preparation of silage additives The hydrophilic zeolite and the hydrophobic zeolite were mixed in the mass ratio shown in Table 8 below to prepare a silage additive (sample 2).

[0050] [Table 8]

[0051] 2) Preparation of ammonia Commercially available aqueous ammonia was placed in a vial, capped, and allowed to stand at room temperature (25°C ± 5°C). Ammonia was then collected from the headspace and transferred to another Tedlar bag previously filled with 5 L of clean air to create a known concentration of ammonia (405.6 ppm).

[0052] 3) Measurement of ammonia concentration in Tedlar bags The Tedlar bag filled with only ammonia was sample 1 (control), and the Tedlar bag filled with ammonia with 0.01 g of sample 2 sealed in it was sample 2, and these were left to stand for 10 minutes at room temperature (25°C ± 5°C). After leaving them to stand for 10 minutes, the ammonia concentration in each Tedlar bag was measured using a gas detector (high-sensitivity tin oxide hot-wire sintered semiconductor type, measurement range: 0.5 to 78 ppm, manufactured by Gastec Corporation), and the increase / decrease rate was calculated using the following formula. Note that negative values ​​in the results obtained using this formula indicate the decrease rate. Increase / decrease rate (%) = [(ammonia concentration of each sample / prepared ammonia concentration)-1] x 100

[0053] (Summary of results) The results are shown in Table 9. In the example where a silage additive (sample 2) containing hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite in a ratio of 1:4 was added, the ammonia concentration decreased by approximately 97%.

[0054] [Table 9]

[0055] Compared to the above-mentioned Test Example 1, it was confirmed that the same adsorption effect was achieved even when the ratio of the sample addition amount to the ammonia concentration in the gas phase was reduced.

[0056] These results show that the combined use of hydrophilic zeolite and hydrophobic zeolite in a mass ratio of 1:4 results in a high ammonia adsorption effect in the gas phase.

[0057] [Test Example 5] In this test example, a comparative palatability test was carried out using lactating dairy cows and the silage additive of the present invention, with the cows being allowed to eat the additive ad libitum, to examine the effect on the amount of silage intake.

[0058] (Test Method) 1) Preparation of silage additives Hydrophilic zeolite, hydrophobic zeolite, and sugar were prepared according to the blending ratios shown in Table 10 below to prepare silage additives (samples 1 to 4). The blending amount of each component was expressed as mass % relative to the silage material.

[0059] [Table 10]

[0060] 2) Palatability test (1) Test location: Japan Beet Sugar Company, Kiyokawa Farm (2) Test cows: Holstein lactating cows (3) Test feed: 2750g of silage with ammonia nitrogen of 15% TN or more, moisture of 79.0%, butyric acid + valeric acid of 0.5% or more was given. The feeding behavior of the dairy cows was observed, and after 10 minutes, the amount of feeding (g) and the total number of feeding heads (heads) were counted.

[0061] (Summary of results) The results are shown in Table 11. The amount of food intake was the highest in Sample 4 (the group in which zeolite and sugar were used), while it was the lowest in Sample 2 (the group in which sugar was used alone). In addition, the total number of animals that consumed food was the highest in Sample 4 and Sample 3 (the group in which zeolite was used alone), while in Sample 1 (the control group), it was only three animals.

[0062] [Table 11]

[0063] As shown in Table 11, the amount of food intake was higher in the zeolite and sugar combined group (sample 4) than in the sugar only group (sample 2), which shows that simple sweetening does not increase the amount of food intake, and that in addition to sweetening with sugar, the amount of food intake can be increased by reducing the odor with a silage additive. In other words, it was shown that adding the silage additive of the present invention improves palatability.

Claims

1. SiO ２ / Al ２ O ３ A hydrophilic zeolite having a molar ratio of 1 to 12 represented by the formula: SiO ２ / Al ２ O ３ The molar ratio of the hydrophobic zeolite represented by the formula (I) is 15 to 200, A silage additive, characterized in that a mass ratio of the hydrophilic zeolite to the hydrophobic zeolite is 1 / 8 to 2 / 5.

2. The present invention is characterized in that, when the total mass of the hydrophilic zeolite and the hydrophobic zeolite is 1, the present invention further contains sugar in an amount of 0.2 to 0.8 in terms of mass ratio. The silage additive of claim 1.

3. The silage additive according to claim 1 or 2, which is an additive for improving the palatability of poorly fermented silage.

4. SiO ２ / Al ２ O ３ A hydrophilic zeolite having a molar ratio of 1 to 12 represented by the formula: SiO ２ / Al ２ O ３ A feed composition containing a hydrophobic zeolite having a molar ratio represented by: The feed composition contains 0.3 to 9% by mass of the hydrophilic zeolite and the hydrophobic zeolite in total relative to the total mass of the feed composition, and The feed composition is characterized in that the mass ratio of the hydrophilic zeolite / the hydrophobic zeolite is 1 / 8 to 2 / 5.

5. The feed composition according to claim 4, further comprising 0.06 to 7% by mass of sugar based on the total mass of the feed composition.

6. Based on the total mass of the feed composition, SiO ２ / Al ２ O ３ A hydrophilic zeolite having a molar ratio of 1 to 12 represented by the formula: SiO ２ / Al ２ O ３ A total of 0.3 to 9 mass% of hydrophobic zeolite having a molar ratio of 15 to 200 represented by the formula: The zeolite is added in an amount such that the mass ratio of the hydrophilic zeolite to the hydrophobic zeolite is 1 / 8 to 2 / 5. A method for improving the palatability of poorly fermented silage.

7. The method for improving the palatability of defective fermented silage according to claim 6, further comprising adding sugar in an amount of 0.06 to 7% by mass based on the total mass of the feed composition.

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