Feed containing chemical wood pulp

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to develop a feed that can promote proper defecation in livestock such as pigs. [Solution] By feeding wood-derived chemical pulp, it is possible to promote proper defecation in livestock such as pigs.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a feed containing wood-derived chemical pulp (wood chemical pulp). In particular, the present invention relates to a feed that can promote proper defecation in animals, including pigs. [Background technology]

[0002] Just like humans, livestock and other animals need dietary fiber to maintain their health. There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber retains moisture in stool, making it more fluid and slowing down food absorption in the small intestine. Examples of soluble fiber include pectin, algae polysaccharides, and glucomannan. On the other hand, insoluble fiber absorbs water and swells, increasing the bulk of stool, and by increasing its bulk, stimulates the intestinal tract, activating intestinal peristalsis and promoting excretion. Examples of insoluble fiber include cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

[0003] For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 propose using wood-derived pulp that contains a large amount of cellulose and hemicellulose as feed for ruminants. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-083281 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-000069 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Rettenmeyer Product Catalog (Arbocel RC Fine) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When raising livestock and other animals, dietary fiber is routinely ingested through feed, but in many cases, sufficient intake is not achieved, and conscious efforts are necessary. However, dietary fiber is not broken down by digestive enzymes and is not digested or absorbed in the small intestine, so it is not sometimes fed as an essential nutrient. In particular, pigs can suffer from constipation due to pressure on the intestinal tract caused by abdominal distension during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the intake of other nutrients such as energy and protein is important for the body development of the sow and her piglets, making them particularly susceptible to dietary fiber deficiencies. Therefore, to ensure sufficient fiber intake without deficiencies in other nutrients, it is necessary to efficiently consume dietary fiber in small amounts of feed.

[0007] Feeding ground wood bark to pigs, such as Rettenmeyer's Arbocel RC Fine, has been proposed as a way to alleviate constipation. However, ground wood bark contains a large amount of hydrophobic lignin, which coats the hydrophilic cellulose and hemicellulose, resulting in low water absorption. This results in little swelling or intestinal stimulation, and a poor effect on promoting intestinal peristalsis. Furthermore, ground wood bark contains lignin, resulting in low fiber flexibility. Furthermore, the fibers are easily shredded and have a small specific surface area, which is unfavorable for waste absorption in the intestine. This results in little effect on entanglement with waste and bulking up the stool. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of intensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors discovered that adding chemical wood pulp to feed can promote proper defecation in animals such as pigs, and thus completed the present invention.

[0009] The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following aspects. [1] A method for raising livestock, comprising feeding livestock chemical wood pulp to promote defecation. [2] The method according to [1], wherein the livestock is a pig. [3] Feed for intestinal regulation of livestock (excluding ruminants) containing chemical wood pulp. [4] The feed described in [3], which is used to improve fecal defecation in pigs. [5] The feed according to [3] or [4], wherein the total of the cellulose content and hemicellulose content of the wood chemical pulp is 90% by weight or more of the dry solid content of the pulp. [6] The feed according to [3] or [4], wherein the lignin content of the wood chemical pulp is 5% by weight or less of the dry solids of the pulp. [7] A feed composition comprising the feed according to [3] or [4] and a concentrated feed, wherein the feed composition contains 10% by weight or less of chemical wood pulp. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention provides livestock feed that is effective in alleviating constipation by using wood-derived chemical pulp. Specifically, feeding livestock the feed of the present invention provides a moderate stimulation to the intestinal tract, promoting fecal excretion. Furthermore, the wood chemical pulp used in the present invention has low lignin content, high cellulose and hemicellulose content, and flexible, highly absorbent fibers, which not only promotes defecation but also improves the quality of the feces. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention relates to livestock feed, and is particularly suitable for use with non-ruminant livestock. Examples of non-ruminant livestock include pigs. Pigs are particularly preferred because some of the cellulose fiber (pulp) is broken down by bacteria in the intestine into short-chain fatty acids, which can be easily used as energy. When feeding the feed of the present invention, there are no particular restrictions on the age, physique, sex, health condition, etc. of the livestock to which it is applied. For example, the feed can be used for suckling pigs to adult pigs, and can also be used for pregnant pigs. Furthermore, when the present invention is applied to sows, it is thought that reproductive performance will improve due to the reduction in pressure on the birth canal caused by feces.

[0012] In one embodiment, the feed of the present invention comprises wood-derived chemical pulp (wood chemical pulp). By feeding animals with the feed of the present invention, defecation in livestock can be promoted. Generally, ruminants such as cows are fed both concentrates and roughage, while livestock such as pigs are often fed only concentrates. By feeding livestock such as pigs with the feed of the present invention, feces (excrement) with an appropriate moisture content are more likely to be excreted, compared to when the livestock were fed a feed containing concentrates but not wood chemical pulp.

[0013] In one preferred embodiment, the wood chemical pulp used in the feed of the present invention has a total cellulose and hemicellulose content of 90% by mass or more of the dry solids of the pulp. The wood chemical pulp used in the present invention also has a lignin content of, for example, less than 10% by weight of the dry solids of the pulp, preferably less than 8% by weight, and more preferably 0.1 to 6% by weight or 1 to 5% by weight. High cellulose and hemicellulose contents and low hydrophobic lignin content increase the water retention capacity of the feed, increasing the bulk of the stool and making it more susceptible to intestinal irritation.

[0014] The wood chemical pulp used in the present invention preferably has a length-weighted average fiber length of 500 μm or more, and may be 500 to 5000 μm or 800 to 4000 μm. The wood chemical pulp used in the present invention also has a BET specific surface area of ​​5 m 2 / g or more, and 8 to 25m 2 / g or 10-20m 2 If the fibers of wood chemical pulp are long and flexible and have a large specific surface area, they can easily adsorb waste products in the bodies of livestock and make the feces larger, which is expected to have an excellent effect on regulating the intestines.

[0015] The wood chemical pulp used in the present invention preferably has a fiber coarseness of less than 300 μm / g, and can also be 5 to less than 200 μm / g or 10 to 150 μm / g. A low fiber coarseness increases the flexibility of the fibers, making them more likely to adsorb waste products in the bodies of livestock (making it easier to make feces bulky).

[0016] The chemical wood pulp used in the present invention preferably has a moisture retention rate of pulp of 80% or more, and can also be 100 to 400%, or 120 to 300%. Examples of wood that can be used as a raw material for wood chemical pulp include broad-leaved trees, conifers, miscellaneous trees, bamboo, kenaf, bagasse, and empty palm bunches after palm oil extraction.Specific examples of broad-leaved trees include beech, Chinese linden, white birch, poplar, eucalyptus, acacia, oak, sugar maple, Asiatic ash, elm, paulownia, magnolia, willow, ash, phillyraeoides phillyraeoides, oak, sawtooth oak, horse chestnut, zelkova, beech, dogwood, and green ash. Examples of conifers include cedar, spruce, larch, black pine, Abies sachalinensis, Himekomatsu, yew, juniper, spruce, Japanese spruce, Japanese holly, Japanese holly, fir, Japanese sawara, Doga sawara, Asunaro, cypress, hemlock, Japanese hemlock, Japanese cypress, yew, Inugaya, spruce, yellow cedar (Thujopsis obtusa), Lawson cypress (Thujopsis sieboldii), Douglas fir (Douglas fir), Sitka spruce (Picea abies), Radiata pine, eastern spruce, eastern white pine, western larch, western fir, western hemlock, and tamarack.

[0017] The feed of the present invention contains wood chemical pulp, and as the wood chemical pulp, it is preferable to use kraft pulp (KP), sulfite pulp (SP), or the like.

[0018] Examples of chemical pulp include kraft pulp (KP), dissolving kraft pulp (DKP), sulfite pulp (SP), and dissolving sulfite pulp (DSP). Both bleached and unbleached pulp can be used. Among these, oxygen-delignified chemical pulp and bleached chemical pulp are preferred. Pulp and kraft pulp with a kappa number (KN) of 5 to 15 are more preferred, and oxygen-delignified kraft pulp with a kappa number of 6 to 15 is particularly preferred.

[0019] The chemical wood pulp in the present invention may consist of only one type of pulp or may be a mixture of multiple pulps. For example, a mixture of two or more types of chemical pulps made from different raw materials or produced by different methods (hardwood kraft pulp, softwood kraft pulp, dissolving hardwood kraft pulp, dissolving softwood kraft pulp) may be used.

[0020] (Kraft pulp) Kraft pulp (KP) can be produced using conventional methods using alkaline chemicals. Generally, when producing kraft pulp using the Kraft process, alkaline chemicals are added to wood chips and the wood is cooked under high temperature and pressure. The alkaline chemicals are often primarily composed of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and sodium sulfide / sodium polysulfide, but chemicals (white liquor) containing auxiliary agents such as quinone, sodium sulfate, and sodium hydrogen sulfide may also be added.

[0021] When producing kraft pulp from wood chips, the wood chips are fed into a digester together with cooking liquor and subjected to kraft cooking. Modified kraft cooking, such as MCC, EMCC, ITC, or low-solid, may also be used. The cooking method may be a single-vessel liquid-phase type, a single-vessel vapor / liquid-phase type, a dual-vessel liquid / vapor-phase type, or a dual-vessel liquid-phase type, without any particular limitations. The process of impregnating and retaining the alkaline aqueous solution may be performed separately from the equipment or site used for conventional cooking liquor penetration treatment. After the cooking process, the unbleached pulp is preferably washed with a washing device such as a diffusion washer after the cooking liquor has been extracted. The liquor ratio of wood chips to chemical solution can be, for example, 1.0 to 5.0 L / kg, preferably 1.5 to 4.5 L / kg, and more preferably 2.0 to 4.0 L / kg.

[0022] When producing kraft pulp from wood chips, an alkaline cooking liquor containing 0.01 to 1.5% by mass of a quinone compound per bone-dry chip may be added to the digester. Addition of less than 0.01% by mass of the quinone compound is too small to reduce the kappa number of the pulp after cooking, and the relationship between the kappa number and the pulp yield is not improved. Furthermore, reduction of dregs and suppression of viscosity loss are insufficient. Addition of more than 1.5% by mass of the quinone compound does not further reduce the kappa number of the pulp after cooking or improve the relationship between the kappa number and the pulp yield.

[0023] The quinone compounds used are known quinone compounds, hydroquinone compounds, or precursors thereof as cooking aids, and at least one compound selected from these can be used. Examples of these compounds include anthraquinone, dihydroanthraquinone (e.g., 1,4-dihydroanthraquinone), tetrahydroanthraquinone (e.g., 1,4,4a,9a-tetrahydroanthraquinone, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthraquinone), methylanthraquinone (e.g., 1-methylanthraquinone, 2-methylanthraquinone), methyldihydroanthraquinone (e.g., 2-methyl-1,4-dihydroanthraquinone), methyltetrahydroanthraquinone (e.g., 1-methyl-1,4,4a,9a-tetrahydroanthraquinone, 2-methyl-1,4,4a,9a-tetrahydroanthraquinone), and the like. and hydroquinone compounds such as anthrahydroquinone (generally 9,10-dihydroxyanthracene), methylanthrahydroquinone (e.g., 2-methylanthrahydroquinone), dihydroanthrahydroanthraquinone (e.g., 1,4-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxyanthracene) or alkali metal salts thereof (e.g., disodium salt of anthrahydroquinone, disodium salt of 1,4-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxyanthracene), and precursors such as anthrone, anthranol, methylanthrone, and methylanthranol. These precursors can be converted to quinone compounds or hydroquinone compounds under cooking conditions.

[0024] The cooking liquor preferably has an active alkali addition rate (AA) of 10 to 35% by mass based on the weight of bone-dry wood chips. If the active alkali addition rate is less than 10% by mass, removal of lignin and hemylulose will be insufficient, while if it exceeds 35% by mass, a decrease in yield and quality will occur. Here, the active alkali addition rate is the total addition rate of NaOH and Na2S converted into the Na2O addition rate, and can be converted to the Na2O addition rate by multiplying NaOH by 0.775 and Na2S by 0.795. In addition, the sulfidity range is preferably 20 to 35%. A sulfidity range of less than 20% will result in a decrease in delignification ability, a decrease in pulp viscosity, and an increase in the pulp content.

[0025] Kraft cooking is preferably carried out at a temperature in the range of 120 to 180°C, more preferably 140 to 160°C. If the temperature is too low, delignification (reduction in kappa number) will be insufficient, while if the temperature is too high, the degree of polymerization (viscosity) of cellulose will decrease. Furthermore, the cooking time in the present invention refers to the time from when the cooking temperature reaches its maximum temperature until the temperature starts to decrease, and the cooking time is preferably 60 minutes or more and 600 minutes or less, more preferably 120 minutes or more and 360 minutes or less. If the cooking time is less than 60 minutes, pulping will not proceed, and if it exceeds 600 minutes, pulp production efficiency will decrease, which is undesirable.

[0026] Furthermore, in the kraft cooking of the present invention, the processing temperature and processing time can be set using the H factor (Hf) as an index. The H factor is a measure of the total amount of heat given to the reaction system during the cooking process and is expressed by the following formula. The H factor is calculated by integrating the time from the time when the chips and water are mixed to the time when cooking is completed. The H factor is preferably 300 to 2000. Hf=∫exp(43.20-16113 / T)dt [where T represents the absolute temperature at a given point in time] In the present invention, the unbleached (unbleached) pulp obtained after cooking can be subjected to various treatments as needed. For example, the unbleached pulp obtained after kraft cooking can be subjected to a bleaching treatment.

[0027] Pulp obtained by kraft cooking can be subjected to oxygen delignification. The known medium-consistency or high-consistency methods can be used for the oxygen delignification used in the present invention. The medium-consistency method is preferably performed at a pulp consistency of 8 to 15% by mass, and the high-consistency method is preferably performed at a pulp consistency of 20 to 35% by mass. The alkali used in oxygen delignification can be sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, and the oxygen gas can be oxygen from a cryogenic separation method, oxygen from a PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption), oxygen from a VSA (Vacuum Swing Adsorption), or the like.

[0028] The reaction conditions for oxygen delignification are not particularly limited, but the oxygen pressure is preferably 3 to 9 kg / cm 2 , more preferably 4 to 7 kg / cm 2 The alkali addition rate is 0.5 to 4 mass% based on the bone dry weight of pulp, the treatment temperature is 80 to 140°C, and the treatment time is 20 to 180 minutes; other conditions that are known in the art can be applied. In the present invention, the oxygen delignification treatment may be carried out multiple times. Furthermore, the kraft pulp after the oxygen delignification treatment or the like preferably has a kappa number of 5 to 15.

[0029] To further reduce the kappa number and improve brightness, the oxygen delignified pulp can be subjected to a multi-stage bleaching process, for example, by subsequently transferring it to a washing process and then to a multi-stage bleaching process. The multi-stage bleaching process of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a combination of known bleaching agents and bleaching aids, such as acid (A), chlorine dioxide (D), alkali (E), oxygen (O), hydrogen peroxide (P), ozone (Z), and peracid. For example, the first stage of the multi-stage bleaching process preferably uses a chlorine dioxide bleaching stage (D) or an ozone bleaching stage (Z), the second stage uses an alkali extraction stage (E) or a hydrogen peroxide stage (P), and the third stage and subsequent stages use a bleaching sequence using chlorine dioxide or hydrogen peroxide. The number of stages from the third stage onward is also not particularly limited, but considering energy efficiency, productivity, and the like, it is preferable to complete the process with a total of three or four stages. Furthermore, a stage of treatment with a chelating agent such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) may be inserted during the multi-stage bleaching process.

[0030] (sulfite pulp) Sulfite pulp (SP), also known as sulfite pulp, is produced by steaming wood at high temperature and pressure using a sulfite solution (acid sulfite, bisulfite, or sulfite solution). There are no particular restrictions on the method for producing sulfite pulp by the phyto process (sulfite method), but an example of pulp production by the sulfite method is shown below.

[0031] Three volumes of cooking liquor (total acidity = 4%, combined acidity = 1%, free acidity = 3%, pH = 1.5) are added to 500 mL of wood, and the mixture is heated to 110°C in a cooking autoclave. The excess liquor is then removed, and the mixture is heated to 140°C and held there for two hours. The temperature is then gradually lowered to 60°C, at which point it is blown out. After cooking is complete, the mixture is repeatedly centrifuged and washed with water using a filter cloth. The uncooked residue is then separated using a screen and centrifuged to obtain cooked, unbleached pulp. Here, total acidity refers to the total amount of dissolved sulfurous acid. Combined acidity refers to the amount of sulfurous acid equivalent to magnesium oxide, assuming the base is magnesium sulfite. Free acidity refers to the difference between total acidity and combined acidity.

[0032] When oxygen delignification is performed, it can be carried out in the same manner as in the Kraft process. When a subsequent bleaching treatment is performed, for example, a four-stage bleaching treatment consisting of chlorine dioxide, alkali extraction treatment, hydrogen peroxide, and chlorine dioxide can be performed. In the initial chlorine dioxide treatment, the pulp is adjusted to a 10% by weight pulp consistency, 0.4% by weight of chlorine dioxide is added, and the treatment is carried out at 70°C for 40 minutes. The pulp is then washed with ion-exchanged water and dehydrated, adjusted to a 10% by weight pulp consistency, 0.5% by weight of hydrogen peroxide and 0.5% by weight of NaOH are added sequentially, and the hydrogen peroxide treatment is carried out at 70°C for 120 minutes. Next, after washing with ion-exchanged water and dehydration, the pulp consistency is adjusted to 10% by weight, 0.25% by weight of chlorine dioxide is added, and the chlorine dioxide treatment is carried out at 70°C for 180 minutes.

[0033] If necessary, the product may be finally washed with ion-exchanged water. A dehydration step and a drying step may be carried out, but may be omitted. Feed composition preparation and feeding The feed of the present invention containing wood pulp can be fed to livestock together with other feed ingredients, such as concentrated feed (e.g., grains such as corn and wheat, and pulses such as soybeans), roughage (e.g., grass), bran, rice bran, soybean pulp, protein, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and additives (e.g., preservatives, coloring agents, flavoring agents).

[0034] In the present invention, wood pulp, which is pulp derived from wood, is used as feed. When mixed with other feed materials such as concentrated feed, the wood pulp is preferably blended in at 0.1 to 10 wt % on a dry matter basis, more preferably 0.5 to 9 wt %, and may also be blended at 1 to 7 wt % or 3 to 5 wt %. In one aspect, the present invention is a feed composition containing the above-mentioned wood pulp and concentrated feed, in which the content of wood pulp in the feed composition is 0.1 to 10 wt % of the dry solid content of the feed composition. By setting the wood pulp content within this range, fecal excretion can be promoted without suppressing weight gain.

[0035] When the wood pulp of the present invention is used in conjunction with a concentrate, the concentrate can contain grains such as corn, wheat, barley, polished rice, etc. When preparing a feed composition, grains such as rice, wheat, barley, oats, milo, corn, etc. can be used as the main starch source.

[0036] In the present invention, roughage may be blended at a certain level. Examples of raw materials for roughage include soybeans, soybean meal (including soybean meal that has been subjected to heat treatment with added sugar or heat treatment with humidification), rapeseed meal, flaxseed meal, corn gluten meal, concentrated soy protein, wheat gluten, and wheat gluten enzymatic hydrolysates. In particular, soybean-derived crude protein feedstocks such as soybean meal (excluding those that have been subjected to heat treatment with added sugar or heat treatment with humidification) are preferably blended into the feed, because this prevents the crude fat content in the feed from becoming excessively high when NDF feedstocks with a relatively high crude fat content, such as DDGS, are blended.

[0037] In the present invention, sugars may be added to the feed, and for example, glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, etc. can be preferably added. In addition to the above-mentioned raw materials, the feed of the present invention may contain flavorings, minerals, vitamins, organic minerals, pasture grass, grass plant feed materials, crystalline amino acids, oils and fats, fatty acids, fatty acid calcium, adsorbents, minerals, plant extracts, fermented products, flavorings, organic acids, antibiotics, animal feed, microbial components, herbal medicines, enzyme preparations, oligosaccharides, wood-based feed, binders, other plant processing by-products, etc.

[0038] Examples of pasture grasses include orchard grass, timothy, oat hay, alfalfa, Italian ryegrass, and red clover, and examples of feed ingredients derived from grass plants include sorghum, wheat straw, and rice straw.

[0039] When preparing a feed composition according to the present invention, it is preferable to set the moisture content to 15% or less. By setting the moisture content to 15% or less, transportability can be improved and spoilage by microorganisms can be reduced. The moisture content of the feed may be adjusted to, for example, 1% by mass or more, or 5% by mass or more.

[0040] The feed composition according to the present invention may have a total digestible nutrient (TDN) content of 50 to 95%, or alternatively 60 to 85%, or even 65 to 80%, and a crude protein (CP) content of 5 to 40%, or alternatively 7 to 30%, or even 9 to 20%. [Example]

[0041] The present invention will be described in more detail based on specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following specific examples. Unless otherwise specified, concentrations and the like in this specification are based on weight, and numerical ranges are stated as including their endpoints. ■ Preparation and evaluation of feed ingredients (A) Concentrated feed (compound feed for breeding pigs) As the concentrated feed, a compound feed for breeding pigs containing the ingredients in the proportions shown in the table below was used.

[0042] [Table 1]

[0043] (B) Wood Kraft Pulp (LOKP) The wood kraft pulp used was "LOKP" manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. It is an oxygen delignified kraft pulp made from eucalyptus. (C) Wood sulfite pulp (LSP) The wood sulfite pulp used was "LDPT" manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. It is a sulfite pulp made from eucalyptus that has been oxygen delignified and bleached. (D) Crushed wood bark The ground wood bark used was "Arbocel RC Fine" from Rettenmeyer.

[0044] [Table 2]

[0045] The above feed materials were analyzed according to the following procedures. (1) Cellulose content, hemicellulose content, and lignin content The cellulose and hemicellulose contents in the samples were calculated using the following formulas. Cellulose content (%) = ADF - lignin - ash Hemicellulose content (%) = NDF - ADF - lignin - ash The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) of each sample were analyzed according to the feed analysis standards of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Materials and Consumer Care Center (FAMIC). Ash and lignin were measured using the following procedures. ·ash(%) The dried sample was burned in an electric furnace at 550°C for 2 hours, and its weight was measured. The ash content was calculated using the formula "weight after burning (g) ÷ weight in dry state (g) × 100". Lignin (%) The acid-soluble lignin (%) and acid-insoluble lignin (%) were measured as follows, and the lignin content was calculated from the sum of these. (acid-insoluble lignin) A 1g sample (dry weight) was taken and mixed with 15mL of 72% sulfuric acid in a beaker for 3 hours. 560mL of pure water was added, heated in an autoclave at 121°C for 30 minutes, and left overnight to settle and separate. The mixture was then filtered under reduced pressure (gauge pressure: -0.07 to -0.10MPa) using a glass fiber filter (Advantech GS-25). After thorough rinsing with distilled water, the residue was dried and weighed. Acid-insoluble lignin (%) was calculated using the formula: Residue weight (g) ÷ Sample dry weight (g) × 100. (acid-soluble lignin) The filtrate generated in the measurement of acid-insoluble lignin was diluted three times with 3% sulfuric acid, and then the absorbance at 205 nm was measured using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-1800, SHIMADZU) with 3% sulfuric acid as the control solution, and the absorbance was calculated using the following equation.

[0046]

number

[0047] (2) Average fiber length The length-weighted average fiber length was measured using a fiber analyzer (L&W Fiber Tester Plus, ABB L&W). (3) Specific surface area The specific surface area was measured using an automatic specific surface area measuring device (Gemini VII2390, Shimadzu Corporation) according to the following procedure. (a) Add 100 mL of t-butyl alcohol (Kanto Chemical) to 1 g of dry sample, mix thoroughly, and filter through filter paper using suction. Collect the sample remaining on the filter, add another 100 mL of t-butyl alcohol, mix thoroughly, and filter through filter paper using suction. Repeat this process once more to wash the sample with t-butyl alcohol three times in total. (b) After the cleaning, the sample and 30 mL of t-butyl alcohol were placed in a container and stored in a freezer for 30 minutes. The container was then immersed in liquid nitrogen for 1 minute to freeze the sample, and the sample was placed in a freeze dryer (FDU-830, EYELA) and freeze-dried for at least 72 hours in a vacuum environment with an absolute pressure of 1 Torr or less. (c) After freeze-drying, the container is removed from the freeze-dryer and the specific surface area of ​​the sample is measured by the BET method. (4) Fiber roughness (flexibility) The fiber coarseness was measured using a fiber analyzer (L&W Fiber Tester Plus, ABB L&W). Fiber coarseness is expressed as the weight of the fiber per unit length; when the fiber is loosened by mechanical force, the density decreases and the numerical value decreases. In other words, the lower the fiber coarseness, the higher the flexibility of the fiber. Therefore, the flexibility of the sample was evaluated according to the following criteria. ◎: Fiber coarseness less than 150 μm / g ○: Fiber coarseness is 150 μm / g or more and less than 300 μm / g △: Fiber coarseness is 300 μm / g or more and less than 400 μm / g ×: Fiber coarseness is 400 μm / g or more (5) Water retention (water absorption) Each sample was collected to a dry weight of 0.50 g. Water was added to dilute the sample to a 0.5% concentration, and the sample was filtered under reduced pressure (gauge pressure: -0.07 to -0.10 MPa) using a glass fiber filter (Advantec GS-25). The sample was then dehydrated in a centrifugal dehydrator (Himac CR22E) at 4830 rpm for 15 minutes at 20°C. The weight (A) after dehydration was measured. Each dehydrated sample was placed in an aluminum cup and dried in a dryer at 105°C for 2 hours. The dry weight (B) was then measured, and the water retention (moisture retention rate) was calculated using the formula: water retention (wt%) = (A) / B × 100.

[0048] Based on the calculated water retention, the water absorbency of the sample was evaluated according to the following criteria. ◎: Water retention rate is 200% or more ○: Water retention is 100% or more but less than 200% △: Water retention is 0.1% or more but less than 100% ×: Water retention less than 0.1% ■ Preparation and evaluation of feed composition A feed composition was prepared by mixing the feed ingredients according to the table below. The feed composition was then fed to 10 pregnant pigs for one week, and the total number of pigs that excreted feces and the condition of the feces were evaluated each day during the feeding period.

[0049] The total number of feces excreted during the feeding period was counted and broadly classified into "small round feces," "large round feces," and "long continuous feces," and the percentages were calculated. For small round feces, feces with a major axis of less than 20 mm were classified as small, and feces with a major axis of 20 mm or more were classified as large.

[0050] [Table 3]

[0051] The total number of pigs that excreted feces in one week was higher when the feed composition contained wood chemical pulp than when it did not contain wood-derived chemical pulp. Furthermore, the total number of pigs that excreted feces in one week was similar between the feed compositions containing wood chemical pulp and the feed compositions containing ground bark, but the feces in the feed compositions containing wood chemical pulp were moist, soft, and uniform in size, resulting in better fecal condition. The wood chemical pulp used in the present invention has a low lignin content, good water absorption, long, flexible fibers, and a high specific surface area, which is thought to facilitate the adsorption of waste products in the intestines and promote excretion by forming feces of a uniform size.

Claims

1. A method for raising livestock, comprising ingesting chemical wood pulp to livestock to promote defecation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the livestock is a pig.

3. Feed for intestinal regulation of livestock (excluding ruminants) containing chemical wood pulp.

4. The feed according to claim 3, which is used to improve defecation in pigs.

5. 5. The feed according to claim 3, wherein the total content of cellulose and hemicellulose in the chemical wood pulp is 90% by weight or more of the dry solid content of the pulp.

6. 5. The feed according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the lignin content of the wood chemical pulp is 5% by weight or less of the dry solid content of the pulp.

7. A feed composition comprising the feed according to claim 3 or 4 and a concentrated feed, The feed composition as described above, wherein the content of chemical wood pulp blended in the feed composition is 10% by weight or less.

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