Method for providing dietary energy recommendations for poultry diets - Patent Application 20070122997

Abstract

The present invention provides a computer-implemented method for providing recommendations regarding dietary energy levels of poultry diets, comprising the steps of: a) receiving, requesting, and / or providing data from a user's input / output device; and b) calculating actual poultry energy requirements E required and c) determining the feed energy level E of step a). CD and the actual poultry energy requirement E in step b). required and d) determining the relationship between the energy reduction E for the sex of the poultry and the date of the feeding stage of step a). reduction and e) determining the energy reduction E reduction to the input / output device of step a).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for providing recommendations regarding dietary energy levels of poultry diets and a system for providing recommendations regarding dietary energy levels of poultry diets.

[0002] For everyone involved in poultry production, the challenge is to provide birds with a balanced diet at the lowest cost while meeting environmental and animal welfare requirements, while also satisfying consumer demands and producing eggs and meat that command high prices and maximize profits. Feed manufacturers and farmers have faced this challenge for many years, striving to reduce feed costs without compromising bird productivity. Feed is a key consideration because it constitutes the highest variable cost in poultry production and therefore accounts for at least 70% of total production costs. When formulating poultry feed, energy is already the most expensive nutrient, and given the intense competition for energy sources available for human food, this situation is unlikely to change. This means that energy feed ingredients for use in poultry production are becoming scarce and expensive.

[0003] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0350010 discloses a method and system for modeling livestock growth in an adaptive framework. The adaptive framework processes input data related to livestock growth through one or more models and an artificial intelligence layer that is configured to select an optimal or primary model for optimizing, predicting, and recommending livestock feeding based on environmental, physiological, location, and time variables within such input data. The adaptive framework also optimizes workflow for each pen and producer based on historical performance, sex, breed, and the producer's live-line management.

[0004] US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0241880 discloses a computer-implemented method for determining and / or assessing the impact of processing on the energy value of a feed ingredient and / or feed, in which a processing condition index for the feed ingredient and / or feed is determined and a corrected energy value for the feed ingredient and / or feed is determined.

[0005] WO 2022 / 204656 discloses various approaches for determining animal feed formulations. In some embodiments, a system can acquire data providing characteristics of an animal population located at a location. The system can identify a target growth schedule for the animal population using the target growth schedule and the characteristics of the animal population as a model to predict nutrient requirements based on estimated nitrogen-containing energy requirements for tissue growth. The system can identify feed formulations that can be produced from combinations of animal feed ingredients to meet the nutrient requirements for tissue growth. The system can generate a data output for the combination of the animal population and the feed formulation, which indicates the identified feed ingredients that can be produced from the composite animal feed ingredients.

[0006] WO 2022 / 238351 discloses precision feed formulation. The publication further relates to a computer-implemented method for predicting the effect of corn quality in animal diets on animal feed conversion ratios. The publication also relates to the use of models to improve feed conversion ratios.

[0007] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0026493 discloses a system for generating optimized values ​​for variable inputs to an animal production system. The system includes a simulator engine configured to receive a plurality of animal information inputs and generate a performance prediction. At least one of the animal information inputs is designated as a variable input, and at least one of the animal information inputs includes genotype information for the animal. The system further includes an enterprise supervisor engine configured to generate optimized values ​​for the at least one variable input, where the optimized values ​​are configured to optimize the productivity of the animal based on the genotype information of the animal.

[0008] Feed intake and feed efficiency in poultry are controlled, at least in part, by ME levels. Fast-growing animals, such as broilers, pigs, and layer hens, require large amounts of energy to grow muscle tissue. All animals obtain energy within their cells from adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The amount of ATP in cells is tightly regulated, its availability is limited for short periods of time, and life is characterized by high energy demands.

[0009] Creatine (CREA) plays a key role in energy balance in muscle cells. The "phosphocreatine / CREA" system acts as a buffer and ensures the permanent availability of ATP molecules. Creatine phosphate (PCREA) is a dynamic store of energy-rich phosphate, ensuring a steady supply of ATP / ADP within the cell.

[0010] Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is a stable and widely available feed supplement primarily used to enhance energy efficiency, and it is efficiently converted to CREA in the body. CREA and its phosphorylated form, PCREA, play important roles in cellular energy metabolism. Creatine methyltransferase (CREA) is naturally synthesized in all vertebrates (see Daly MM. (1985) Guanidinoacetate methyltransferase activity in tissues and cultured cells. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1;236(2):576-84. doi: 10.1016 / 0003-9861(85)90661-7. PMID: 3970526; Stead, L., M., KP Au, RL Jacobs, ML Bronson, and ET Brosnan (2001) “Methylation Demand and Homocysteine ​​Metabolism: Effects of Dietary Provision of Creatine and Guanidinoacetate.” American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism 281: 1095-1100). doi:10.1152 / ajpendo.2001.281.5.E1095; Komoto, J., Y. Takata, T. Yamada, K. Konishi, H. Ogawa, T. Gomi, M. Fuioka, and F. Takusagawa (2003) “Monoclinic Guanidinoacetate Methyltransferase and Gadolinium Ion-binding Characteristics.” Acta Crystallographia D 59: 1589-1596. doi:10.1107 / S0907444903014719), and endogenous synthesis may not be sufficient to support the extraordinary growth rates achieved by modern poultry genetics.Today, poultry feed is primarily composed of plant-based ingredients, primarily corn and soybean meal. CREA is found only in animal-derived feed ingredients, and plant-based ingredients do not contain any metabolites of CREA (see Krueger, K., K. Damme, and A. Lemme (2010) “Bessere Mast mit CreAmino.” DGS Magazin 26 / 2010, 10-14).

[0011] GAA, the direct precursor of CREA, has attracted attention as a feed additive due to its high thermal stability (see Vranes, M., S. Ostojic, A. Tot, S. Papovic, and S. Gadzuric (2017) “Experimental and Computational Study of GAA Self-aggregation in Aqueous Solution.” Food Chemistry 237: 53-57. doi:10.1016 / j.foodchem.2017.05.088) and its relative stability during pelleting and extrusion molding. GAA has high bioavailability (References: EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) 2009. “Safety and Efficiency of Guanidino Acetic Acid as Feed Additive for Chickens for Fattening.” The EFSA Journal 988: 1-30; Tossenberger, J., M. Rademacher, K. Nemeth, V. Halas, and A. Lemme. 2016. “Digestibility and Metabolism of Dietary Guanidino Acetic Acid Fed to Broilers.” Poultry Science 95: 2058-2067. doi:10.3382 / ps / pew083). Due to its cost-effectiveness in many feed formulations, GAA has been officially registered as an animal feed additive by regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe (references: FDA Federal Register 81, 30 November 2016; EUR-Lex, L270 / 4, 5 October 2016).

[0012] When GAA is supplemented in broiler diets, muscle CREA asymptotically increases by up to 29% compared to unsupplemented diets. Supplementation of 0.6–1.2 g / kg, within the range of GAA supplementation applicable by the European Union (EFSA 2009), increases muscle CREA by 14–21% (see Figure 1). Creatine (CREA) concentrations in muscle of broilers not receiving supplements have been reported to be 3986-4789 mg / kg in breast meat (see Lemme, A., J. Ringel, H.S. Rostagno, and M.S. Redshaw (2007) "Supplemental Guanidine Acetic Acid Improved Feed Conversion, Weight Gain, and Breast Meat Yield in Male and Female Broilers." In Proceedings of the 16th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, Strasbourg, France, pp. 335-338; Ringel, J., A. Lemme, A. Knox, J. Mc Nab, and M.S. Redshaw (2007) "Effects of Graded Levels of Creatine and Guanidine Acetic Acid in Vegetable-Based Diets on Performance and Biochemical Parameters in Muscle Tissue." In Proceedings of the 16th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, Strasbourg, France, 387-390. doi:10.1016 / j.ejpb.2007.03.018; Majdeddin, M., A. Golian, H. Kermanshahi, S. de Smet, and J.Michiels (2018) “Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation in Broiler Chickens Fed on Corn-soybean Diets Affects Performance in the Finisher Period and Energy Metabolites in Breast Muscle Independent of Diet Nutrient Density.” British Poultry Science 59: 443-451. doi:10.1080 / 00071668.2018.1476678; Tossenberger, J., M. Rademacher, K. Nemeth, V. Halas, and A. Lemme. 2016. “Digestibility and Metabolism of Dietary Guanidino Acetic Acid Fed to Broilers.” Poultry Science 95: 2058-2067. doi:10.3382 / ps / pew083)。.

[0013] The effects of GAA on performance and metabolism are particularly well understood in broilers. GAA has a positive effect on feed conversion ratio (FCR), body weight gain (BWG), and breast meat yield in broilers (references: McBreairty LE, Robinson JL, Furlong KR, Brunton JA, Bertolo RF (2015) Guanidinoacetate Is More Effective than Creatine at Enhancing Tissue Creatine Stores while Consequently Limiting Methionine Availability in Yucatan Miniature Pigs. PLoS ONE 10(6): e0131563. https: / / doi.org / 10.1371 / journal.pone.0131563; De Groote, AA (2015) “Efficacy of Dietary Guanidinoacetic Acid in Broiler Chicks.” Master Degree. Urbana IL: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; M. Majdeddin, U. Braun, A. Lemme, A. Golian, H. Kermanshahi, S. De Smet, J. Michiels (2020) << Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation improves feed conversion in broilers subjected to heat stress associated with muscle creatine loading and arginine sparing. >> Poultry Science, Volume 99, Issue 9, 2020, Pages 4442-4453, ISSN 0032-5791, https: / / doi.org / 10.1016 / j.psj.2020.05.023; Zhang B, Liu N, He Z, Song P, Hao M, Xie Y, Li J, Liu R and Sun Z (2021) “Guanidino-Acetic Acid: A Scarce Substance in Biomass That Can Regulate Postmortem Meat Glycolysis of Broilers Subjected to Pre-slaughter Transportation.” Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 8:631194. doi: 10.3389 / fbioe.2020.631194; Khajali et al., World´s Poultry Science Journal, 2020). .

[0014] The most consistent effect of GAA supplementation was evident in FCR. FCR data from available trials can be converted to a relative measure, with the unsupplemented control treatment always set at 100% (see Figure 2). With only one exceptional data point, GAA supplementation improved FCR in a dose-dependent and approximately linear manner. Linear regression suggested improvements of 4.5 to 8.8 points in FCR at GAA doses of 0.6 to 1.2 g / kg, respectively. Variability across these 32 data sets is reasonable (R 2 = 0.56). Despite attempts to normalize the data using a relative scale, such variation can be explained by differences in experimental setups (see F. Khajali, A. Lemme & M. Rademacher Heilshorn (2020) “Guanidinoacetic acid as a feed supplement for poultry.” World's Poultry Science Journal, DOI: 10.1080 / 00439339.2020.1716651).

[0015] While a trend towards FCR was evident, the results of the meta-analysis for BWG and breast meat yield were R 2The correlation coefficients were not very consistent, ranging from 0.28 to 0.33. However, the slope of the regression line was positive, suggesting that GAA had a positive effect rather than a neutral or negative effect as the supplementation rate increased (see F. Khajali, A. Lemme & M. Rademacher Heilshorn (2020) “Guanidinoacetic acid as a feed supplement for poultry.” World's Poultry Science Journal, DOI: 10.1080 / 00439339.2020.1716651).

[0016] Additionally, in addition to its impact on performance when added to unsupplemented diets, several reports suggest that supplemental GAA may reduce the ARG requirements of broiler chickens (see Dilger, RN, K. Bryant-Angeloni, RL Payne, A. Lemme, and CM Parsons (2013) “Dietary Guanidinoacetic Acid Is an Efficacious Replacement for Arginine for Young Chicks.” Poultry Science 92: 171177. doi:10.3382 / ps.2012-02425; De Groote, AA, N. Braun, and RN Dilger (2018) “Efficacy of Guanidinoacetic Acid on Growth and Muscle Energy Metabolism in Broiler Chicks Receiving Arginine-Deficient Diets.” Poultry Science 97: 890-900). doi:10.3382 / ps / pex378; Michiels, J., L. Maertens, J. Buyse, A. Lemme, M. Rademacher, NA Dierick, and S. de Smet (2012) “Supplementation of Guanidinoacetic Acid to Broiler Diets: Effects on Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Meat Quality, and Energy Metabolism.” Poultry Science 91: 402-412. doi:10.3382 / ps.2011-01585; Ahmadipour, B., F. Khajali, and M.Sharifi (2018c) “Effect of Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation on Growth Performance and Gut Morphology in Broiler Chickens.” Poultry Science Journal 6: 1924; Ahmadipour, B., M. Sharifi, and F. Khajali (2018b) “Pulmonary Hypertensive Response of Broiler Chickens to Arginine and Guanidinoacetic Acid under High-altitude Hypoxia.” Acta Veterinaria Hungrica 66: 114124; Ahmadipour, B., S. Naeini, M. Sharifi, and F. Khajali (2018a) “Growth Performance and Right Ventricular Hypertrophy Responses of Broiler Chickens to Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation under Hypobaric Hypoxia.” Journal of Poultry Science 55: 6064. doi:10.2141 / jpsa.0170044)。.

[0017] This has practical importance in poultry nutrition because birds do not possess a functional urea cycle and are completely dependent on dietary arginine (ARG) (see Khajali, F., and RF Wideman (2010) “Dietary Arginine: Metabolic, Environmental, Immunological, and Physiological Interrelationships.” World's Poultry Science Journal 66: 751766. doi:10.1017 / S0043933910000711). While typical corn-soybean meal diets typically meet recommended ARG levels, there are reports that broiler chickens may need to be supplemented with crystalline ARGs under certain circumstances, such as at high altitudes (Khajali and Wideman, 2010) or under heat stress (Brake, J., and D. Balnave, 1995. “Essentiality of Arginine in Broilers During Hot Weather.” In Proceedings of the 12th Annual Biokyowa Amino Acid Council Meeting, St. Louis, MO, October 3-5).

[0018] Considering the biochemical pathway of GAA production in the kidney, one molecule of ARG and one molecule of glycine (GLY) are required to form one molecule of GAA and simultaneously release one molecule of ornithine. This means that 1.49 g of ARG (MW = 174.2 g / mol) and 0.64 g of GLY (MW = 75.1 g / mol) are required to form 1 g of GAA (MW = 117.1 g), indicating that the theoretical ARG-sparing capacity of GAA is 149%. Studies have been conducted in which ARGs were supplemented with or without GAA, allowing the ARG-sparing activity of GAA to be estimated. Overall, these feeding studies have demonstrated that GAA has an ARG-sparing capacity ranging from 77% to 149% (see F. Khajali, A. Lemme & M. Rademacher Heilshorn (2020) "Guanidinoacetic acid as a feed supplement for poultry." World's Poultry Science Journal, DOI: 10.1080 / 00439339.2020.1716651). According to Dilger et al. (2013), an ARG-deficient diet lacking GAA required 3.8 g / kg L-ARG supplementation to achieve a given feed conversion ratio, whereas a 1.2 g / kg GAA supplement required 2.1 g / kg L-ARG supplementation. Therefore, 1.7 g / kg L-ARG was supplemented with 1.2 g / kg GAA, resulting in a supplementation efficiency of 142%, close to the theoretical value of 149%. However, once the ARG requirement of broilers is exceeded, further savings are no longer possible, but performance may still be affected, which has been attributed to improved energy metabolism.

[0019] As mentioned above, dietary GAA increases the concentration of CREA in muscle tissue and improves muscle energy metabolism (see Lemme, A., C. Elwert, R. Gobbi, and M. Rademacher (2011) “Application of the Guanidino Acetic Acid as a Creatine Source in Broilers Fed Diets with or without Fish Meal.” In Proceedings of the 18th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, Cessme, Turkey, pp. 453-455. doi:10.1177 / 1753193411434038). As a precursor of CREA, GAA is expected to affect energy efficiency, and this prediction has been confirmed by experiments using poultry.

[0020] Reducing dietary energy content and supplementing the diet with GAA has been shown to improve broiler performance, supporting this conclusion (see Malins et al., 2017; Mousavi SN, Afsar A., ​​Lotfollahian H. (2013) Effects of guanidinoacetic acid supplementation to broiler diets with varying energy contents, Journal of Applied Poultry Research, Volume 22, Issue 1, 2013, Pages 47-54, ISSN 1056-6171, https: / / doi.org / 10.3382 / japr.2012-00575; Heger, J., J. Zelenka, V. Machander, C. Cruz, M. Lestak, and D. Hampel. (2014) “Effects of Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation to Broiler Diets with Varying Energy Content.” Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis 62: 477-485. doi:10.11118 / actaun201462030477; Abudabos, AM, F. Saleh, A. Lemme, and HAH Zakaria (2014) “The Relationship between Guanidino Acetic Acid and Metabolisable Energy Level of Diets on Performance of Broiler Chickens.” Italian Journal of Animal Science 13: 548-556. doi:10.4081 / ijas.2014.3269).

[0021] The positive effects of GAA supplementation in broiler diets on performance and diet optimization, such as saving ARGs (amino acid requirements) and energy, have been widely reported. However, the extent of this positive effect varies depending on the supplementation rate, age of the broilers, dietary ARG and energy levels, and the level of feed efficiency of the broiler group. Furthermore, the profitability of GAA use is constantly changing due to the high fluctuations in broiler prices and feed costs.

[0022] Therefore, there is a high risk that GAA will not be used optimally in broiler diets due to the complexity and variability of factors that affect the effectiveness of GAA supplementation.Commercial feed manufacturers, farmers, integrators, and agricultural practitioners strive to maximize their return on investment when using feed additives such as GAA in their diets.

[0023] Therefore, there remained a need for a method to provide recommendations to commercial feed manufacturers, farmers, integrators, and agricultural practitioners regarding dietary energy and ARG levels in poultry diets.

[0024] It has become clear that this issue can be resolved by conducting a multifaceted study on how GAA can be used efficiently in broiler farming. In the first step, the extent to which GAA can save energy at different feeding stages of broilers is examined, or in other words, the maximum potential of GAA to save energy at different feeding stages of broilers is examined. Based on the results obtained, recommendations are presented to maximize the energy reduction in the diet.

[0025] Therefore, the subject of the present invention is a computer-implemented method for providing recommendations on the dietary energy level of poultry feed, comprising the following steps: a) receiving, requesting and / or providing data from a user's input / output device, the data including information on poultry and poultry sex, dietary energy level E CD, Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation rate GAA suppl.rate and a date in the feeding phase; b) Actual poultry energy requirement E required determining the following sub-steps: b1) extracting one or more matrices from the database, the one or more matrices representing the actual poultry energy requirement E for each poultry sex and for each date at all feeding stages; required , and sub-steps including body weight BW, weight gain BWG, cumulative feeding amount, and daily feeding amount. b2) For each sex and feeding stage of the poultry in step a), calculate the actual energy requirement E from the matrix in sub-step b1). required a sub-step of reading c) Feed energy level E of step a) CD and the actual poultry energy requirement E in sub-step b2). required determining a relationship between Feed energy level E in step a) CD is E in substep b2) required If the threshold is greater than the threshold, the method proceeds to step d) and determines the energy reduction amount E reduction Determine or Feed energy level E in step a) CD is E in substep b2) required If the threshold is less than the energy reduction amount E reduction setting t to 0 and the method proceeds to step e); d) Energy reduction E for poultry sex and feeding stage date of step a) reduction determining the following sub-steps: d1) For the date of the feeding phase in step a), calculate the body weight BW from the matrix in substep b1). d and cumulative feed intake CFI d and the weight BW for the day before the date d-1 and cumulative feed intake CFI d-1and a sub-step b1) of reading out the matrix d2) BW of substep d1) d and B.W. d-1 Calculate the weight gain (BWG) by taking the difference between the CFI of substep d1) d and CFI d-1 and calculating the daily feed intake FI by taking the difference between d3) For the date of the feeding phase of step a), the following formula:

number

number

[0026] Preferably, E in substep b2) required The threshold of E required 85-95% of the range, or E required The range is 85-90%.

[0027] The method according to the present invention is primarily intended to be used as a decision support when the effectiveness of GAA supplementation in broiler feeds is to be optimized. The method is unique in that it evaluates relevant information from a customer's feed, namely, stage length, performance level, dietary energy, and ARG level. The method predicts the potential of GAA to save energy and ARG in broiler diets, as well as providing predictions regarding additional performance improvements. The method is intended for use in decisions regarding optimal energy and ARG levels for broiler diets.

[0028] It was found that the energy saving recommendations of GAA were not the same for all feeding stages. Rather, it was found that the saving effect was smaller in young chicks than in older birds. However, it was observed that GAA can save more energy in the fattening diet of older birds. From these observations, it was concluded that different energy values ​​for different feeding stages are options for optimization. For this reason, the method according to the present invention takes into account specific data for each day or each feeding stage, as needed.

[0029] In trials where GAA was used to compensate for energy reduction, the level of energy reduction and the rate of GAA supplementation were not always consistent. In most trials, the dietary energy level of the standard diet was reduced by 50 kcal / kg of diet and supplemented with 0.06% GAA to maintain bird performance. This corresponds to an energy saving value of 83.333 kcal / kg of GAA. However, considering all 20 identified independent trials in which GAA was used to compensate for dietary energy reduction, a wide range of energy saving values ​​was tested, from 41.667 to 568.333 kcal / kg. Overall, these trials demonstrated that GAA can compensate beyond 83.333 kcal / kg. With an energy saving value of 163.889 kcal / kg, it can be predicted that GAA can maintain bird weight gain (BWG), but there is still room for slight improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR). GAA was found to maintain performance even at an energy saving value of 197.222 kcal / kg.

[0030] Preferably, the date in the feeding phase of step a) is the last day of the feeding phase.

[0031] This has the advantage that such a final day also provides a length for the feeding phase.

[0032] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the data received, requested and / or provided in step a) further comprises dietary arginine (ARG) levels Arg CD Sub-step b2) further comprises determining the standard ileal digestible ARG requirement Arg from the matrix of sub-step b1) for the sex and feeding stage of the poultry of step a). requirement This includes reading out the

[0033] In addition to its impact on performance when used in addition to an unsupplemented diet, several reports suggest that supplementation with GAA can reduce the ARG requirement of broiler chickens.

[0034] ARGs are essential amino acids and have multiple metabolic functions beyond their role as building blocks of proteins. These functions include serving as precursors of endogenous nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator that acts via the intracellular second messenger cGMP (Bode-Boeger et al. 1996). ARGs are metabolic precursors of GAA (ARG + GLY = GAA) and are important substrates for de novo GAA synthesis. However, a negative feedback mechanism exists that attenuates the activity of the arginine-glycine-amidotransferase (AGAT) enzyme when the concentrations of ornithine (derived from GAA formation) and CREA reach a certain level (Walker et al. 1979). This mechanism prevents the maximum concentration of CREA in muscle tissue, sparing ARG and GLY for other metabolic processes besides GAA formation. Supplementing broiler diets with GAA increases CREA concentrations during metabolism, attenuating the activity of the AGAT enzyme as previously described, which leads to the sparing of ARG (and GLY). In fact, DeGroot et al. (2018) reported that GAA supplementation increased circulating ARG concentrations in birds fed an ARG-deficient diet. Therefore, when using GAA in diets, the ARG concentration in the diet should be taken into consideration.

[0035] ARGs may become limiting amino acids in diets with low crude protein, diets containing ingredients with low ARG content such as wheat, sorghum, and DDGS, or diets with other factors that increase ARG requirements such as high altitude, high or low temperatures. In these cases, GAA may spare supplemental ARGs, and the ARG-sparing effect of GAA can be considered.

[0036] From a molecular perspective, 1 kg of GuanAMINO® containing 960 g of GAA will save 1428 g of ARG (143% of the GAA amount), or supplementation with 600 g of GuanAMINO (576 g of GAA) will save 857 g of ARG (0.086% of the diet). Multiple experiments have been conducted to determine the extent of the ARG-sparing effect of GAA (Dilger et al., 2013; De Groot et al., 2018; De Groot et al., 2019; Lemme et al., 2018; Emami et al., 2017; Fosoul et al., 2019).

[0037] The minimum ARG-sparing effect of GuanAMINO was determined to be 77% or 770 g / kg by a comparative experiment of ARG titration response curves with and without GuanAMINO supplementation (Lemme et al., 2018). However, Dilger et al. (2013) employed the same approach but conducted a trial using a highly ARG-deficient diet and reported an ARG-sparing effect of 143%, which is consistent with the stoichiometric calculations above. Therefore, in their review, Khajali et al. (2020) concluded that the ARG-sparing ability of GAA in chickens can range from 77 to 149%. Khajali et al. (2020) also suggested that in situations where the spared ARGs are used for other purposes (e.g., immune response) rather than muscle synthesis, the ARG-sparing effect of GAA may not be observed in growth performance or feed efficiency. Dao and Swick (2021) add that the ARG-sparing effect of GAA may not be effective even when broilers are fed diets containing sufficient levels of ARG in a comfortable thermal environment, as mentioned above. However, if the ARG requirement is exceeded, GAA may not be able to spare ARG, but it may still affect performance, and if so, this may be attributed to improved energy metabolism.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the method according to the invention further comprises the following sub-steps: d6) ARG savings potential Arg spar.pot. and the further sub-step of: d6a) Percentage of ARG requirement Arg perc.requirement The following formula:

number

[0039] The lower the ARG level relative to ARG requirement, the greater the ARG sparing potential. spar.pot. The higher the ARG level relative to the ARG requirement, the greater the ARG sparing potential. spar.pot. is preferably low.

[0040] Considering the different magnitudes of the GAA ARG-sparing effect in the aforementioned trials (Dilger et al., 2013; De Groot et al., 2018; De Groot et al., 2019; Lemme et al., 2018; Emami et al., 2017; Fosoul et al., 2019) and the larger effect size of GAA at low dietary ARG levels than at adequate ARG levels, the method according to the present invention provides the following recommendations: If ARG requirements are below 73%, the method recommends a GAA ARG sparing potential of 143% (results from Dilger et al., 2013). If the ARG requirement is greater than 73% and less than 100%, the method uses the following formula:

number

[0041] Before making any further predictions regarding ARG, the method according to the present invention is performed using a standard ileal digestible ARG requirement, Arg requirement Amount of ARG required to reach Arg supplement Determine.

[0042] In another embodiment, the method according to the invention further comprises the following sub-steps: d7) Standard ileal digestible ARG requirement Arg requirement Amount of ARG required to reach Arg supplement to the following formula:

number

[0043] The ARG supplement amount determined in this way is Arg supplement, GAA acid supplementation rate GAA suppl.rate , and if necessary, ARG parsimony possibility Arg spar.pot. Using this method, the ARG sparing potential of supplemental GAA is evaluated. spar.pot.with suppl.GAA Predict about.

[0044] In a further preferred embodiment, the method according to the invention further comprises the following sub-steps: d8) Potential for saving ARG by supplemental GAA Arg spar.pot.with suppl.GAA a sub-step of determining Arg determined in substep d7) supplement If is less than 0, Arg spar.pot.with suppl.GAA is set to 0, or Arg determined in substep d7) supplement GAA suppl.rate If above, Arg spar.pot.with suppl.GAA to the following formula:

number

[0045] The ARG saving potential Arg due to supplemental GAA was determined in this way. spar.pot.with suppl.GAA , standard ileal digestible ARG requirement Arg requirement Amount of ARG required to reach Arg supplement In the next step, the method evaluates the ARG sparing potential due to supplemental GAA, Arg spar.pot.with suppl.GAA Considering the required ARG supply amount Arg supplement,required Predict.

[0046] In another preferred embodiment, the method according to the invention further comprises the steps of: d9) Potential for saving ARG by supplemental GAA Arg spar.pot.with suppl.GAA Considering the required ARG supply amount Arg supplement,required a sub-step of determining Arg determined in substep d7) supplement If is less than 0, Arg supplement,required is set to a value of 0, or Arg determined in substep d7) supplement If is greater than 0, Arg supplement,required is the Arg of step d7) supplement and Arg in step d8) spar.pot.with suppl.GAA The substep is calculated by taking the difference between

[0047] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the body weight BW and weight gain BWG are the standard body weight BW and standard weight gain BWG for the poultry and poultry sex of step a).

[0048] However, there may be cases where neither the body weight BW and the weight gain BWG nor the standard body weight BW and the standard weight gain BWG match the user's desired body weight. The method according to the invention takes such situations into account and the data received, requested and / or provided in step a) may further include the target body weight BW of the poultry on the slaughter date. target Includes:

[0049] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the data received, requested and / or provided in step a) further comprises the target weight BW of the poultry on the day of slaughter. target Includes:

[0050] Target poultry weight on slaughter day BW target If BW differs from the body weight BW or the target body weight BW, first such difference is identified, and then the parameters determined in any or all of steps d1) to d9) are applied to the target poultry body weight BW on the day of slaughter.target and body weight BW.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the poultry and the sex of the poultry in step a) are checked for their identical or different standard weight BW, and the BW target If BW is different from the standard weight, BW target and the ideal body weight BW is determined, and the parameters determined in any or all of steps d1) to d9) are corrected by said percentage difference.

[0052] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, each date in the life of each poultry is assigned to a feeding stage of the poultry.

[0053] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the life of each poultry is divided into individual feeding stages, each feeding having the same or different length of days.

[0054] It has been found that the data important for making predictions using the method according to the invention are not the same for each feeding stage. Furthermore, it has been found that some of the data important for making predictions using the method according to the invention are not even the same for each day within a feeding stage. It is therefore beneficial to group the data that are not the same for each sex and for each day within a feeding stage into one separate matrix 1, and to group the other data that only differ by sex of the poultry and by feeding stage into another matrix.

[0055] The data on body weight BW, weight gain BWG, cumulative feed intake and daily feed intake are different for each sex and each day at each feeding stage of the poultry, and therefore these data are included in matrix M1.

[0056] By comparison, the actual energy requirement of poultry E required and standard ileal digestible ARG requirement Arg requirementThe data for differ only for each sex of poultry and each feeding stage. Therefore, these data are included in matrix M2.

[0057] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, for each sex of poultry and for each day in each feeding phase, the body weight BW, weight gain BWG, cumulative feed intake and daily feed intake are contained in the matrix M1.

[0058] In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, for each sex of poultry and for each feeding stage, the actual poultry energy requirement E required and standard ileal digestible ARG requirement Arg requirement and are included in matrix M2.

[0059] Basically, the method according to the present invention is not subject to any restrictions regarding a particular type of poultry. Therefore, the method can be used to provide recommendations regarding feed levels for any type of poultry possible. In the present invention, the term "poultry" is used in the sense known to those skilled in the art and refers to any type of domestic bird kept for its usefulness, in particular domestic birds kept by humans for their eggs, meat, or feathers.

[0060] In yet another embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the poultry is a broiler, a turkey, a duck, or a goose.

[0061] Another subject of the present invention is a system for providing recommendations on the feed energy level of poultry feed, the system comprising a processing unit adapted to perform at least steps a) to e) of the method according to the invention and having access to one or more databases of sub-steps b1) and d1).

[0062] In an embodiment of the system according to the invention, the processing unit also includes one or more databases of substeps b1) and d1).

[0063] In another embodiment of the system according to the invention, the processing unit is networked with one or more databases of substeps b1) and d1).

[0064] A further subject of the invention is a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0065] A further subject of the invention is a computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to the invention.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for providing recommendations regarding dietary energy levels of poultry diets, comprising the steps of: a) receiving, requesting and / or providing data from a user's input / output device, said data including information on poultry and poultry sex, dietary energy level E ＣＤ , guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation rate GAA ｓｕｐｐｌ．ｒａｔｅ and the date in the feeding phase; b) Actual poultry energy requirement E ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ determining a value of the number of times ... b1) extracting one or more matrices from the database, said one or more matrices representing the actual poultry energy requirement E for each poultry sex and for each date at all feeding stages; ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ , body weight BW, weight gain BWG, cumulative feeding amount, and daily feeding amount; b2) for the sex and feeding stage of the poultry of step a), calculate the actual energy requirement E from the matrix of sub-step b1). ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ and the sub-step of reading: c) the feed energy level E of step a) ＣＤ and the actual poultry energy requirement E of said sub-step b2). ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ determining a relationship between The feed energy level E of step a) ＣＤ is E in the sub-step b2). ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ If the threshold is greater than the threshold, the method proceeds to step d) and ｒｅｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ Determine or The feed energy level E of step a) ＣＤ is E in the sub-step b2). ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ If the energy reduction amount E ｒｅｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ setting t to 0 and the method proceeds to step e); d) the energy reduction E for the sex of poultry and the date of the feeding stage of step a) ｒｅｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ determining a value of the number of times ... d1) For the date of the feeding phase of step a), calculate the weight BW from the matrix of sub-step b1). ｄ and cumulative feed intake CFI ｄ and the weight BW for the day before the date. ｄ－１ and cumulative feed intake CFI ｄ－１ and a sub-step of reading out from the matrix of said sub-step b1). d2) the BW of the sub-step d1) ｄ and the aforementioned BW ｄ－１ and calculating the weight gain BWG by taking the difference between the CFI ｄ and the aforementioned CFI ｄ－１ and calculating the daily feed intake FI by taking the difference between d3) For the date of the feeding phase of step a), the following formula: [Equation 1] a sub-step of calculating an energy efficiency ratio EER using where: BWG is the weight gain of sub-step d2), said FI being the daily feed intake of said sub-step d2); The above E ＣＤ is the feed energy level of step a); d4) Recommended energy E ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ into the following formula: [Equation 2] a sub-step of calculating using where: BWG is the weight gain of sub-step d2), said FI being the daily feed intake of said sub-step d2); wherein EER is the energy efficiency ratio of sub-step d3). d5) the dietary energy level E of step a) for the sex and feeding stage of the poultry of step a) ＣＤ and E in the sub-step d4). ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ The energy reduction amount E ｒｅｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ and the sub-step of calculating e) the energy reduction amount E determined in step c) or sub-step d5). ｒｅｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ to the input / output device of step a).

2. The data received, requested, and / or provided in step a) may further include dietary arginine (ARG) levels Arg ＣＤ and sub-step b2) further comprises determining the standard ileal digestible ARG requirement Arg from the matrix of sub-step b1) for the sex and feeding stage of the poultry of step a). ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｍｅｎｔ 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: reading out a

3. The method further comprises the following substeps: d6) ARG saving possibility Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ． and the further sub-step of: d6a) Percentage of ARG requirement Arg ｐｅｒｃ．ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｍｅｎｔ to the following formula: [Equation 3] and a further sub-step of calculating using d6b) ARG saving potential Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ． a further sub-step of determining Arg calculated in said further sub-step d6a) ｐｅｒｃ．ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｍｅｎｔ If is less than or equal to 73%, the ARG saving possibility Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ． is set to a value of 143%, Arg calculated in said further sub-step d6a) ｐｅｒｃ．ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｍｅｎｔ If is greater than 73% and less than 100%, the ARG saving potential Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ． is in the range between 143% and 77% (exclusive of the endpoints), or Arg calculated in said further sub-step d6a) ｐｅｒｃ．ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｍｅｎｔ If is 100% or more, the ARG saving possibility Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ． a further sub-step in which is set to a value of 77%; d6c) the ARG saving potential Arg determined in said further sub-step d6b) ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ． and the further substep of transmitting to the input / output device of step a).

4. The method further comprises the following substeps: d7) Standard ileal digestible ARG requirement Arg ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｍｅｎｔ The amount of ARG required to reach ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ into the following formula: [Equation 4] 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the sub-step of determining using:

5. The method further comprises the following substeps: d8) Potential ARG savings by supplemental GAA Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ．ｗｉｔｈ ｓｕｐｐｌ．ＧＡＡ a sub-step of determining Arg determined in sub-step d7) ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ When is less than 0, the Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ．ｗｉｔｈ ｓｕｐｐｌ．ＧＡＡ is set to 0, or Arg determined in sub-step d7) ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ GAA ｓｕｐｐｌ．ｒａｔｅ In the above cases, the Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ．ｗｉｔｈ ｓｕｐｐｌ．ＧＡＡ into the following formula: [Equation 5] Calculate using where: The Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ． is the ARG saving potential of said further sub-step d6b), The GAA ｓｕｐｐｌ．ｒａｔｅ is the GAA supplementation rate of step a).

6. The method further comprises the following substeps: d9) Potential ARG saving by supplemental GAA Arg ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ．ｗｉｔｈ ｓｕｐｐｌ．ＧＡＡ The required ARG supply amount Arg ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ，ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ a sub-step of determining The Arg determined in sub-step d7) ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ When is less than 0, the Arg ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ，ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ is set to a value of 0, or The Arg determined in sub-step d7) ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ is greater than 0, ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ，ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ is the Arg in step d7). ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ and the Arg in step d8). ｓｐａｒ．ｐｏｔ．ｗｉｔｈ ｓｕｐｐｌ．ＧＡＡ 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the substep of calculating by taking the difference between

7. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the body weight BW and the weight gain BWG are the standard body weight BW and standard weight gain BWG for the poultry and sex of poultry in step a).

8. The data received, requested and / or provided in step a) may further include a target poultry weight BW on the slaughter date. ｔａｒｇｅｔ 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

9. The BW ｔａｒｇｅｔ is tested for being the same as or different from the standard weight BW for the poultry and sex of the poultry in step a), ｔａｒｇｅｔ If the standard weight BW is different from the standard weight BW, ｔａｒｇｅｔ 9. The method of claim 8, wherein a percentage difference between the standard body weight BW and the weight BW is determined, and the parameters determined in any or all of the substeps d1) to d9) are corrected by the percentage difference.

10. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein each date in the life of each poultry is assigned to a feeding stage of the poultry.

11. 11. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the life of each poultry is divided into individual feeding stages, each feeding having the same or different length of days.

12. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein for each sex of poultry and for each day in each feeding stage, the body weight BW, weight gain BWG, cumulative feed intake and daily feed intake are included in matrix M1.

13. For each sex of poultry and each feeding stage, the actual poultry energy requirement E ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｄ and the standard ileal digestible ARG requirement Arg ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｍｅｎｔ 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the matrix M2 contains:

14. 1. A system for providing recommendations regarding dietary energy levels of poultry feed, comprising: The system is adapted to perform at least steps a) to e) of the method of claim 1 and includes a processing unit that is accessible to one or more databases of substeps b1) and d1).

15. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of claim 1.

16. 10. A computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

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