Feed for small herbivores

Abstract

To provide feed for small herbivores which is preferred by small herbivores as both a chew stick and a feed. [Solution] Small herbivore feed 1 consists of green papaya stems cut into 15-30cm long sticks, and is obtained through a sterilization process, a washing process, and a drying process at 36-39°C, and contains 21-32% crude fiber, 11.5-17.5% crude ash, and 3.7-5.5% crude protein. The small herbivore feed retains the original color and flavor of the green papaya stem PS, making it popular with small herbivores both as a chew stick and as feed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to food for small herbivores. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, green papaya has been gaining attention for its delicious taste and high nutritional value, and is now being cultivated as a domestic vegetable. However, because papaya is vulnerable to the cold of winter, it is mostly cultivated as an annual plant in Japan, and after the green papaya is harvested, the trunk, stem, and leaves are discarded. Meanwhile, a technology has been proposed to use oil palm leaves and stems, which would otherwise have been discarded, by cutting them into small pieces, drying them, and then grinding them to produce frond fiber, which can be used as roughage for herbivores (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-51707 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, because the oil palm frond fiber that constitutes the roughage for herbivores in Patent Document 1 is hard and long, it is not suitable for small herbivores such as rabbits and guinea pigs as feed, as they prefer soft foods over hard ones, although it can serve as a chew stick to prevent their teeth from growing too long.On the other hand, the stems of green papaya, which have traditionally been discarded, are softer than oil palm frond fiber.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide feed for small herbivores that is favored by small herbivores as both a chew stick and feed, using green papaya stems that have traditionally been discarded. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A feed for small herbivores obtained by subjecting green papaya stems cut to a specified length to a decontamination process, a washing process, and a drying process at 36 to 39°C, and containing 21 to 32% crude fiber, 11.5 to 17.5% crude ash, and 3.7 to 5.5% crude protein.

[0007] (2) The feed for small herbivores described in (1), wherein the drying step is carried out until the weight of the green papaya stems after drying is 6.5% to 10% of the weight of the green papaya stems after dehydration.

[0008] (3) The feed for small herbivores according to (1), wherein the sterilization step is carried out by immersion in strong alkaline water.

[0009] (4) The feed for small herbivores according to (3), wherein the strongly alkaline water contains air bubbles.

[0010] (5) The feed for small herbivores according to (1), wherein the green papaya stems are cut to a length of about 15 cm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, green papaya stems can be used to provide feed for small herbivores that is popular with small herbivores as both a chew stick and a feed source. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a method for producing feed for small herbivorous animals according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a papaya stem according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of feed for herbivorous animals according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an ingredient list of an example of feed for herbivorous animals according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar components are designated by the same numerals or symbols throughout the description of the present embodiment.

[0014] A method for producing feed for small herbivorous animals according to this embodiment will be described using Figure 1. First, the producer harvests green papaya stems PS (S1). Figure 2 shows an example of green papaya stems PS. As shown in Figure 2, green papaya stems PS are stems from the stage when green papayas are immature and the skin is green before they are fully ripe, and contain vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamins B1 and B2, enzymes (calpain, papain), etc.

[0015] Next, the producer cuts the green papaya stems PS harvested in S1 to lengths of approximately 15 cm (S2). Since the green papaya stems PS also serve as chew sticks for small herbivores, they are cut to lengths of approximately 15 cm, but they can be cut shorter or longer depending on the body size of the small herbivores to which they are fed. However, the longer the green papaya stems PS are cut, the longer they take to dry in the low-temperature drying process described below, which can cause deterioration in color and flavor, so it is desirable to cut them to lengths of up to approximately 30 cm.

[0016] Next, the manufacturer sterilizes the green papaya stems PS cut in S2 (S3). Strong alkaline water, hypochlorous water, ozone water, etc. can be used for sterilization, but strong alkaline water is preferable from the viewpoint of cost and because the green papaya stems are to be consumed as pet food.

[0017] Specifically, the green papaya stems PS cut in S2 are immersed in a tank filled with strong alkaline water for a predetermined time, for example, 10 minutes, to sterilize them. At this time, air bubbles are ejected from the bottom of the tank using an air pump or the like, thereby efficiently sterilizing the green papaya stems PS. The air bubbles may be of any size, and may be microbubbles or nanobubbles.

[0018] The tank may be of any size and material; for example, a 50 cm x 90 cm x 30 cm stainless steel tank can be used. Strong alkaline water can be produced by dissolving calcined shell calcium in water, or by electrolyzing water. For example, approximately 60 g of "Aomori Prefecture Calcined Scallop Shell Powder (Amazing Craft Co., Ltd.)" is placed in the tank, and then the tank is filled with water to dissolve the calcium.

[0019] Next, the manufacturer washes the green papaya stems PS that have been sterilized in S3 with water (S4). For example, the green papaya stems PS that have been sterilized with strong alkaline water in S3 are washed with running water for about 10 minutes to wash away any adhering strong alkaline water. Note that the washing time is not limited to 10 minutes as long as the strong alkaline water can be washed away.

[0020] Next, the manufacturer dries the green papaya stems PS washed with water in S4 at low temperature to produce the feed for small herbivores of the present invention (S5). The feed for small herbivores of the present invention may be given to small herbivores as a snack, mixed with their regular diet such as pellets or grass, or given in place of grass. Specifically, the green papaya stems PS washed with water in S4 are placed in a food dryer and dried at approximately 36°C to 39°C for approximately 60 to 72 hours. Depending on the thickness and length of the green papaya stems PS, the drying time may be shorter than 60 hours or longer than 72 hours. The green papaya stems are dried so that the weight of the PS after drying is 6.5 to 10% by weight of the weight after cutting. For example, 10 kg of the green papaya stems PS cut in S2 is dried so that the weight is 0.65 g to 1.0 kg.

[0021] An example of a food dryer used for low-temperature drying is the "Vegetable Dryer MH-4A (Meijo Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)." Since it takes a short time for the temperature to reach approximately 36°C to 39°C from the start of drying, there is no need to preheat the food dryer. When using the "Vegetable Dryer MH-4A (Meijo Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)," it takes approximately one minute from the start of drying for the temperature to reach approximately 36°C to 39°C.

[0022] Drying the green papaya stem PS at a low temperature of approximately 36°C to 39°C for a relatively short time of approximately 60 to 72 hours prevents the loss of color and flavor, and preserves the original color and flavor of the green papaya stem PS. As a result, the feed for small herbivores of the present invention is highly palatable to small herbivores. Here, small herbivores include rabbits, marmots, hamsters, guinea pigs, flying squirrels, chinchillas, and ferrets. The color is a yellow-green color that retains the green color of the green papaya stem PS before drying, for example, hexadecimal color code #c5c067. However, when dried at 60°C or higher, the color of the green papaya stem PS changes to an oily color, for example, hexadecimal color code #bba164.

[0023] In addition, drying at a low temperature of around 36 to 39 degrees Celsius for a relatively short period of time of around 60 to 72 hours can prevent the loss of nutrients in the green papaya stem PS. As a result, the feed for small herbivores of the present invention can supplement the nutrients necessary for small herbivores that they cannot obtain from staple foods or side dishes alone.

[0024] Next, a photograph and ingredient list of feed for small herbivores manufactured using the above manufacturing method, using green papaya stems grown on Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, are shown in Figures 3 and 4. Note that no pesticides were used during the cultivation of the green papayas.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the feed for small herbivores of the present invention is characterized by its high crude fiber (26.53%) and crude ash (14.52%) content, and low crude protein (4.63%) and crude fat (1.40%) content. Because the feed for small herbivores of the present invention is high in crude fiber, it allows small herbivores to chew it for a longer period of time after gnawing, which helps to wear down their teeth and allows it to function as a chew stick. In addition, the high crude fiber content is effective in preventing hairball syndrome, a disease of herbivores. Furthermore, the feed for small herbivores of the present invention contains a lot of ash, which is an important component for bone formation and teeth, and can supplement the daily ash requirement of small herbivores, which cannot be met by pasture.

[0026] The present invention's small herbivore feed was given to rabbits as a snack, along with pellet food, two per day, and the rabbits were kept for three months. The rabbits enjoyed the present invention's small herbivore feed as a snack and ate it well. As a result, they did not suffer from hairball syndrome during the shedding season, their teeth remained at an appropriate length, and they were able to be kept healthy.

[0027] As explained above, the feed for small herbivores of the present invention has a pleasant color and aroma, making it highly palatable to small herbivores, and its high crude fiber content makes it suitable as a chew stick, making it popular with small herbivores both as chew sticks and as feed. Furthermore, the feed for small herbivores of the present invention is effective in maintaining the health of small herbivores because it is high in crude fiber and crude ash. Furthermore, the feed for small herbivores invented in this application uses green papaya stems, which have traditionally been discarded, so it can be produced inexpensively and reduces the impact on the environment by reducing the amount of papaya that is left to be disposed of or incinerated.

[0028] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the description of the scope of the utility model registration claims that forms incorporating such modifications and improvements are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] PS Green papaya stem 1 Feed for small herbivores

Claims

1. The green papaya stems are cut to a predetermined length and then subjected to a sterilization process, a washing process, and a drying process at 36 to 39°C. Crude fiber 21% to 32% A crude ash content of 11.5% to 17.5%, and Crude protein 3.7% to 5.5%, Feed for small herbivores containing:

2. 2. The feed for small herbivorous animals according to claim 1, wherein the drying step is carried out until the weight of the green papaya stems after drying is 6.5% to 10% of the weight of the green papaya stems after dehydration.

3. 2. The feed for small herbivorous animals according to claim 1, wherein the sterilization step is carried out by immersing the feed in strong alkaline water.

4. 4. The feed for small herbivorous animals according to claim 3, wherein the strongly alkaline water contains air bubbles.

5. 2. The feed for small herbivorous animals according to claim 1, wherein the green papaya stems are cut to a length of about 15 cm.

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