Method for improving productivity of livestock and / or poultry and method for improving intestinal flora

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a means to make it possible to improve intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry and also improve productivity, and in particular, to increase the weight of the livestock and / or poultry and improve the feed requirement rate and uniformity thereof. This problem is overcome by providing: a method for improving the productivity of livestock and / or poultry and a method for improving the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry by feeding the livestock and / or poultry a feed containing trehalose and a probiotic; and a trehalose- and probiotic-containing feed for livestock and / or poultry.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for improving the productivity and the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry, and more particularly to a method for improving the productivity and the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry by feeding them feed containing trehalose and a probiotic. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently in Japan, as dietary habits become more Westernized, the demand for animal protein such as meat, eggs, and milk is increasing, and the livestock industry is working to improve the production volume and production efficiency of beef, pork, chicken, etc. For this reason, there is a demand for more efficient breeding methods for livestock and poultry, as well as feed to improve productivity.

[0003] For example, in Japan, which has a small land area, efforts have been made to increase productivity by increasing the number of animals (females) kept per unit area, but this has had a detrimental effect on productivity as overcrowding causes livestock and poultry to become highly stressed.Other causes of stress include the heat in summer, the cold in winter, and poor sanitation in livestock sheds, which leads to problems such as the outbreak of diseases and reduced growth rates, resulting in reduced productivity.

[0004] In Japan and other countries, overcrowding has been pointed out as a cause of productivity problems such as reduced activity and weight gain in livestock and poultry. Overcrowding of poultry, especially meat-producing chickens (broilers), is a problem, and in Europe, the EU Directive: Minimum Rules for the Protection of Meat-producing Chickens stipulates that the rearing density of meat-producing chickens should be 33 to 42 kg / m 2 (about 11 to 14 birds / m 2 In Japan, there is no legal regulation, but the rearing density at the time of shipping is set at approximately 47 kg / m2 by voluntary agreement among the people in the industry. 2 (Approx. 15 birds / m 2 This is the effective upper limit.

[0005] In high-stress environments such as overcrowding, the ratio of beneficial bacteria in the intestines of livestock and poultry decreases and the ratio of harmful bacteria increases, which is an imbalance in the intestinal flora balance. When this occurs, it is known that the development and homeostasis of the digestive tract is impaired, the efficiency of absorbing nutrients is reduced, and the animal becomes more susceptible to infection by infectious pathogens such as intestinal putrefactive bacteria, diarrheal bacteria, and diarrheal viruses, causing enteritis, diarrhea, dysentery, etc. Furthermore, once an infectious disease breaks out in an overcrowded livestock barn, it spreads throughout the barn, further worsening productivity.

[0006] Known examples of bad bacteria that cause such infectious diseases include pathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Clostridium, and Campylobacter. When bad bacteria grow abnormally, they produce toxins such as enterotoxins and cytotoxins, which damage the intestinal mucosa and cause infectious diseases. In particular, Clostridium perfringens, a Clostridium bacterium, is also known as Clostridium perfringens and is known to be the causative agent of necrotic enteritis in livestock and poultry. Clostridium perfringens is widely distributed in the natural world, such as the intestines of humans and animals, soil, and water, and is also detected in the feces and fish of livestock and poultry. In food, it is often attached to edible meat such as beef, pork, and chicken, and is known to be a cause of food poisoning. In the livestock industry, it is considered to be a bad bacterium that has a negative impact on the health of livestock and poultry, and ultimately has a significant economic impact on producers.

[0007] Regarding feed and feed additive compositions for preventing or ameliorating diseases in livestock and poultry, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a trehalose-containing growth promoter for birds and mammals or a feed additive for improving the properties of animal feces, and Patent Document 2 discloses a trehalose-containing agent for reducing heat stress in livestock. However, these disclosures merely confirm the weight gain rate of broilers and the average feed intake of dairy cows fed with trehalose added to feed, but do not conduct detailed studies on the effects of feeding trehalose on productivity other than weight gain and feed intake.

[0008] Probiotics are used in feed and feed additives for livestock and poultry to improve the intestinal environment of livestock and poultry and promote their growth. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that improve the balance of intestinal bacteria in the host animal and thereby have a beneficial effect on the host, and currently live bacteria are generally referred to as probiotics regardless of their form (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0009] Microorganisms of the genera Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bifidobacterium, Bacillus, and Clostridium are used as live bacterial agents for humans and animals, and are used alone or as mixed preparations (Non-Patent Document 2). Patent Document 3 discloses a method of feeding poultry a combination of Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis in the later stages of growth, but does not specifically describe the effect of feeding live bacterial agents on the intestinal flora. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-19236 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-140347 A [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6643319 [Non-patent literature]

[0011] [Non-Patent Document 1] Research on Animal Husbandry, Vol. 66, No. 12, pp. 1189-1196, (2012) [Non-Patent Document 2] Bifidus, Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 1-18, (1991) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention aims to provide a means for improving the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry and improving productivity, in particular weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and uniformity of livestock and / or poultry. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors conducted extensive research and unexpectedly discovered that feeding livestock and / or poultry with feed containing trehalose and a probiotic improves the intestinal flora of the livestock and / or poultry and also has the effects of increasing body weight, reducing feed conversion ratio and improving uniformity, thereby completing the present invention.

[0014] That is, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing a method for improving the productivity of livestock and / or poultry and a method for improving the intestinal flora of livestock and poultry by feeding livestock and / or poultry with feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the method for improving the productivity and the method for improving the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry of the present invention, the number of harmful bacteria in the intestines of livestock and / or poultry is reduced, thereby improving the intestinal flora and achieving the effects of increasing body weight, reducing feed conversion rate, and improving uniformity, thereby improving the productivity of livestock and / or poultry. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a classification of the rearing period (from 0 to 42 days of age) of meat chickens (broilers) from hatching to shipping, and an example of the feed given during that period. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The present invention relates to a feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent, and a method for improving the productivity and the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry by feeding the feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent to livestock and / or poultry.

[0018] In the present invention, "improved productivity of livestock and / or poultry" means improved efficiency in raising livestock and / or poultry to obtain adults that reach a certain shipping standard. The improved productivity of livestock and / or poultry can be, for example, increased body weight, reduced feed conversion ratio, and / or improved uniformity of livestock and / or poultry.

[0019] Weight gain refers to the weight gain of an animal during a certain rearing period. The greater the weight gain during a certain rearing period, the faster the animal grows. That is, in one embodiment, productivity improvement can be a greater weight gain during a certain rearing period compared to when a feed containing neither trehalose nor a probiotic agent, or neither of them, is fed.

[0020] Feed conversion ratio is the ratio of the amount of feed consumed by an animal to the amount of weight gain, i.e., feed intake (kg) / weight gain (kg), and refers to the amount of feed required to increase the animal's weight by 1 kg. Therefore, the smaller the feed conversion ratio, the better the animal's feed utilization rate and the better the economic efficiency. That is, in one embodiment, productivity improvement can be a smaller feed conversion ratio compared to when a feed containing neither trehalose nor a probiotic agent, or neither of them, is fed.

[0021] Uniformity refers to a state in which there is little variation in weight and other characteristics between individual animals, and all of them are the same. It is said that improving uniformity can improve meat production and feed utilization. In general, the coefficient of variation is used as an index of uniformity. Here, the coefficient of variation is a value calculated by (standard deviation / average value)×100, and the smaller the value of this coefficient of variation, the less variation there is between individual animals and the better the uniformity. In this application, the uniformity of body weight was investigated. That is, in one embodiment, the improvement in productivity can be an improvement in the uniformity of body weight compared to when a feed containing neither trehalose nor a probiotic agent, or a feed containing neither of them, is fed.

[0022] In the present invention, "improving the intestinal flora" of livestock and / or poultry means maintaining the flora growing in the intestinal tract of livestock and / or poultry in an appropriate state, that is, increasing the number of good bacteria and / or decreasing the number of bad bacteria in the intestinal flora. Good bacteria in the intestinal flora are known to be, for example, Lactobacillus bacteria, Bifidobacterium bacteria, Enterococcus bacteria, Streptococcus bacteria, Pediococcus bacteria, Leuconostoc bacteria, Lactococcus bacteria, and Bacillus bacteria. As mentioned above, bad bacteria in the intestinal flora are known to be, for example, Escherichia coli, Salmonella bacteria, Clostridium bacteria, and Campylobacter bacteria. Therefore, the "improvement of the intestinal flora" of livestock and / or poultry in this specification may include an increase in the number of one or more bacteria selected from the good bacteria Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus, and Bacillus in the intestinal tract of livestock and / or poultry, and / or a decrease in the number of one or more bacteria selected from the bad bacteria Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Clostridium, and Campylobacter. When abnormalities occur in the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry due to stress such as breeding conditions and breeding environment, for example, the ratio of bad bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium in the intestine increases and the ratio of good bacteria decreases, which disrupts the balance of the intestinal flora and has various adverse effects on livestock and / or poultry. In particular, Clostridium perfringens (hereinafter referred to as "Clostridium perfringens"), known as a bad bacterium, causes diseases such as necrotic enteritis, gangrenous dermatitis, and bile duct hepatitis in livestock and / or poultry, and has adverse effects such as reduced productivity and increased mortality, so reducing the number of bad bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens in the intestines is very important in improving the productivity of livestock and / or poultry. That is, in a preferred embodiment, "improving the intestinal flora" of livestock and / or poultry can mean reducing the number of Clostridium perfringens in the intestines of livestock and / or poultry.

[0023] The term "livestock" as used herein is not particularly limited as long as it is an animal genetically improved from a wild animal in order to be useful for human life, and may be, for example, a cow, a pig, a sheep, a goat, a horse, a dog, a cat, etc. Examples of cows include dairy breeds such as Holstein and Jersey, meat breeds such as Aberdeen Angus, Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, crossbreeds, and Holstein. Examples of pigs include Landrace, Yorkshire, Hampshire, and Berkshire. Examples of sheep include meat breeds such as Southdown, Suffolk, and Cheviot. On the other hand, "poultry" is not particularly limited as long as it is a bird raised for meat or eggs, and may be, for example, a chicken, a quail, a turkey, a duck, a goose, a mallard, a duck, a pheasant, etc. Examples of chickens include broilers, which are meat chickens, and layers, which are egg-laying chickens. Broiler varieties include, for example, Chunky, Cobb, and Arbor Acre.

[0024] In the productivity improving method and / or intestinal flora improving method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the timing of feeding livestock and / or poultry with a feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent is not particularly limited, and may be fed at any time during the breeding period of the livestock and / or poultry. The breeding period of livestock and / or poultry is the period from birth or hatching to the shipping date, and although the period varies depending on the animal species, for livestock, for example, beef cattle are about 30 months, and for pigs, it is about 190 days. For poultry, it is about 25 to about 170 days, and for example, for broilers, it is usually about 35 to about 60 days. The breeding period in the breeding test of broilers in the experimental example described below was 42 days from hatching to 42 days of age.

[0025] Since the type of feed given to livestock varies depending on the animal species and rearing stage, the feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent can be provided in various forms depending on the animal species and rearing stage. For example, livestock are mainly given two types of feed: roughage containing a lot of fiber such as grass, hay, and silage, and concentrated feed containing a lot of protein and carbohydrates such as grains, soybeans, and bran. However, newborn cows in the nursing stage are given milk replacer, which is made by dissolving skim milk powder into a liquid form, or artificial milk, which is a concentrated feed given in a solid form. That is, in one embodiment, the feed according to the present invention may be roughage, concentrated feed, milk replacer, or artificial milk. The rearing period is usually roughly divided into a first half and a second half, and the first half is sometimes called the "early rearing period" and the second half is sometimes called the "late rearing period". Although it varies depending on the type of livestock, the period from birth to weaning, which is called the nursing period, is usually called the pre-breeding period, and the period from weaning to the shipping date, which is called the rearing period and / or fattening period, is called the post-breeding period. As mentioned above, the timing of feeding livestock with the feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent according to one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, but since sufficient effects can be obtained if it is fed as a milk replacer and / or artificial milk fed during the nursing period (pre-breeding period), it is preferable to feed it during the nursing period (pre-breeding period). In other words, in one embodiment, the feed of the present invention can be particularly preferably used as a milk replacer and / or artificial milk. However, the feeding timing and form of the feed of the present invention are not limited to these, and it goes without saying that it may be fed at a breeding stage other than the nursing period, and it may also be used as roughage or concentrated feed.

[0026] The nutritional composition of the feed given to poultry varies depending on the breeding stage, and feed containing trehalose and a live bacterial agent can be provided in various forms depending on the breeding stage of the poultry to which it is given. Examples of feed given to poultry include Starter feed, which is a feed for young chicks rich in nutrients such as amino acids and proteins, Grower feed, which is a feed for growing chicks and contains more lipids than Starter feed, and Finisher feed, which is a feed for finishing chicks. The breeding period is usually roughly divided into a first half and a second half, and the first half is sometimes called the "pre-breeding period" and the second half is sometimes called the "post-breeding period." Although it varies depending on the type of poultry, breeding environment, growth level, etc., when the breeding period is 35 days, the period from 0 days to 15 to 18 days is usually, when the breeding period is 42 days, the period from 0 days to 20 to 24 days is usually, and when the breeding period is 60 days, the period from 0 days to 26 to 34 days is usually, and the remaining breeding period of each period is called the post-breeding period. In the pre-rearing period, starter feed or grower feed is usually fed to hatched young chicks, and in the post-rearing period, finisher feed is fed. The 7 days until shipping are called the finishing period, and a finishing feed different from the finisher feed may be fed. There are no particular limitations on the timing of feeding the feed according to one embodiment of the present invention to poultry, but sufficient effects can be obtained if fed as starter feed and / or grower feed in the pre-rearing period, so the feed according to one embodiment of the present invention is particularly useful as starter feed and / or grower feed. Of course, the feed of the present invention may also be used as a finisher feed.

[0027] In one embodiment of the method for improving livestock and / or poultry productivity and the method for improving the intestinal flora of the present invention, trehalose used as an active ingredient in the feed means a non-reducing disaccharide (α,α-trehalose) having a structure in which two molecules of D-glucose are bonded together in an α,α-1,1 manner.

[0028] The trehalose used in the present invention is not particularly limited by its origin or production method, but in a preferred embodiment, for example, hydrated or anhydrous trehalose crystals produced by the methods disclosed in JP-A-7-170977 and JP-A-7-213283 can be used as appropriate. More specifically, commercially available trehalose dihydrate crystal-containing powders (Treha (registered trademark), Treha (registered trademark) A Feed, Hayashibara Sales Co., Ltd.) industrially produced from starch by an enzymatic method can also be used. The purity of the trehalose used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it exerts the effects of the present invention, and it may be a pure product or a mixture with other carbohydrates, i.e., an unseparated composition. The form is also not particularly limited, and it may be, for example, a liquid, syrup, powder, solid, etc.

[0029] Next, the probiotic agent used in the present invention will be described. In the present invention, the term "probiotic agent" refers to useful intestinal microorganisms that can be mixed with animal feed, ingested, and allowed to grow in the intestines of animals to maintain the intestinal flora in a good state, or a feed additive containing such useful intestinal microorganisms. Examples of useful intestinal microorganisms include Lactobacillus genus such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium genus generally known as bifidobacteria such as Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, and Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus genus such as Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus genus such as Streptococcus thermophilus and Streptococcus mutans, and Pediococcus genus such as Pediococcus pentosaceus. Examples of probiotics include probiotics of the genus Pediococcus, the genus Leuconostoc such as Leuconostoc citreum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and the genus Lactococcus such as Lactococcus lactis, as well as probiotics of the genus Clostridium such as Clostridium butyricum, and the genus Bacillus such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus badius, and Bacillus coagulans. These microorganisms and / or feed additives containing these microorganisms can be suitably used in animal feed as probiotics.

[0030] Among the above-mentioned useful intestinal microorganisms, microorganisms of the genus Lactobacillus or Bacillus are preferable, and Bacillus subtilis is particularly preferable, because of its action effect of improving the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry. Among Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus subtilis C-3102 strain or its derivative or mutant strain is preferable. The live bacteria agent may be in any form of liquid, powder, or solid, and a commercially available live bacteria agent may be used. As a commercially available product, for example, "Calsporiin (registered trademark)" (Bacillus subtilis C-3102 strain content: 1×10), which is a powdered live bacteria agent mainly composed of Bacillus subtilis C-3102 strain (FERM BP-1096) sold by Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd., is available. 10 There is also a lineup of related products with different live bacteria contents on the market (product name "Calsporin (registered trademark) diluted product"). The live bacteria content can be selected according to the desired effect.

[0031] The amount of trehalose and viable cell count contained in the feed according to one embodiment of the present invention are appropriately adjusted depending on the type of livestock and / or poultry to be used, the types and amounts of other ingredients to be mixed in the feed, the skin condition, coat condition, maturity state, sex, weight, etc. of the livestock and / or poultry to be used, and are not particularly limited, but it is desirable to adjust the trehalose content in the feed to be generally 0.05% by mass to 2% by mass, more preferably 0.1% by mass to 1% by mass, and even more preferably 0.2% by mass to 0.8% by mass. The viable cell count in the feed is generally about 3.0×10 per gram of feed. 5 pcs or more 1.0×10 9 or less, more preferably about 5.0×10 5 pcs or more 1.0×10 7 It is desirable to adjust the trehalose content in the feed to 0.05% by mass and the number of live bacteria in the feed to 3.0 × 10 per gram of feed. 5 When the number of viable bacteria is less than 1.0×10 per gram of feed, the effect of improving the productivity and / or the effect of improving the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry may be insufficient.9 Even if the number exceeds 1, each is 2 mass% and 1.0 × 10 9 Since the effect is not significantly different from when a single component is added, this is not economically preferable.

[0032] The feed according to one embodiment of the present invention may further contain, in addition to trehalose and a probiotic agent, commonly used livestock and / or poultry feed ingredients and feed additives. Although not limited thereto, for example, grains such as corn, rice, brown rice, millet, millet, rye, cassava, barley, wheat, oats, milo, and soybeans can be blended into the feed according to one embodiment of the present invention. Vegetable oil cakes include soybean oil cake, rapeseed oil cake, linseed oil cake, palm oil, sesame oil cake, sunflower oil cake, coconut oil cake, peanut meal, cottonseed meal, corn gluten meal, corn germ meal, and alcohol cakes. Animal feeds include fish meal, meat and bone meal, casein, dried whey, skim milk powder, and fish soluble adsorption feed. Bran and other ingredients include rice bran, defatted rice bran, bran, soybean skin, starch cake, wheat bran, corn gluten feed, and molasses.

[0033] Furthermore, the feed according to one embodiment of the present invention may contain other ingredients, such as antioxidants, antifungal agents, binders, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, pigments, synthetic antibacterial agents, antibiotics, flavorings, enzymes, organic acids, emulsifiers, excipients, sugars, regulators, flavorings, and stabilizers, depending on the type and form of the feed, to the extent that the effects of improving the productivity and intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry are not hindered. For example, antioxidants include ethoxyquin, dibutylhydroxytoluene, and butylhydroxyanisole; antifungal agents include propionic acid, calcium propionate, and sodium propionate; binders include pullulan, sodium alginate, sodium caseinate, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, propylene glycol, and sodium polyacrylate; amino acids include aminoacetic acid, DL-alanine, L-arginine, L-lysine hydrochloride, L-carnitine, guanidine acetate, sodium L-glutamate, taurine, 2-deamino-2-hydroxymethionine, DL-tryptophan, L-tryptophan, L-threonine, L-valine, DL-methionine, L-methionine, and L-lysine sulfate; vitamins include L-ascorbic acid, calcium L-ascorbate, sodium L-ascorbate, sodium L-ascorbate-2-phosphate sodium calcium, L-ascorbyl sulfate, and L-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate sodium calcium. Corbic acid-2-phosphate ester magnesium, acetomenaphthone, inositol, dibenzoylthiamine hydrochloride, ergocalciferol, choline chloride, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, β-carotene, cholecalciferol, dl-α-tocopherol acetate, cyanocobalamin, thiamine nitrate, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, para-aminobenzoic acid, D-calcium pantothenate, DL-calcium pantothenate, d-biotin, vitamin A powder, vitamin A oil, vitamin D powder, vitamin D3 oil, vitamin E powder, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, menadione bisulfite dimethylpyrimidinol, menadione sodium bisulfite, folic acid, riboflavin, riboflavin butyrate, etc. Minerals include potassium chloride, iron citrate, calcium gluconate, sodium ferric citrate succinate, magnesium oxide, aluminum hydroxide, zinc carbonate, cobalt carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate,Manganese carbonate, Zinc 2-deamino-2-hydroxymethionine, Copper 2-deamino-2-hydroxymethionine, Manganese 2-deamino-2-hydroxymethionine, Iron DL-threonine, Calcium lactate, Ferrous fumarate, Zinc peptide, Iron peptide, Copper peptide, Manganese peptide, Potassium iodide, Potassium iodate, Calcium iodate, Zinc sulfate (dried), Zinc sulfate (crystalline), Zinc methionine sulfate, Sodium sulfate (dried), Magnesium sulfate (dried), Magnesium sulfate (crystalline), Cobalt sulfate (dried), Cobalt sulfate (crystalline), Ferrous sulfate (dried) , copper sulfate (dried), copper sulfate (crystal), manganese sulfate, potassium monohydrogen phosphate (dried), sodium monohydrogen phosphate (dried), potassium dihydrogen phosphate (dried), sodium dihydrogen phosphate (dried), sodium dihydrogen phosphate (crystal), etc. Pigments include astaxanthin, β-apo 8'-carotenoic acid ethyl ester, canthaxanthin, etc. Synthetic antibacterial agents include amprolium ethopabate sulfaquinoxaline, morantel citrate, nicarbazin, halofuginone calcium polystyrene sulfonate, etc. Antibiotics include zinc bacitracin. Examples of flavoring agents include esters, ethers, ketones, fatty acids, higher aliphatic alcohols, higher aliphatic aldehydes, higher aliphatic hydrocarbons, terpene hydrocarbons, phenol ethers, phenols, aromatic alcohols, aromatic aldehydes, and lactones. Examples of enzymes include aliphatic alcohols, aryl alcohols, and aryl aldehydes. Examples of enzymes that can be used include: mylase, alkaline protease, xylanase, xylanase-pectinase complex enzyme, β-glucanase, acid protease, cellulase, cellulase-protease-pectinase complex enzyme, neutral protease, phytase, lactase, lipase, etc.; organic acids include calcium formate, sodium gluconate, potassium diformate, fumaric acid, butyric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid and their salts, etc.; emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, etc.; excipients include corn starch, dextrin, etc.; sugars include:Sucrose, glucose, maltose, fructose, lactose, maltotriose, raffinose, isomaltulose, maltitol, reduced palatinose, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, mannitol, isomerized sugar, powdered starch syrup, and the like, as well as formic acid and the like as regulators, saccharin sodium and the like as flavorings, and anhydrous silicic acid and the like as stabilizers, may be appropriately blended into the feed according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The form of the feed according to one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be any of the commonly used forms such as mashed feed, granulated feed, fine powder feed, flake feed, pelleted feed, and crumbled feed. The mashed feed is a powdered feed obtained by pulverizing feed ingredients into powder form, or by mixing or blending powdered feed ingredients. On the other hand, the pelleted feed is a solid feed obtained by adding moisture to the feed using water vapor or the like, heating and adjusting the humidity, and then pressurizing the feed into a cylindrical shape using a granulator (molding machine). The crumbled feed is a feed obtained by roughly crushing pelletized feed so that even small poultry can easily eat it.

[0035] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to experiments.

[0036] <Experiment 1: Effects of feeding diets containing trehalose and probiotics on productivity and intestinal flora of broilers> Broilers were continuously fed a diet containing trehalose and a probiotic at each rearing stage to examine the effects of feeding the diet on the productivity of broilers, such as weight gain, feed conversion ratio and uniformity, and on the intestinal flora.

[0037] <Experiment 1-1: Feed preparation> The feed was prepared based on the formula disclosed in Ross Broiler Nutrition Specifications 2019 (URL: http: / / tmea.aviagen.com / assets / Tech_Center / Ross_Broiler / RossBroilerNutritionSpecs2019-EN.PDF), a manual from Aviagen, a broiler breeding company (based in the UK), with the compositions shown in Table 1 for three types of feed: Starter feed for the early rearing period, Grower feed, and Finisher feed for the late rearing and finishing periods. The prepared samples were Starter feed without additives, Grower feed without additives, and Finisher feed without additives. The additive-free Starter feed and the additive-free Grower feed were supplemented with 0.5% by mass of trehalose (Treha, sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 1.0 × 10 10 0.01% by mass (1.0 × 10 6 One or both of the two was added so that the total number of live bacteria was 0.01 mass% (1.0 × 10 cells / g feed equivalent) to prepare Starter feeds containing trehalose, Starter feeds containing live bacteria, Grower feeds containing trehalose, Grower feeds containing live bacteria, and Starter feeds and Grower feeds containing both trehalose and live bacteria. In addition, no trehalose was added to the additive-free Finisher feed, and the above live bacteria were added at 0.01 mass% (1.0 × 10 cells / g feed equivalent) to prepare Starter feeds containing trehalose, Starter feeds containing live bacteria, Grower feeds containing trehalose, Grower feeds containing live bacteria, and Starter feeds and Grower feeds containing both trehalose and live bacteria. 6 The live bacteria was added at a concentration of 1000 mg / g feed equivalent to prepare a live bacteria-containing finisher feed.

[0038] [Table 1]

[0039] <Experiment 2: Rearing test> The rearing experiment used chunky male broiler chicks, reared at a density of 1 m 2The chicks were divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of trehalose and / or live bacteria supplementation, as shown in Table 2 and Figure 1, and each group was divided into eight sets of 64 experimental plots at the two rearing densities. In Table 2, the addition of trehalose or live bacteria supplementation to the diet in each group is indicated by "+" and no addition is indicated by "-". As shown in Figure 1, the chicks were fed crumbled Starter feed from hatching to 10 days of age, pelleted Grower feed from 10 to 24 days of age, and pelleted Finisher feed from 24 to 42 days of age, for a total of 42 days. For feeding, one tube-shaped feeding container was used per experimental plot at the two rearing densities, and the chicks were allowed to consume the feed ad libitum. Water was also allowed to be consumed ad libitum using three nipple drinkers per experimental plot. Rice husk was used as bedding. Other rearing conditions were in accordance with the Ross Broiler Maturation Handbook 2018 (published by Aviagen, URL: http: / / en.aviagen.com / assets / Tech_Center / Ross_Broiler / Ross-BroilerHandbook2018-EN.pdf) and were carried out in a closed chicken house equipped with tunnel ventilation and an evaporative cooling system.

[0040] [Table 2]

[0041] <Experiment 3: Intestinal flora> In order to evaluate the intestinal flora of the broilers reared in each test group, one broiler whose body weight at 24 days of age was close to the average value for each group was selected from each test group, and its ileal contents were collected. Using the collected ileal contents, the bacterial counts of Lactobacillus bacteria, known as good bacteria, and Clostridium perfringens, known as bad bacteria, were measured. Table 3 shows the bacterial counts per unit weight of the ileal contents. For comparison of rearing densities, a rearing density of 11 birds / m, which corresponds to the normal rearing density of broilers, was used. 2 and a relatively high density of 14 birds / m2 In this breeding environment, the number of birds was 14 / m 2 Although the number of Clostridium perfringens was more clearly reduced under the high density rearing conditions, no significant difference due to the difference in rearing density was observed, so the average values ​​of the measurement results at the two rearing densities are shown in Table 3. The same was true for Experiments 4 and 5 described below, and no significant difference was observed between the two rearing densities in terms of weight gain, reduction in feed conversion rate, and improvement in uniformity, so the average values ​​of the measurement results obtained at the two rearing densities are shown as the respective measured values. Note that Duncan's multiple range test was performed on the number of Lactobacillus bacteria and Clostridium perfringens bacteria in the control group and each group, and a significance level of p<0.05 was determined to indicate a significant difference, and cases where there was a significant difference compared to the control group were indicated with an * in the table.

[0042] [Table 3]

[0043] As shown in Table 3, the number of Lactobacillus bacteria per unit weight (units / g) of the ileal contents collected from 24-day-old broilers was 4.7 × 10 in the control group. 7 In contrast, the live bacteria group had a rate of 9.3 × 10 7 / g, and 10.2 × 10 7 15.1 × 10 7 The number of bacteria in the Lactobacillus genus, which is a beneficial bacteria, was particularly high in the combination group.

[0044] As can be seen in Table 3, the number of Clostridium perfringens bacteria (units / g) in the control group was 3.8 × 10 2 In contrast, the live bacteria group had a rate of 1.1 × 10 2 / g, and 0.37 × 10 2 The number of bacteria in the combination group was 0.22 × 10 2A significant decrease was observed in the number of Clostridium perfringens cells / g compared to the control group, and the decrease in Clostridium perfringens was more remarkable when compared to the probiotic and trehalose groups. These results show that the combined use of trehalose and a probiotic is effective not only in increasing the number of Lactobacillus bacteria, which are good bacteria, but also in significantly reducing the number of Clostridium perfringens bacteria, which are bad bacteria, compared to when either is used alone, and demonstrate that the coexistence of trehalose and a probiotic in feed is more useful for improving the intestinal flora of poultry, particularly broilers.

[0045] <Experiment 4: Weight gain and feed conversion rate> The body weights of the broilers in each test group were measured at 0 days, 35 days, and 42 days of age, and the average body weights at each age were calculated. The results are shown in Table 4. The body weight gain during each period was calculated from the difference between these average body weights. The feed conversion rate was calculated by dividing the feed intake during the period from 0 days to 42 days of age, 0 days to 35 days of age, or 35 days to 42 days of age by the body weight gain during that period. The feed intake was calculated by measuring the amount of feed reduction during that period in each test group and calculating the average value. The body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion rate during the period from 0 days to 42 days of age, from 0 days to 35 days of age, and from 35 days to 42 days of age are shown in Tables 5 to 7, respectively. For the weight gain and feed conversion rate in the control group and each group, Duncan's multiple range test was performed, and a significance level of p<0.05 was determined to indicate a significant difference. Significant differences compared to the control group are indicated with an * in the table.

[0046] [Table 4]

[0047] [Table 5]

[0048] As shown in Table 5, the weight gain was 3157g in the control group over the entire rearing period from 0 to 42 days of age. In contrast, the live bacteria group gained 3172g, which was a slight increase compared to the control group, but the change was not significant. On the other hand, the trehalose group gained 3210g and the combination group gained 3237g, which were significant increases compared to the control group. Here, although trehalose was only given in the pre-feeding period from 0 to 24 days of age, the trehalose and combination groups showed an effect of increasing weight gain throughout the entire rearing period from 0 to 42 days of age, indicating that the effect of feeding trehalose in the pre-feeding period continued in both groups up to 42 days of age. In particular, the combination group gained more weight than the trehalose group, indicating that feeding a feed containing both trehalose and live bacteria in the pre-feeding period is extremely effective in increasing weight gain throughout the entire rearing period. This result indicates that even from the viewpoint of weight gain alone, it is not necessary to feed the pigs with a diet containing both trehalose and a probiotic throughout the entire rearing period, but rather it is sufficient to feed them only during the early rearing period. This is an extremely useful finding.

[0049] As also seen in Table 5, the feed conversion ratio calculated from the weight gain and feed intake was 1.492 in the control group. In contrast, it was 1.471 in the live bacteria group, 1.482 in the trehalose group, and 1.467 in the combination group, which were significantly lower than the control group. Although trehalose and live bacteria were fed in combination only in the pre-feeding period, the decrease in feed conversion ratio continued throughout the entire feeding period, indicating that the effect of feeding trehalose and live bacteria in the pre-feeding period on the decrease in feed conversion ratio continued until the age of 42 days. In particular, the feed conversion ratio decreased the most in the combination group. This result, like the results for weight gain, indicates that feeding a diet containing both trehalose and live bacteria does not necessarily need to be continued throughout the entire feeding period, even from the perspective of feed conversion ratio, and may be only in the pre-feeding period.

[0050] [Table 6]

[0051] As shown in Table 6, the weight gain from 0 to 35 days of age was 2564g in the control group. In contrast, the live bacteria group gained 2569g and the trehalose group gained 2580g. Both groups gained more weight than the control group, but the gains were small. On the other hand, the combined group gained 2609g, a larger weight gain than the other two groups.

[0052] As can also be seen in Table 6, the feed conversion ratio was 1.346 in the control group. In contrast, the trehalose group was 1.340, showing no significant decrease compared to the control group. On the other hand, the probiotic group had a feed conversion ratio of 1.330, and the combination group had a feed conversion ratio of 1.326, showing a significant decrease compared to the control group, with the decrease in feed conversion ratio being the greatest in the combination group. This result indicates that even though trehalose and probiotics were fed in combination only in the early feeding period (from 0 to 24 days of age), the effect was sustained up to the later feeding period of 35 days of age.

[0053] [Table 7]

[0054] As shown in Table 7, the weight gain in the control group during the finishing period from 35 to 42 days of age was 593 g. In contrast, the live bacteria group gained 603 g, a slight increase compared to the control group. On the other hand, the trehalose group gained 630 g and the combination group gained 628 g, a significant increase compared to the control group. Furthermore, although the feeding of feed containing only trehalose or feed containing both trehalose and live bacteria was only during the pre-feeding period from 0 to 24 days of age, the trehalose group and the combination group showed an effect on weight gain even during the finishing period from 35 to 42 days of age. This result unexpectedly indicates the effect of the feed fed during the pre-feeding period also extends to the finishing period.

[0055] As can also be seen in Table 7, the feed conversion ratio was 2.165 in the control group. In contrast, it was 2.111 in the probiotic group, 2.095 in the trehalose group, and 2.083 in the combination group, all of which showed significant decreases compared to the control group. In particular, the feed conversion ratio decreased the most in the combination group. This result indicates that even though the feed containing both trehalose and probiotics was only given in the early rearing period, the effect of reducing the feed conversion ratio continued into the finishing period from 35 to 42 days of age.

[0056] As described above, the results in Tables 5 to 7 show that the combined use of trehalose and live bacteria in the pre-feeding period is effective in increasing the body weight of broilers and reducing the feed conversion ratio throughout the entire feeding period. In particular, the combined use of trehalose and live bacteria in the pre-feeding period reduces the feed conversion ratio even in the finishing period before shipping when the body weight of broilers increases and their feed intake is at its maximum, which is economically advantageous in broiler feeding.

[0057] <Experiment 5: Uniformity> The uniformity of the broilers in each test group was evaluated using the coefficient of variation calculated from the individual body weights of 42-day-old broilers as an index. The results are shown in Table 8. For the uniformity of the control group and each group, Duncan's multiple range test was performed, and a significance level of p<0.05 was determined to indicate a significant difference. Significant differences compared to the control group are indicated with an * in the table.

[0058] [Table 8]

[0059] As can be seen in Table 8, the coefficient of variation, which is an index of uniformity, was 8.8% in the control group. In contrast, in the trehalose group, it was 7.9%, a slight decrease compared to the control group, but the change was not significant. On the other hand, the probiotic group had a coefficient of variation of 7.2%, and the combination group had a coefficient of variation of 7.0%, which was a significant decrease compared to the control group. The combination group showed the lowest coefficient of variation, which indicates that the combination of trehalose and probiotic is useful for improving uniformity. Although the animals were only fed feed containing both trehalose and probiotic during the early feeding period, the combination group showed the best results in terms of uniformity at the end of the feeding period compared to the control, probiotic, and trehalose groups, which was a completely unexpected and novel finding.

[0060] From the results of Experiments 1 to 5, it was found that feeding broilers feed containing trehalose and a probiotic in the early stages of rearing can improve the intestinal flora of broilers and increase productivity.

[0061] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way. EXAMPLES

[0062] 0.5 g of trehalose (trade name "Treha", sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 1.0 × 10 10 0.03g (number of live bacteria: 3.0 x 10 5 The same amount of probiotics was added to commercially available feed for adult chickens to prepare compound feed for adult chickens. These compound feeds contain trehalose and probiotics, so when fed according to the rearing stage, they can reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the intestinal flora of poultry and improve productivity. EXAMPLES

[0063] 10.0 g of trehalose (trade name "Treha", sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 1.0 × 10 10 10.0g (number of live bacteria: 1.0×10 9 The same amount of probiotics was added to commercially available feed for adult chickens to produce compound feed for adult chickens. These compound feeds contain trehalose and probiotics, so if they are fed according to the breeding stage, they can reduce harmful bacteria in poultry and improve productivity. EXAMPLES

[0064] A powdered feed mixture of 61.5 parts by mass of corn, 29.0 parts by mass of soybean meal, 2.0 parts by mass of rapeseed meal, 2.0 parts by mass of corn gluten meal, 2.8 parts by mass of animal fats and oils, 0.3 parts by mass of salt, 1.4 parts by mass of calcium carbonate, 0.5 parts by mass of tricalcium phosphate, and 0.5 parts by mass of vitamin and mineral premix, had a trehalose content of 0.8% by mass per solid content of feed (product name "Treha", sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and a viable cell count of 1.0 x 10 per 1 g of solid feed. 7 The mixture was mixed with trehalose and a probiotic (product name "Calsporin", the active ingredient of which is Bacillus subtilis C-3102 strain (FERM BP-1096) at 1.0 × 10 10 A probiotic (1 / g, sold by Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd.) was mixed with the powdered feed to produce a compound feed. This product contains trehalose and a probiotic, which reduces the number of harmful bacteria in the intestinal flora of poultry and improves productivity. EXAMPLES

[0065] A powdered feed mixture of 61.5 parts by mass of corn, 29.0 parts by mass of soybean meal, 2.0 parts by mass of rapeseed meal, 2.0 parts by mass of corn gluten meal, 2.8 parts by mass of animal fats and oils, 0.3 parts by mass of salt, 1.4 parts by mass of calcium carbonate, 0.5 parts by mass of tricalcium phosphate, and 0.5 parts by mass of vitamin and mineral premix, had a trehalose content of 0.2% (trade name "Treha", sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) per solid content of feed, and a viable cell count of 5.0 x 10 per 1 g of solid feed. 5 The mixture was mixed with trehalose and a probiotic (product name Calsporin, active ingredient Bacillus subtilis C-3102 strain (FERM BP-1096) at 1.0 × 10 10 A mixture of trehalose and a probiotic (sold by Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd.) was then mixed with the powdered feed to produce a compound feed. This product contains trehalose and a probiotic, which can reduce harmful bacteria in poultry and improve productivity. EXAMPLES

[0066] 0.5 g of trehalose (trade name "Treha", sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 1.0 × 10 10 0.03g (number of live bacteria: 3.0 x 10 5 The mixture (equivalent to 10 pieces / g feed) was mixed with 1 kg of commercially available poultry feed and fed to a pellet mill, a heating type granulator, to obtain a granulated product. The granulated product was dried to produce cylindrical pellet feed. As this product is in pellet form, it is less likely to flake, has high preservation properties, and is easy to handle even in small quantities. In addition, as it contains trehalose and a probiotic, it can reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the intestinal flora of poultry and improve productivity. EXAMPLES

[0067] 10.0 g of trehalose (trade name "Treha", sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 1.0 × 10 1010.0g (number of live bacteria: 1.0×10 9 The mixture (equivalent to 10 pieces / g feed) was mixed with 1 kg of commercially available poultry feed and fed to a pellet mill, a heating type granulator, to obtain a granulated product. The granulated product was dried and then crushed in a crusher (crumbler) to produce crumbled feed. As this product is a crushed granulated product, it is less likely to fly around and is easy to handle even in small quantities. In addition, as it contains trehalose and a probiotic, it can reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the intestinal flora of poultry and improve productivity. EXAMPLES

[0068] 10.0 g of trehalose (trade name "Treha", sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 1.0 × 10 10 10.0g (number of live bacteria: 1.0×10 9 This feed was mixed with 1 kg of a commercially available milk replacer to produce feed for nursing livestock. Since this feed contains trehalose and a probiotic, it can reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the intestinal flora of livestock and improve productivity when fed to nursing cows or pigs. EXAMPLES

[0069] 10.0 g of trehalose (trade name "Treha", sold by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 1.0 × 10 10 10.0g (number of live bacteria: 1.0×10 9 This feed was mixed with trehalose and a probiotic agent to produce livestock feed. When fed to fattening cattle or pigs, this feed reduces the number of harmful bacteria in the intestinal flora of the livestock and improves their productivity. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] According to the method for improving the productivity and the method for improving the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry of the present invention, it is possible to improve the intestinal flora of poultry and also to improve the weight gain, feed conversion rate, and uniformity of livestock and / or poultry. The present invention, which provides a method for improving the productivity and the method for improving the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry, will contribute to the field of livestock farming and has extremely great industrial significance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] In FIG. Starter feed: Initial feed (feed for young chicks) given from 0 to 10 days of age during the pre-breeding period Grower feed: Feed for growing children (growth feed) given from 10 days of age in the early breeding period until 24 days of age Finisher feed: Feed given from 24 days of age in the final stage of rearing (finisher feed)

Claims

1. A method for improving productivity of livestock and / or poultry, comprising feeding livestock and / or poultry with a feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent, said probiotic agent containing Bacillus subtilis.

2. 2. The method for improving productivity of livestock and / or poultry according to claim 1, wherein the productivity improvement is one or more selected from the group consisting of an increase in body weight, a decrease in feed conversion ratio, and an improvement in uniformity.

3. A method for improving the intestinal flora of livestock and / or poultry, comprising feeding livestock and / or poultry with a feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent, the probiotic agent containing Bacillus subtilis.

4. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the livestock and / or poultry are cattle, pigs or chickens.

5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent is fed to the animals in the pre-rearing period.

6. The feed contains trehalose at 0.05% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less per solid feed, and contains live bacteria at 3.0 × 10 per gram of solid feed. ５ 1.0×10 pieces or more ９ The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the feed contains not more than 100 pieces of the microbial organism.

7. A livestock and / or poultry feed containing trehalose and a probiotic agent, the probiotic agent containing Bacillus subtilis.

8. The feed for livestock and / or poultry according to claim 7, which is a feed for the pre-breeding period.

9. Trehalose is 0.05% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less per solid feed, and live bacteria is 3.0 x 10 per gram of solid feed. ５ 1.0×10 pieces or more ９ 9. A feed for livestock and / or poultry according to claim 7 or 8, containing not more than 100 mg of the compound.

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