Feed additive, feed, and method for fattening beef cattle using these

Abstract

To Provide a feed additive and a feedstuff which are highly effective in improving the meat quality grade of beef cattle, and a method of breeding beef cattle using the same.SOLUTION: A feed additive includes smoked charcoal that is carbonized by smoking rice plant material, mainly rice hulls. The smoked charcoal contains a component naturally present in smoke produced during the carbonization process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a feed additive for improving the meat quality grade of carnivores, a feed containing the feed additive, and a method for raising beef cattle using this feed.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in rice cultivation, about 20% by weight of rice husks are generated from the harvested rice. However, no effective use for rice husks has been developed. Usually, they are directly used as livestock feed or burned in the open air to make smoked charcoal and then returned to the soil after being smoked. However, when using rice husks directly as feed, it is difficult to absorb components such as minerals originally contained in the rice husks, and the nutritional value is not high. Also, when making smoked charcoal by burning rice husks in the open air, incomplete combustion occurs when it rains, and high-quality smoked charcoal cannot be produced. Moreover, open-air burning is dangerous when the wind blows and has come to be restricted due to the amendment of the waste treatment law.

[0003] Therefore, the applicant of this application, Kouran Sangyo Co., Ltd., has already developed a smoking burner (registered trademark) for safely and surely making smoked charcoal from rice husks without much effort (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a smoking burner fills rice husks into a substantially cylindrical smoking kiln, supplies air from the bottom side and exhausts from the top side, while smoking and carbonizing from the top layer to the lower layer of the rice husks, and extinguishes the fire when the carbonization reaches the bottom layer of the rice husks. Thus, high-quality smoked charcoal can be produced with a simple configuration without performing special temperature control. The smoked charcoal obtained here has been mainly used as a plant growth regulator and a soil conditioner.

[0004] In addition, charcoal made from plant materials, not limited to rice husk charcoal, is known to have an intestinal regulating effect and the efficacy of activating the stomach, and charcoal is used not only in livestock feed and its additives but also as animal pharmaceuticals (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Such animal pharmaceuticals are, for example, made from the bark of broad-leaved trees, carbonized by heat treatment under strict temperature control, then finely cut and mixed with separately collected wood vinegar liquid (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Documents

[0006]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Incidentally, for livestock farmers who use the above-mentioned smoked charcoal as livestock feed, additives, or veterinary drugs, promoting growth during the fattening period until the shipment of beef cattle, for example, is an important issue. Therefore, smoked charcoal has been used not only for beef cattle but also for edible animals (livestock) such as pigs and chickens for the purpose of promoting growth. However, at the ranch operated by the inventor of the present application, when smoked charcoal was mixed into the feed for beef cattle, there was an opportunity to come across an example where, apart from the well-known growth-promoting effect, the meat quality grade improved.

[0008] Therefore, the applicants of the present application conducted repeated research on new uses of smoked charcoal. In particular, when raising beef cattle by adding smoked charcoal produced by the above-mentioned smoking burner using mainly plant raw materials mainly composed of rice husks to the feed, it was found that the meat quality grade of beef cattle could be significantly improved. Here, for example, even if beef cattle are raised using the above-mentioned field-burned smoked charcoal or conventionally known veterinary drugs, the quality of the field-burned smoked charcoal is unstable in the first place, and the market price of veterinary drugs is high, resulting in high costs.

[0009] In addition, as a result of repeated trial and error in the actual raising of beef cattle using the smoked charcoal produced by the above-mentioned smoking burner (registered trademark), new issues have also arisen for this smoked charcoal to further enhance the new use of improving the meat quality grade. There has been a demand for improving the smoked charcoal itself to solve such problems and a breeding method that can maximize the improvement of the meat quality grade using this smoked charcoal.

[0010] The present invention has been made by paying attention to the problems of the above-mentioned conventional technologies. When using smoked charcoal as a feed additive for edible animals, it is possible to reduce the cost of smoked charcoal as a feed additive that exhibits excellent efficacy in improving the meat quality grade, improve the quality, and more reliably, efficiently, and easily improve the meat quality grade. The purpose is to provide a feed additive, feed, and a method for raising beef cattle using these.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] As a result of intensive studies in view of the above-described problems, the inventors of the present invention have found a new use for smoked charcoal and have completed the present invention. The gist of the present invention is as follows. That is, a feed additive for improving the meat quality grade of edible animals, characterized in that components contained in the smoke generated during the carbonization process are naturally contained in smoked charcoal obtained by smoking and carbonizing a plant raw material of the grass family mainly composed of rice husks.

Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the feed additive and feed according to the present invention and the beef cattle fattening method using these, it is possible to reduce the cost of smoked charcoal as a feed additive that exhibits excellent efficacy in improving the meat quality grade, and the quality can also be improved, and it is possible to more surely and efficiently improve the meat quality grade easily.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, based on the drawings, a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method of a feed additive for improving the meat quality grade of edible animals representing the present invention, as well as a feed additive and a feed, and a fattening method of beef cattle using these will be described in order. Here, the edible animals widely include mammals such as cows, water buffalo, deer, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, etc., birds such as chickens, quails, ducks, pheasants, ostriches, etc., fish such as tuna, sharks, etc., and amphibians such as edible frogs, etc. that are used for food, but hereinafter, beef cattle will be described as a representative. Note that the components, shapes, numerical values, etc. shown in the embodiments described below are all examples of the present invention and do not limit the present invention.

[0015] <Regarding the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10> Figures 1 to 6 show the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus for manufacturing a feed additive for improving the meat quality grade of edible animals from plant raw materials mainly composed of rice husks. Note that the relative dimensional relationships, shapes, etc. of the components shown in each figure may be appropriately changed in design and may differ from the actual ones.

[0016] The "plant raw material" in the present embodiment is mainly rice husks, but in addition to rice husks, as gramineous plants, for example, bamboo, reeds, etc. that have been dried and finely cut, or sawdust, fallen leaves, etc. may be mixed. Note that rice husks are the outermost skin part of paddy rice (brown rice), and it is known that most of the components of rice husks are hardly decomposable organic substances such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

[0017] Also, the "feed additive" in the present embodiment is, for example, a substance added for the purpose of improving the meat quality grade of cattle feed. Here, the "feed" is, for example, a substance used for the purpose of providing nutrition for cattle, and as long as it is a conventionally known feed, it does not matter whether it is classified by nutritional value as roughage, concentrated feed, or classified by the method of mixing as single feed, mixed feed, or formulated feed. Note that the feed additive in the present embodiment may be provided for farmed fish, as well as pets such as dogs and cats that are not for human consumption, and ornamental fish, in addition to the aforementioned edible animals.

[0018] <<Container body 11>> As shown in Fig. 1, the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 has a container body 11 with an interior for loading plant raw materials, which is partitioned into an air supply chamber 101 at the bottom and a carbonization chamber 102 above it where the plant raw materials are filled and smoked and carbonized sequentially from the uppermost layer to the lowermost layer where the plant raw materials are ignited. The feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 with such a container body 11 as the main part is substantially equivalent in basic configuration to an apparatus called a smoking burner (registered trademark, Kouran Sangyo Co., Ltd.), but the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 of the present invention is an apparatus based on a new finding of manufacturing a feed additive for improving the meat quality grade of edible animals. Note that smoking means burning while producing smoke without generating a flame, that is, it is synonymous with "smoke" in the general term method.

[0019] The container body 11 is generally in a vertical cylindrical shape and is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel or iron. Specifically, the container body 11 includes a body diameter portion 110 forming the main part thereof, a lower inverted frustum portion 111 of the body, a lower small diameter portion 112 of the body, an upper frustum portion 113 of the body, and an upper small diameter portion 114 of the body. As will be described later, the interior of the container body 11 is partitioned into an air supply chamber 101 at the bottom and a carbonization chamber 102 above it by a lostol 12 disposed substantially horizontally in the middle of the lower small diameter portion 112 of the body.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the body diameter portion 110 is formed as the diameter portion with the largest outer diameter in the container body 11. Below this body diameter portion 110, in other words, at the lower part of the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11, a lower inverted frustum portion 111 of the body is formed as a tapered portion whose peripheral wall gradually decreases in diameter downward. Further, below the lower inverted frustum portion 111 of the body, a lower small diameter portion 112 of the body extending with the same diameter as the lower end opening of the lower inverted frustum portion 111 of the body is formed.

[0021] The lower end opening of the lower small-diameter portion 112 of the main body is closed by a bottom cover 115 configured as a separate body. The bottom cover 115 is formed, for example, in a disk shape made of metal, with one end connected to the periphery of the lower end opening of the lower small-diameter portion 112 of the main body via a hinge, and is configured to be fixed in a sealed state by fixtures such as hooks provided at a plurality of locations including the other end (not shown). Note that a cylindrical portion 115a that fits into the lower half of the lower small-diameter portion 112 of the main body may be provided inside the bottom cover 115, and the loster 12 may be fixed to the upper end opening of this cylindrical portion. Here, the cylindrical portion 115a has a structure with excellent air permeability, for example, having a large number of holes so that the inside and outside thereof communicate as the air supply chamber 101.

[0022] Further, above the main body middle-diameter portion 110, in other words, above the carbonization chamber 102 of the container main body 11, a main body upper frustum portion 113 is formed whose peripheral wall gradually expands in diameter downward. Above the main body upper frustum portion 113, a main body upper small-diameter portion 114 extending with the same diameter as the upper end opening of the main body upper frustum portion 113 is formed. Here, the main body upper frustum portion 113 is shown in the same shape as the above-mentioned main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 but upside down, but the taper angles of the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 and the main body upper frustum portion 113, and the outer diameters of the main body lower small-diameter portion 112 and the main body upper small-diameter portion 114 may be configured to be different from each other.

[0023] The upper end opening of the main body upper small-diameter portion 114 is closed by a top cover 116 configured as a separate body. The top cover 116 is formed, for example, in a disk shape made of metal, and is configured to be fixed in a sealed state by fixtures such as hooks provided at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction while being placed on the periphery of the upper end opening of the main body upper small-diameter portion 114 (not shown). Note that the top cover 116 may be configured as an integral structure inseparable from the main body upper small-diameter portion 114 and the main body upper frustum portion 113, and the lower end opening of the main body upper frustum portion 113 may be connected to the upper end opening of the main body middle-diameter portion 110 so as to be openable and closable. Further, a chimney 30 described later is provided above the top cover 116.

[0024] The size of the container body 11 is a large capacity that can manufacture a large amount of feed additives at once. For example, dimensions of a height of 500 to 1000 L are suitable. In the present embodiment, among the interior of the container body 11, the carbonization chamber 102 filled with plant raw materials, in order from the bottom, corresponds to the upper half of the lower small-diameter part 112 of the main body above the roaster 12 described later, the lower inverted frustum part 111 of the main body, the body middle cylindrical part 110, and the upper frustum part 113 of the main body, and the sum of the volumes of these constitutes the substantial capacity of the container body 11. Therefore, the lower half of the lower small-diameter part 112 of the main body and the upper small-diameter part 114 of the main body are not included in the substantial capacity, but the plant raw materials may be appropriately filled up to the upper small-diameter part 114 of the main body.

[0025] As specific dimensions of each part of the container body 11, for example, when the substantial capacity is 1000 L, the diameter of the body middle cylindrical part 110, which is the maximum diameter of the entire container, is about 100 cm, the maximum diameter of the lower inverted frustum part 111 of the main body and the upper frustum part 113 of the main body is about 100 cm and the minimum diameter is about 60 cm, and the diameters of the lower small-diameter part 112 of the main body and the upper small-diameter part 114 of the main body are 60 cm. Also, the height of the body middle cylindrical part 110 is about 110 cm, and the heights of the lower inverted frustum part 111 of the main body and the upper frustum part 113 of the main body are about 20 cm. Also, the height of the lower small-diameter part 112 of the main body is about 20 cm, and the portion corresponding to about 10 cm of its upper half part becomes a part of the substantial capacity. Note that although the upper small-diameter part 114 of the main body is not included in the substantial capacity, it is preferably about 10 cm in height.

[0026] The total height of the parts that make up the substantial capacity of the container body 11 is, in order from the bottom, approximately 10 cm for the upper half of the lower small-diameter part 112 of the body, approximately 20 cm for the lower inverted frustum part 111 of the body, approximately 110 cm for the body middle cylindrical part 110, and approximately 20 cm for the upper frustum part 113 of the body, for a total of 160 cm. Here, the ratio of the total height of approximately 160 cm of the parts that make up the substantial capacity of the container body 11 to the diameter of approximately 100 cm of the body middle cylindrical part 110 that forms the main part of the substantial capacity of the container body 11 is 1.6:1. The inventors have confirmed that such a ratio of the height to the diameter of the container body 11 is preferable for continuous combustion regardless of the size of the entire container body 11. In this embodiment, the substantial capacity of the container body 11 is set to 1000 L in consideration of the fact that the amount of rice husks usually generated from one unit of a paddy field is 1000 L.

[0027] In the container body 11, a particularly important part is the lower inverted frustum part 111 of the body having a shape that squeezes the bottom side. The lower inverted frustum part 111 of the body is a part for gradually narrowing the cross-sectional area of the part where the plant raw material is being smoked and burned (smoking and burning layer) in the carbonization chamber 102 as it progresses downward. According to such a lower inverted frustum part 111 of the body, even in the lower layer part of the plant raw material where burning residues are particularly likely to occur, it is possible to surely perform smoking and burning over the entire area of the cross-sectional area. Thereby, the generation of uncarbonized parts in the lower layer part of the plant raw material can be prevented, and all the filled plant raw materials can be surely made into smoked charcoal.

[0028] The taper angle and length of the taper in the lower inverted frustum part 111 of the body are determined to be dimensions such that burning residues of the plant raw material do not occur while ensuring the largest possible capacity of the carbonization chamber 102. In the case of the container body 11 with a relatively large capacity (1000 L) as in this embodiment, based on the specific dimensions of each part described above, the taper angle θ1 in the lower inverted frustum part 111 of the body is approximately 45 degrees, and the length of the longitudinal section is approximately 28 cm. According to the lower inverted frustum part 111 of such dimensions, it has been confirmed by the experiments of the inventors that all the plant raw materials equivalent to 1000 L can be surely made into smoked charcoal up to the lowermost layer.

[0029] If the bottom side of the container body 11 has a cylindrical shape with a horizontal bottom surface similar to that of a conventional smoking burner, as the overall capacity of the container body 11 increases, there is a risk that the progress of smoking and burning to the lowermost layer of the plant raw material will become unstable. Note that the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111, which is a tapered portion, may be configured to be provided not only at the bottom side of the carbonization chamber 102 but also in the middle or upper part of the carbonization chamber 102. This will be described as a modification example of the present embodiment later. Also, the shape of the main body upper frustum portion 113 of the container body 11 is also characteristic, and this will also be described later.

[0030] Such a container body 11 is installed on an installation surface, which is the ground or the floor surface, in a state where its central axis extends in a substantially vertical direction, for example, via a support mechanism 13. The support mechanism 13 can support the container body 11 above the installation surface by hooking a pair of support shafts protruding from both sides of the outer peripheral surface of the container body 11. During the filling operation of the plant raw material or the operation of taking out the smoked charcoal, the support mechanism 13 supports the container body 11 so as to be swingable about the pair of support shafts as a swing center, and during the smoking and burning, the support mechanism 13 supports the container body 11 so that the swing is suppressed.

[0031] In the container body 11, the smoked charcoal, which is a feed additive, can be taken out by opening the bottom cover 115 from the lower end opening of the main body lower small-diameter portion 112. If the container body 11 is supported above the installation surface by the support mechanism 13 as described above, the operation of taking out the smoked charcoal can be easily performed. Note that the container body 11 may be directly placed on the installation surface without providing the support mechanism 13. However, in this case, since the bottom cover 115, which is the grounding surface of the container body 11, has a small diameter and a small area and lacks stability, it is preferable to provide a structure for supporting the container body 11 from the surroundings to prevent it from tipping over. Also, when taking out the smoked charcoal from the lower end opening of the main body lower small-diameter portion 112, the container body 11 will be laid on its side.

[0032] <<Rotol 12>> The space inside the container body 11 is partitioned by the lothar 12 into an air supply chamber 101 on the bottom side and a carbonization chamber 102 that occupies the main part as a whole above it. The lothar 12 is a heat-resistant plate material with excellent air permeability, such as a combination of metal wire rods in a lattice pattern or punching metal with a large number of holes in a metal plate. The lothar 12 is arranged on the bottom side inside the container body 11. In this embodiment, it is arranged substantially horizontally at an intermediate position in the height direction in the middle of the lower small-diameter part 112 of the main body. Here, the position of the lothar 12 only needs to be in the middle or below the lower side of the lower inverted frustum part 111 (taper part) of the main body. For example, it may also be arranged at the boundary between the lower inverted frustum part 111 and the lower small-diameter part 112 of the main body.

[0033] The lothar 12 is arranged substantially horizontally and removably fixed on the bottom side inside the container body 11. In this embodiment, as described above, for example, a cylindrical part 115a that fits into the lower half of the lower small-diameter part 112 of the main body is provided inside the bottom lid 115, and the lothar 12 is removably fixed to the upper end opening of this cylindrical part. Alternatively, for example, when the upper side of the container body 11 is configured to be openable and closable from the lower end opening of the upper conical part 113 of the main body to the upper end opening of the body diameter part 110 of the main body, the lothar 12 may be placed inside in a substantially horizontal manner with the upper end opening of the body diameter part 110 open. In this case, stoppers such as a plurality of fixing bases arranged in the circumferential direction are provided on the inner peripheral surface at the position where the lothar 12 is arranged.

[0034] The air supply chamber 101 below the lothar 12 is a space for supplying the air (oxygen) necessary for smoking and burning the plant raw material in the carbonization chamber 102. An air vent 20 communicating with the air supply chamber 101 from the outside is opened at one end side of the peripheral wall of the air supply chamber 101. On the other hand, the carbonization chamber 102 above the lothar 12 is a space filled with plant raw material, and smoking and carbonization sequentially proceed from the uppermost layer where the plant raw material is ignited to the lowermost layer. In this embodiment, the carbonization chamber 102 occupies most of the volume inside the container body 11. However, even with such a volume ratio, it has been confirmed by the inventors' experiments that sufficient air is supplied from the air supply chamber 101 to the carbonization chamber 102 and carbonization proceeds optimally.

[0035] <<Vent 20>> On the peripheral wall of the container body 11 on the supply air chamber 101 side, a vent 20 is provided that can naturally take in external air into the interior. The vent 20 serves to naturally supply air into the carbonization chamber 102 via the supply air chamber 101 and the throttle 12. Here, the vent 20 is arranged at a position communicating with the supply air chamber 101 of the container body 11, but it is not necessarily directly below the throttle 12. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer contour of the hood portion 21 described below straddles the throttle 12 vertically, but at the location where the base end opening of the hood portion 21 communicates with the peripheral wall on the supply air chamber 101 side, the upper side of the throttle 12 is blocked and the lower side of the throttle 12 is open.

[0036] Specifically, at the location where the vent 20 is provided, a hood portion 21 that protrudes outward from the peripheral wall of the lower small-diameter portion 112 of the main body is provided, and the vent 20 is provided at the tip side of this hood portion 21. The hood portion 21 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular tube shape, and the vent 20 is also opened in a substantially square shape, but the specific shapes of the vent 20 and the hood portion 21 are design matters that can be determined as appropriate. Also, the specific arrangement of the vent 20 (hood portion 21) may be at least a position communicating with the supply air chamber 101 side.

[0037] Furthermore, the specific opening area of the vent 20 is also a design matter that can be determined as appropriate in light of the carbonization efficiency by smoking and roasting. The dimensions of the vent 20 in the present embodiment are set, for example, to 7 cm in the vertical direction (height) and 15 cm in the horizontal direction (width) according to the capacity (1000 L) of the container body 11 described above. Such specific dimensions of the vent 20 are determined based on the results of the inventors' experimental data so that the maximum temperature when smoking and roasting the plant raw material is 500°C or less.

[0038] <<Shutter 22>> As shown in Fig. 2, the ventilation port 20 is opened and closed by a shutter 22. The shutter 22 is configured to be openable and closable between an open state in which air can be taken in from the ventilation port 20 and a closed state in which the intake of air from the ventilation port 20 is stopped. The shutter 22 is in the shape of a plate large enough to close the ventilation port 20 and is formed of a metal plate such as stainless steel or iron, for example. The shutter 22 is provided at the tip of the hood portion 21 and is rotatably attached, for example, to the upper end side of the hood portion 21 by a horizontal rotation axis at its upper edge.

[0039] When the shutter 22 is in an open state where it is separated forward from the left and right end sides and the lower end side of the hood portion 21, the ventilation port 20 opens, and air is naturally supplied to the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11. On the other hand, when the shutter 22 is in a closed state where it abuts against the left and right end sides and the lower end side at the tip of the hood portion 21, the ventilation port 20 is blocked, and air is not naturally supplied to the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11. Such a shutter 22 is configured to be statically supported in the open state by an opening and closing mechanism 23. As shown in Fig. 4, a handle 27 is provided on the outer surface side of the shutter 22, and a base 28 against which the tip of a latching bar 24 described later abuts is provided on the inner surface side.

[0040] <<Opening and Closing Mechanism 23>> As shown in Fig. 4, the shutter 22 is maintained in the open state by the opening and closing mechanism 23 until the smoking carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowermost layer in the carbonization chamber 102. When the smoking carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowermost layer, it becomes closed due to the carbonization heat at that part. The opening and closing mechanism 23 includes a latching bar 24 and a combustible bar 25 as "supporting parts" that support the shutter 22 from the inside of the container body 11, and a guide rail 26 on which these are placed on the upper surface of the roaster 12. The guide rail 26 has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape with an open upper surface side and is formed of a metal material. The guide rail 26 is placed on the upper surface of the roaster 12 in a state extending in the radial direction thereof. The front end communicates with the inside of the hood portion 21 through a small window-shaped opening in the peripheral wall of the main body lower small diameter portion 112 and faces the ventilation port 20, while the rear end toward the center of the roaster 12 is closed in a vertical wall shape.

[0041] The hanging rod 24 and the combustible rod 25 can be connected so as to be linearly continuous with each other, inserted inside the guide rail 26, and positioned on the roasting cylinder 12. The hanging rod 24 is made of a non-combustible metal material having sufficient strength as a supporting rod. The proximal end of the hanging rod 24 is coaxially connected to the distal end of the combustible rod 25, and the distal end of the hanging rod 24 protrudes outside the vent 20 and abuts against a pedestal 28 provided on the inner surface side of the shutter 22. Thereby, the shutter 22 is held in an open state lifted outside the vent 20 via the hanging rod 24 and the combustible rod 25.

[0042] The combustible rod 25 also has sufficient strength as a supporting rod, but is made of a combustible material that burns out (including bending or burning and breaking) by the heat of smoking and carbonization, such as split chopsticks or bamboo skewers. The proximal end of the combustible rod 25 abuts against the vertical wall at the end of the guide rail 26. In such a state, the shutter 22 is held in an open state by the hanging rod 24 connected to the distal end of the combustible rod 25 as described above. The length of the combustible rod 25, in combination with the hanging rod 24, is sufficient to allow air to flow in while keeping a sufficient distance from the vent 20 when the shutter 22 is supported through the guide rail 26 or the hood portion 21.

[0043] When the smoking and carbonization in the carbonization chamber 102 reaches the lowermost layer of the plant raw material and the combustible rod 25 burns out (including bending or burning and breaking) due to the carbonization heat, the hanging of the shutter 22 is released and it becomes a closed state closing the vent 20. That is, according to the opening and closing mechanism 23 of the shutter 22, after a proper amount of air is naturally supplied to the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11 for smoking and carbonizing the plant raw material in the carbonization chamber 102, when the smoking and carbonization reaches the lowermost layer of the plant raw material, the natural air supply is automatically stopped to extinguish the smoked charcoal. Further, in order to ensure the closing operation of the shutter 22 accompanying the burning out of the combustible rod 25 and the sealing of the vent 20, it is preferable to bias the shutter 22 in the direction of closing the vent 20 by a biasing means such as a coil spring (not shown).

[0044] In addition, as another configuration of the shutter 22, for example, it may be configured to be slidable in the vertical direction and openable / closable outside the ventilation opening directly formed in the peripheral wall of the container body 11. In this case, the shutter is formed in a curved plate shape with substantially the same curvature as the peripheral wall of the container body 11, and guides are provided on both sides of the ventilation opening so that both side edges of the shutter can be slidably fitted. Further, the above-described latching rod 24, the combustible rod 25, and the guide rail 26 may have the same configuration, and the tip of the latching rod 24 protrudes from the ventilation opening 20 to support the lower edge of the shutter by placing it on top. Such a shutter may increase the sliding resistance during opening and closing as it becomes larger along with the opening as the capacity of the container body 11 increases.

[0045] <<Chimney 30>> As shown in FIG. 1, a chimney 30 for naturally exhausting the smoke generated in the carbonization chamber 102 is provided on the canopy 116 of the container body 11. The canopy 116 is provided with a chimney attachment portion 117 that protrudes in a substantially cylindrical shape for attaching the chimney 30. The chimney 30 is generally a cylindrical tube body extending in the longitudinal direction, and is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel or iron, for example. In addition to the role of naturally exhausting the smoke generated in the carbonization chamber 102 by the air suction force, which is its original function, the chimney 30 also serves to cool the smoke passing through it with high efficiency to generate condensation of the smoke liquid (rice vinegar liquid).

[0046] As shown in FIG. 5, the chimney 30 includes a substantially L-shaped elbow 31 connected to the chimney attachment portion 117, a substantially T-shaped cheese 32 connected to the tip side of the elbow 31, a long tube portion 33 connected to one end side of both ends of the cheese 32, and a substantially T-shaped top 34 connected to the tip side of the long tube portion 33. The elbow 31 is formed in a substantially L-shaped cylindrical shape. One end side of the elbow 31 is removably connected in a state of being fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the chimney attachment portion 117 at a position offset from the center of the canopy 116. Since the canopy 116 is open inside the chimney attachment portion 117, the chimney 30 communicates with the inside of the container body 11.

[0047] The cheese 32 is formed in a substantially T-shaped cylindrical shape. The proximal end side of the cheese 32 is removably connected in a state of covering the outer peripheral surface of the other end side of the elbow 31. One of the two ends on the distal end side of the cheese 32 is arranged upward, and the proximal end side of the long cylindrical part 33 is removably connected in a state of fitting into the inner peripheral surface of this one end side. The other end of the two ends on the distal end side of the cheese 32 is arranged downward, and this other end is usually closed, but it may be configured to be openable and closable, or to have a dropping hole opened so that the smoking liquid (rice vinegar liquid) can be taken out. In this case, it is advisable to attach a container such as a can for collecting the dropped smoking liquid (rice vinegar liquid) below the other end side of the cheese 32.

[0048] The long cylindrical part 33 forms the main part of the chimney 30 and is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction. The proximal end side of the long cylindrical part 33 is connected to one end side of both ends of the cheese 32 as described above. Here, the cheese 32 is rotatable with respect to the other end side of the elbow 31 to which its proximal end side is connected. Therefore, if the long cylindrical part 33 is rotated together with the cheese 32 around the other end side of the elbow 31, the long cylindrical part 33 can be freely inclined at an arbitrary angle. That is, the inclination angle of the long cylindrical part 33, in other words, the height of the tip (top 34) of the chimney 30 from the installation surface, is configured to be continuously adjustable.

[0049] The top 34 prevents the wind from blowing into the chimney 30. In addition to the function of enhancing the sustainability and stability of the air suction force described above, it also serves to cool the inner wall of the chimney 30. The top 34 is formed in a substantially T-shaped cylindrical shape. The proximal end side of the top 34 is removably connected in a state of fitting into the inner peripheral surface of the distal end side of the long cylindrical part 33. Also, the long cylindrical part 33 is not necessarily a single one, and units of a predetermined length may be connected to each other in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, for example, a state where two long cylindrical parts 33 are connected is shown.

[0050] When connecting a plurality of cylindrical portions 33, the proximal end side of the upper cylindrical portion 33 is fitted into the inner circumference of the distal end side of the lower cylindrical portion 33. In this way, the end openings of the respective parts of the chimney 30 are connected in a state of overlapping so that the lower one surrounds the upper one from the outside. Therefore, there is no risk of leakage of smoked liquid (rice vinegar liquid) or the like to the outside from the gaps at the connection points of the respective parts.

[0051] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical portion 33 of the chimney 30 is supported on an installation surface (for example, a horizontal surface such as the ground) via a support column 35 and maintained at a predetermined inclination angle. Here, the support column 35 is an upright columnar member, for example, that is erected between a middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion 33 and the installation surface of the container body 11 to support the cylindrical portion 33. The support column 35 can hold the cylindrical portion 33 at a desired inclination angle (height) depending on the position where it supports in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion 33, but it may be configured to be telescopically adjustable.

[0052] The specific dimensions of the chimney 30 are design matters that can be appropriately determined within a range in which the original functions of the chimney 30 described above can be exhibited. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 33 that forms the main part of the chimney 30 is set to have an outer diameter of 12 cm and a length of 90 cm. Therefore, each time one more cylindrical portion 33 is added, the overall length of the chimney 30 increases by approximately 90 cm. Also, the inclination angle of the chimney 30 (cylindrical portion 33) may be appropriately set each time within the range of 20 to 40 degrees from the horizontal plane.

[0053] <Regarding the method for manufacturing a feed additive> Next, a method for manufacturing a feed additive using the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the method for manufacturing a feed additive according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, rice husks are used as the plant raw material. The rice husks are dried sufficiently in advance. The moisture content of the entire rice husks is desirably, for example, 10 to 35% by weight, and the optimum value is 15 to 25% by weight. Thus, setting the moisture content of the entire plant raw material to 10 to 35% by weight is because if it is less than 10% by weight, the recovery amount of the smoking liquid (rice vinegar liquid) may decrease, and if it exceeds 35% by weight, there is a risk that the smoking and burning will be extinguished and interrupted due to the contained moisture.

[0054] Note that the plant raw material is not limited to rice husks, and for example, it is also possible to use a mixture (for example, less than 10% by dry weight) of other gramineous plants such as rice straw, bamboo, and reed appropriately. When mixing the stalk parts of these plants such as rice straw with rice husks for use, in order to ensure the air circulation during smoking and burning, it is desirable to cut the stalk parts of the plants to, for example, 3 cm or less in advance. Also, in order to adjust the moisture content of the plant raw material, it is also possible to mix sawdust and fallen leaves into the plant raw material.

[0055] FIG. 5 is a flowchart schematically showing a method for manufacturing a feed additive. First, the operator sets the above-described feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 to a predetermined state (S101). First, the container body 11 is installed on the installation surface via the support mechanism 13 in a horizontal state where the central axis extends in a substantially vertical direction. At this time, a space for filling the plant raw material and a space for tilting and supporting the chimney 30 are also secured. Inside the container body 11 in such a state, a baffle 12 that partitions the bottom air supply chamber 101 and the upper carbonization chamber 102 is fixed.

[0056] When the baffle 12 is fixed to the upper end opening of the cylindrical portion 115a provided inside the bottom cover 115, if the bottom cover 115 is closed in such a fixed state, it is arranged substantially horizontally at an intermediate position in the height direction in the middle of the main body lower small diameter portion 112 as it is. Alternatively, when the main body upper frustum portion 113 is connected to the upper end opening of the main body middle diameter portion 110 so as to be openable and closable, the baffle 12 placed inside the container body 11 with the main body upper frustum portion 113 opened may be arranged substantially horizontally at the intermediate position of the above-described main body lower small diameter portion 112.

[0057] Next, the shutter 22 and its opening / closing mechanism 23 are set. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the tip of the combustible rod 25 is connected to the base end of the latching rod 24, and this is inserted into the guide rail 26. At this time, the base end of the combustible rod 25 is in contact with the vertical wall at the rear end of the guide rail 26, and the tip of the latching rod 24 protrudes forward from the front end opening of the guide rail 26. In such a state, the guide rail 26 is inserted into the hood portion 21 through the vent 20 with the shutter 22 in the open state, and is inserted all the way to the depth from the small window-shaped opening in the peripheral wall of the lower small-diameter portion 112 of the main body directly above the roaster 12, and is placed horizontally on the roaster 12.

[0058] Subsequently, the shutter 22 is lowered, and the tip of the latching rod 24 is brought into contact with the pedestal 28 on the inner surface side of the shutter 22. Thereby, the shutter 22 is held in an open state lifted outside the vent 20 via the combustible rod 25 and the latching rod 24. Here, the upper edge of the shutter 22 is suspended rotatably, and the lower edge of the shutter 22 is always biased in a direction to close the vent 20 by its own weight (and biasing means). Therefore, if the combustible rod 25 burns out as described later, the latching rod will come off, and the shutter 22 will immediately shield the vent 20.

[0059] Next, the operator fills the carbonization chamber 102 of the container main body 11 with the plant raw material (S102). That is, the canopy 116 is removed from the upper frustum portion 113 of the main body, and the carbonization chamber 102 partitioned by the roaster 12 as the bottom surface is filled with rice husks, which are the plant raw material, from the upper end opening of the upper small-diameter portion 114 of the main body. At this time, the operator can easily perform the filling operation of the plant raw material by inclining the container main body 11 that is hollow-supported by the support mechanism 13 as necessary. After filling an appropriate amount of the plant raw material into the carbonization chamber 102, the top layer (upper surface) is leveled.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 3, the position of the lowermost layer (bottom surface) of the plant raw material M is at the position on the roaster 12. On the other hand, the position of the uppermost layer (upper surface) of the plant raw material M may reach the main body cylindrical portion 110 depending on its filling amount, or may reach up to the main body upper frustum portion 113 beyond the main body cylindrical portion 110 (see FIG. 3). By providing the main body upper frustum portion 113 in the upper portion of the container main body 11, a closed space can be secured in the carbonization chamber 102 between the canopy 116 and the uppermost layer of the plant raw material, where the peripheral wall gradually expands in diameter downward.

[0061] Therefore, if the plant raw material is filled until it reaches the middle of the main body upper frustum portion 113 beyond the main body cylindrical portion 110, the surface area of the uppermost layer of the ignited plant raw material can be narrowed. In this embodiment, since the substantial capacity of the container main body 11 is as large as 1000 L, it is preferable to fill the plant raw material M so that the position of the uppermost layer (upper surface) reaches the upper end of the main body upper frustum portion 113 (the boundary with the lower end of the main body upper small diameter portion 114).

[0062] Subsequently, the operator sprays a combustion aid such as kerosene or rice husks impregnated with kerosene on the uppermost layer surface of the plant raw material filled in the carbonization chamber 102 of the container main body 11 as necessary, and ignites the uppermost layer surface of the plant raw material by introducing a kindling fire (S103). When spraying the combustion aid on the uppermost layer surface of the plant raw material here, it is sprayed evenly without unevenness over the entire surface. When visually confirming that the flame has spread over the entire area of the uppermost layer surface of the plant raw material, the removed canopy 116 is placed on the upper end opening of the main body upper frustum portion 113 to close it.

[0063] In a conventional smoking burner in which the upper part of the container main body 11 is also substantially cylindrical, due to the incomplete ignition of the plant raw material, at the end of the smoking and carbonization described later, the plant raw material may remain uncarbonized at the upper peripheral end portion of the carbonization chamber 102. In order to make the plant raw material into smoked charcoal without residue, it is necessary to ensure combustion in the entire range of the uppermost layer surface of the plant raw material filled in the carbonization chamber 102, so that the smoking and carbonization can be continuously carried out layer by layer without residue in all the filled plant raw materials.

[0064] In this embodiment, a main upper frustum portion 113 is provided between the main body cylindrical portion 110 of the container main body 11 and the lid 116. If the plant raw material is filled up to the upper end of the main upper frustum portion 113 beyond the main body cylindrical portion 110, the surface area of the uppermost layer of the ignitable plant raw material can be narrowed. Therefore, the range in which combustion has to be spread by the kindling fire also becomes narrow, so that it is possible to easily burn the entire area of the uppermost layer of the plant raw material. As a result, in the start or initial stage of smoldering combustion described later, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of unburned portions or portions that will be extinguished even if they burn, and all the filled plant raw materials can be surely made into smoked charcoal.

[0065] Here, if the taper angle θ2 (see FIG. 3) of the main upper frustum portion 113 is too acute, there is a possibility that an uncarbonized portion may occur near the boundary between the main upper frustum portion 113 and the main body cylindrical portion 110. Conversely, if the taper angle θ2 of the main upper frustum portion 113 is too large, in order to narrow the surface area of the top surface of the plant raw material, it is necessary to increase the height dimension of the main upper frustum portion 113. Therefore, within a limited range of the overall height of the apparatus, the filling capacity of the plant raw material will decrease. For this reason, it is desirable to set the taper angle θ2 of the main upper frustum portion 113 within the range of 40 to 50 degrees.

[0066] After the plant raw material is ignited, the operator closes the lid 116 and then sets the chimney 30 (S104). That is, as shown in FIG. 5, an elbow 31 is connected to the chimney attachment portion 117 on the lid 116, and a cheese 32 is connected to the elbow 31. Then, a long tube portion 33 is connected to one end side of both ends of the cheese 32. Here, the number of the long tube portions 33 can be appropriately selected. In the example shown in FIG. 1, two are joined together, but in practice, it has been confirmed by experiments that it is good to join three together and set the total length to about 270 cm. Further, by rotating the lowermost long tube portion 33 together with the cheese 32 around the other end side of the elbow 31, the inclination angle of the entire chimney 30 can be adjusted, and it is supported on the installation surface by a support column 35 in a state of being inclined at a desired inclination angle.

[0067] In such a chimney 30 set, it is preferable to set the inclination angle of the chimney 30 (the long cylindrical part 33) so that the maximum temperature in the smoldering process described later is 500°C or less. For this purpose, an inclination angle of 30 degrees from the horizontal plane is suitable for the chimney 30. By setting the carbonization temperature to 500°C or less, in the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11 with the aforementioned capacity (1000L), it has been confirmed by numerous experiments of the inventors that the smoking and burning of the plant raw materials can proceed most efficiently.

[0068] Also, the maximum temperature in the smoldering process in the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11 is also affected by the opening area of the ventilation port 20. The opening area of this ventilation port 20 is designed to be an optimal size in advance as described above. As another configuration of the shutter 22, as described above, it may be a slide type that can adjust the opening area of the ventilation directly opened on the peripheral wall of the container body 11. Alternatively, separately from the shutter 22 that opens and closes the ventilation port 20, a slide plate or the like that can adjust the area of the ventilation port 20 itself may be provided in the hood portion 21. In addition, the area where the base end of the hood portion 21 opens on the peripheral wall of the container body 11 may be configured to be adjustable, and separately from the opening and closing of the shutter 22, the opening area inside the hood portion 21 may be configured to be adjustable as appropriate.

[0069] Note that there is also a method of completing the installation of the chimney 30 before the ignition of the aforementioned plant raw materials. That is, at the time of ignition of the plant raw materials, one end side of the canopy 116 is lifted upward and shifted so as to create a substantially annular gap with the upper end opening of the upper small-diameter part 114 of the main body, and a kindling fire may be introduced through this gap to ignite the uppermost layer surface of the plant raw materials. In such a case, in order to maintain the gap between the shifted canopy 116 and the upper end opening of the upper small-diameter part 114 of the main body, it is advisable to prepare an auxiliary jig to sandwich this gap. After ignition, by pulling out the sandwiched jig, the canopy 116 can be closed. Here, the width of the gap does not affect the set state of the chimney 30 and should be such that it returns to its original state when the canopy 116 is closed.

[0070] Subsequent combustion of the uppermost layer of the plant material continues for some time after closing the lid 116 of the container body 11, consuming the oxygen in the air within the main body frustum portion 113 between the uppermost layer of the plant material and the lid 116. Then, when the oxygen in the air is consumed, the combustion ends and the smoking and roasting process of the plant material, which is the smoking process, begins (S105).

[0071] When the smoking and roasting of the plant material starts, the smoked and roasted portion (smoking layer) of the plant material progresses sequentially from the uppermost layer to the lowermost layer of the plant material in response to the air supply from the bottom side. An appropriate amount of air containing oxygen is naturally sent into the air supply chamber 101 from the ventilation port 20, passes through the throttle 12, passes through the space between the lower-layer plant material that has not yet been smoked and roasted, and is supplied to and consumed in the smoking layer. Then, due to the interaction between the heat of the smoking layer and the air supplied from the bottom side, the smoking and carbonization of the plant material layer immediately below the smoking layer starts, and by repeating this cycle, the smoking layer of the plant material moves sequentially to the lowermost layer.

[0072] The smoke generated in the smoking layer of the plant material rises between the layers that have already become smoked charcoal (charcoal layer during carbonization) above this position and is induced into the chimney 30 and naturally exhausted from the chimney 30. In the smoking and carbonization of the plant material, the charcoal layer is prevented from being ashed by the protective action of the smoke from the smoking layer of the lower-layer plant material, so it remains as smoked charcoal. In this way, the smoking layer of the plant material continues to move from the uppermost layer to the lowermost layer. Then, the smoking layer of the plant material reaches the lowermost layer on the throttle 12 without interruption.

[0073] Particularly in this embodiment, in the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11, the position of the lowermost layer of the plant raw material is at the position on the roaster 12, but a main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 with a peripheral wall gradually reducing in diameter downward is provided at the lower part of the carbonization chamber 102 located above it. According to such a main body lower inverted frustum portion 111, even in the lower layer portion of the plant raw material where burning residues are likely to occur, it is possible to surely smoke and roast over the entire cross-sectional area. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of uncarbonized portions in the lower layer portion of the plant raw material and carbonize all the filled plant raw materials more surely than a conventional smoking burner.

[0074] Here, if the taper angle θ1 (see Fig. 3) of the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 is too acute, there is a risk of generating an uncarbonized portion near the boundary between the main body cylindrical portion 110 and the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111. Conversely, if the taper angle θ1 of the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 is too large, the bottom side of the container body also becomes a shape close to a straight barrel like a conventional smoking burner, and as the capacity of the entire container body 11 increases, the progress of smoking and roasting up to the lowermost layer of the plant raw material becomes unstable. For this reason, it is desirable to set the taper angle θ1 of the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 within the range of 40 to 50 degrees. In this embodiment, according to the capacity (1000L) of the container body 11, the taper angle θ1 of the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 is set to about 45 degrees.

[0075] The components volatilized from the plant raw material by being heated by smoking (including tar components etc. together with the smoked liquid components) rise after being mixed into the smoke during carbonization. The components contained in this smoke are naturally contained in the smoked charcoal during the process of passing through the smoked charcoal. The remaining smoke that reaches the upper end of the carbonization chamber 102 is guided into the chimney 30, cooled and condensed in the long cylindrical portion 33 of the chimney 30, and dropped and collected as necessary. In addition, tar components etc. are removed and separated from the collected smoked liquid (rice vinegar liquid) as necessary. Particularly in carbonization at 500°C or lower, it is considered that the effect of volatilizing and removing tar components is high.

[0076] In such a smoldering process, the smoke liquid components and tar components are volatilized and removed appropriately, and charcoal with a rich residual silicic acid component remaining in an amorphous structure is obtained. The feed additive, which is the charcoal obtained according to this embodiment, is not alkaline but slightly acidic to slightly neutral, and has little variation in pH value (high reproducibility stability). Such a feed additive has high value and can be used for various purposes, including improving the meat quality grade in addition to being used as feed for beef cattle, which are edible animals.

[0077] When the lowermost layer of the plant raw material is smoked and carbonized, the smoldering process ends. However, when the smoking and carbonization reaches the lowermost layer of the plant raw material, due to the heat of carbonization at that part, the shutter 22 becomes closed, the introduction of air from the air vent 20 stops, and the process shifts to a fire extinguishing process (S106). That is, when the combustible rod 25 burns out (including deflection or burning and breaking) due to the heat of carbonization in the lowermost layer of the plant raw material, the latching of the shutter 22 is released, and the shutter 22 becomes in a closed state that closes the air vent 20 by its own weight (and biasing means).

[0078] As a result, air is no longer naturally supplied to the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11. Therefore, the charcoal in the carbonization chamber 102 can be automatically extinguished. With the capacity of the container body 11 of this embodiment, the process from ignition to the end of the fire extinguishing process is completed in approximately several days. When extinguishing the charcoal, in addition to the air vent 20 being blocked by the shutter 22, it is desirable for the operator to remove the chimney 30 from the chimney mounting portion 117 of the canopy 116 and also close this chimney mounting portion 117. By closing both the air vent 20 and the chimney mounting portion 117, the time required for fire extinguishing can be shortened.

[0079] In the smoking and burning process of this embodiment, by setting the inclination angle (exhaust condition) of the chimney 30 and the opening area (air supply condition) of the ventilation port 20 described above, a low-temperature smoking and burning environment with the maximum temperature in the carbonization chamber 102 maintained at 500°C or lower can be achieved. That is, regarding air supply, natural air supply of an appropriate amount of air is performed without excessive air supply that would cause high-temperature carbonization, and the smoking and burning of the plant raw materials continues slowly and thoroughly. Also, regarding exhaust, natural exhaust of an appropriate amount of air is performed without excessive high-speed exhaust that would cause high-temperature carbonization, and the smoking and burning of the plant raw materials continues slowly and thoroughly.

[0080] As a result, in the smoking and burning process, the layer of plant raw materials being smoked and burned simultaneously can be made thinner, an increase in the heat generation amount per unit time of the entire smoking and burning layer can be suppressed, and a circulation of air supply and exhaust can be realized without the smoking and burning stopping halfway. Therefore, the smoking and burning temperature during smoking carbonization can be kept lower and more stable than before and can be continuously maintained. Also, in the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, approximately 60% to 80% of the volume of the smoked charcoal (feed additive) of the plant raw materials filled in the carbonization chamber 102 can be obtained.

[0081] After the completion of the fire extinguishing process, for example, it is left as it is for several days to completely extinguish naturally, then the chimney 33 and the canopy 116 are removed, the shutter 22 of the ventilation port 20 is opened, and the hanging rod 24, the remaining combustible rod 25, and the guide rail 26 are removed. Then, the bottom cover 115 is removed, and the smoked charcoal (feed additive) is taken out from the bottom side of the container body 11 (S107). During the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw materials, the container body 11 is stationary and does not cause the plant raw materials to flow, so the smoked charcoal (feed additive) mainly composed of rice husks remains in a state where the appearance of the rice husks is almost intact.

[0082] The smoked charcoal (feed additive) taken out from the container body 11 is packed in a packaging bag for storing or transporting goods such as powders and granular materials, which is called a transback or a flexi-con bag (flexible container bag) for example, and stored at room temperature, and will be used as a feed additive as described later. The packaging bag preferably has a structure that can seal its inlet and is made of a material with excellent moisture-proof and powder leakage prevention effects.

[0083] <Modification Example of Feed Additive Manufacturing Apparatus 10> FIG. 6 shows various modification examples of the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the container body 11 of the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a tapered portion (main body lower inverted frustum portion 111) in which the peripheral wall at the lower part of the carbonization chamber 102 gradually decreases in diameter downward. Various types can be considered as the specific shape of this tapered portion. That is, in the container body 11 shown in FIG. 1, the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 and the main body upper frustum portion 113 at the lower and upper parts thereof are formed in the same shape with the upper and lower reversed, but the taper angles and heights of the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 and the main body upper frustum portion 113 may be configured to be different from each other.

[0084] In the container body 11A shown in FIG. 6(a), the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 has a larger taper angle than the main body upper frustum portion 113, and thus the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111a has a larger height (length of the longitudinal section) than the main body upper frustum portion 113. In the container body 11B shown in FIG. 6(b), there is no main body cylindrical portion 110 below the main body upper frustum portion 113, and the peripheral wall immediately becomes the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111b that gradually decreases in diameter downward.

[0085] In the container body 11C shown in FIG. 6(c), there is no main body upper frustum portion 113, the upper end of the container body 11C forms a substantially horizontal top surface, and the peripheral wall immediately below this upper end gradually decreases in diameter downward to form the main body lower inverted frustum portion 111c. That is, in the container body 11C, the tapered portion is formed not only from the lower part but also from the upper part of the carbonization chamber 102. In the container body 11D shown in FIG. 6(d), there is no main body upper frustum portion 113, the upper end of the container body 11D forms a substantially horizontal top surface, below which the main body standard body portion 110 continues, and a main body lower inverted frustum portion 111 is formed below the main body standard body portion 110.

[0086] The specific shapes of such container bodies 11A to 11D are matters of choice that can be appropriately determined according to the substantial capacity, etc. No matter what the shape of any of the tapered portions is, it is designed from the viewpoint of preventing the generation of uncarbonized portions in the lower layer portion of the plant raw material in the carbonization chamber 102. Also, the position of the roaster 12 in each of the container bodies 11A to 11D may be in the middle to the lower side of each tapered portion. In addition, no matter what the shape or size of each of the container bodies 11, 11A to 11D is, it is preferable for continuous combustion that the ratio of the height to the diameter (inner diameter) of the portion forming its substantial capacity is not extremely far apart, for example, 1 to 2:1.

[0087] <Details of smoked charcoal (feed additive)> Next, the smoked charcoal (feed additive) produced by the method for producing a feed additive using the feed additive production apparatus 10 described above will be described. It has been conventionally known that the structure of the smoked charcoal (feed additive) itself is a porous structure with good air permeability and contains a high concentration of amorphous silicic acid with excellent solubility. The fact that the smoked charcoal (feed additive) contains a large amount of silicic acid is due to the hard shell of the rice husk being mainly composed of silicon, and it contains little nitrogen component and potassium component, and also contains mineral components such as trace elements of copper, manganese, iron, potassium, etc.

[0088] In the smoked charcoal (feed additive), through the above-described smoking process, the tar component is moderately volatilized and removed, the silicic acid component remains abundantly in a soluble state without crystallizing at high temperature and forms an amorphous structure, and the mineral components are also in a state where they are easily eluted. Furthermore, the smoked charcoal (feed additive) naturally contains the components contained in the smoke generated in the above-described smoking process. Here, the main components in the smoke are the components of the smoked liquid (rice vinegar liquid) itself. As a result of the applicant's analysis of the components of the smoked liquid (rice vinegar liquid), the contained components and their content rates shown in FIG. 8 were found.

[0089] <<Collection of Smoke Solution (Rice Vinegar Solution)>> In the analysis and test by the applicants, as the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10, one with a container body 11 having a capacity of 1000 L was used. All plant raw materials were rice husks to produce smoked charcoal (feed additive), and the smoke solution (rice vinegar solution) obtained in the process was recovered from the chimney 30 into a container, and about 100 ml was collected as a sample for analysis. In addition, the maximum temperature in the smoking process of the plant raw material (rice husk) was set to be 500°C or lower.

[0090] <<Measurement of Contained Components>> The organic components of the collected smoke solution (rice vinegar solution) were extracted with diethyl ether, and the main components among them were identified using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. In addition, the types and amounts of the components contained in the diethyl ether extract were analyzed using a gas chromatograph. As a result of such analysis, among the components contained in the extract of the smoke solution (rice vinegar solution), the compound names identified by the gas chromatograph and their content rates (%) are shown in FIG. 8.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 8, as the characteristics of the types and content rates of the components contained in the extract of the smoke solution (rice vinegar solution), the content rate of acetic acid (41.17%) is the highest, followed by the content rate of acetone (25.85%), and then the content rate of p,m-cresol (15.01%) shows a high value. In addition, it is characteristic that propionic acid, which can suppress methane production by the fermentation action of bacteria in the rumen of cows, is contained relatively much at 2.20%. Looking at the contained components as a whole, as organic acids, only four components, acetic acid, methyl acetate, propionic acid, and butyric acid, account for 43.71% of the whole. In addition, as ferulols, five components, guaiacol, o-cresol, ethyl guaiacol, p,m-cresol, and 4-acetyl-methoxyphenol, account for 16.82% of the whole.

[0092] The results of the component analysis of such smoked liquid (rice vinegar liquid) were confirmed to be almost the same not only once but also when conducted multiple times under different weather or temperature conditions. Also, it is presumed that the organic components of the smoked liquid (rice vinegar liquid) identified by the component analysis results are contained in the smoked charcoal (feed additive) at almost the same ratio. Furthermore, in the case of field-burned smoked charcoal, it is generally alkaline (pH 9-10), but it has also been confirmed that the pH value of the smoked charcoal (feed additive) of the present invention is neutral to weakly acidic (pH 6-7) with little variation (high reproducibility stability). This is presumably because the proportion of the aforementioned organic acids is relatively high.

[0093] <Feed containing smoked charcoal (feed additive)> Next, the feed containing the above-mentioned feed additive will be described. The general solid feed for beef cattle, which are edible animals, is roughly classified into two types: roughage and compound feed, and is given at a predetermined ratio according to the growth period from birth. Roughage has a large volume and contains a lot of crude fiber. For example, in addition to dried hay of forage grasses such as timothy hay and oat hay of the Gramineae family, rice straw, wheat straw, and beer lees are applicable. Compound feed has a relatively small volume but high nutritional value. For example, it is prepared by mixing various raw materials such as corn, sorghum, wheat, and bran, and many types are commercially available.

[0094] The roughage in this embodiment is an appropriate mixture of timothy hay, oat hay, rice straw, wheat straw, beer lees, etc. Also, in this embodiment, for the compound feed, commercially available Morlet (trade name), Value Beef Early (trade name), Value Beef Late (trade name), and Value Beef Finish (trade name) are used according to the growth of beef cattle. All of these compound feeds are manufactured and sold by JA Zen-Noh Hokkaido Kumiai Feed Co., Ltd.

[0095] Figure 9 shows an example of the matters that should be the criteria for the display regarding the quality of Morlet. Morlet is generally given to calves in the suckling period, cattle within approximately 3 months after birth, and cattle over approximately 3 months old and within 6 months old.

[0096] Figure 10 shows an example of matters that should be the criteria for the display regarding the quality of early-stage value beef. Early-stage value beef is generally given to fattening cattle that are generally over about 6 months old after birth.

[0097] Figure 11 shows an example of matters that should be the criteria for the display regarding the quality of late-stage value beef. Late-stage value beef is also generally given to fattening cattle that are generally over about 6 months old after birth. In late-stage value beef, the amount of corn among grains is increased and barley, etc. is added.

[0098] Figure 12 shows an example of matters that should be the criteria for the display regarding the quality of finished value beef. Finished value beef is also generally given to fattening cattle that are generally over about 6 months old after birth. In finished value beef, the ratio of protein is increased compared to other compound feeds.

[0099] Of course, the compound feed is not limited to the commercially available products described above. Also, for the roughage, commercially available processed products may be used, but it is also possible to independently dry or mix the forage, which is the raw material, after cultivating or purchasing it and use it. For any roughage or compound feed, the one obtained by mixing the aforementioned smoked charcoal (feed additive) at a ratio of 3 to 9 g per head as the amount per head for free intake per day by beef cattle at each growth stage is the feed for improving the meat quality grade.

[0100] Here, according to the research of the inventors, it has been confirmed that when the amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) is less than 3 g, the effect of improving the meat quality grade of beef cattle cannot be significantly obtained. Also, even when the amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) exceeds 9 g, there is no significant difference in the effect of improving the meat quality grade compared to the case of mixing at a ratio of 3 to 9 g, but it has been confirmed that it is not preferable because it may affect the palatability of cattle and reduce the feed intake rate.

[0101] By feeding such feed for improving meat quality to beef cattle, the inventors have confirmed that a specific effect can be achieved, namely, the meat quality grade of beef cattle can be improved as compared with feeding general solid feed. Incidentally, the mixing ratio of smoked charcoal (feed additive) in the solid feed may be uniformly adjusted in advance so that it is 3% by weight or more and less than 9% by weight of the original solid feed regardless of the intake amount per head of beef cattle.

[0102] <Method for Fattening Beef Cattle> Next, a method for fattening beef cattle by feeding feed containing the above-mentioned feed additive will be described. The feeding to beef cattle starts after the weaning of the artificial nursing of calves. Generally, the period from 3 months old after birth to shipment is divided into the initial stage, the early stage, the late stage, and the finishing stage, and the specific types and amounts of solid feed are varied for each growth stage.

[0103] In the "initial stage" when the calves are 3 to 6 months old after birth, about 1 to 2 kg of roughage and about 2 to 3 kg of mollet of compound feed are fed per head per day. A certain amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) is mixed in these solid feeds within a range of, for example, 3 to 9 g per head. In this way, it is advisable to start feeding the feed containing smoked charcoal (feed additive) as soon as possible after feeding. Incidentally, the amount of solid feed is appropriately adjusted within the range that the calves can freely eat, and it is usually fed in two portions, morning and evening. It is advisable to mix smoked charcoal (feed additive) only in the morning portion, which is the first feeding of the day.

[0104] Next, in the "early stage" when the calves are 7 to 11 months old after birth, in order to strengthen the internal organs, build the skeleton, and add muscle, feed mainly composed of roughage is fed. Also, the amount of compound feed is gradually increased together with the roughage. For example, about 4 to 6 kg of roughage and about 2 to 6 kg of value beef in the early stage of compound feed are fed per head per day. A certain amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) is mixed in these solid feeds within a range of, for example, 3 to 9 g per head.

[0105] During this early stage, the weight of the solid feed will increase daily. However, it should be appropriately adjusted within the range of free-feeding, and it is usually given twice a day, in the morning and evening. Also, during the early stage, it is advisable to mix smoked charcoal (feed additive) only in the amount given in the morning out of the two feedings in the morning and evening. Note that the amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) mixed in the solid feed is not necessarily uniform within the range of 3 - 9 g. It can be adjusted so that it has the same weight percentage as in the initial stage by converting the increased amount of feed given compared to the aforementioned initial stage.

[0106] Subsequently, the "late stage" from 12 to 23 months after the birth of the cattle is a period when fat is stored in the muscles of the beef cattle. The roughage is gradually reduced while increasing the proportion of the compound feed. For example, per day per head, the roughage is gradually reduced from about 4 kg, while the value beef late-stage compound feed is gradually increased to 8 - 12 kg and given. A certain amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) is mixed within the range of, for example, 3 - 9 g per head in these solid feeds.

[0107] The amount of the solid feed in this late stage is also appropriately adjusted within the range of free-feeding and is usually given twice a day, in the morning and evening. Also, during the late stage, it is advisable to mix smoked charcoal (feed additive) only in the amount given in the morning out of the two feedings in the morning and evening. Here too, the amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) mixed in the solid feed is not necessarily uniform within the range of 3 - 9 g. It can be adjusted so that it has the same weight percentage as in the previous early stage by converting the increased amount of feed given compared to the previous early stage.

[0108] After that, the "finishing stage" for 3 months from 24 to 27 months after the birth of the cattle is the final period before shipping as beef cattle. In order to develop marbled fat, little roughage is given, and the compound feed is given to the maximum extent. For example, per day per head, about 1 kg of roughage is sufficient, and about 12 kg of the value beef finishing compound feed is given. A certain amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) is mixed within the range of, for example, 3 - 9 g per head in these solid feeds.

[0109] During this finishing period, the amount of solid feed is also appropriately adjusted within the range where free feeding is possible, and it is usually given twice a day, in the morning and evening. Note that even during the finishing period, the smoked charcoal (feed additive) may be mixed together only for the amount given once in the morning out of the two feedings in the morning and evening. Here too, the amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) mixed into the solid feed is not necessarily uniform within the range of 3 to 9 g. It may be adjusted so that the same weight percentage is maintained throughout the entire period including the most recent later stage, by converting the increase or decrease in the amount given compared to the above-mentioned later stage.

[0110] <Beef cattle fattening test> Next, a fattening test conducted to investigate the effect of improving the meat quality grade in the present invention using the feed according to the present invention and a commercially available feed will be described. In this fattening test, crossbred cows (females) without any abnormalities observed by external observation were used as test subjects. The test cows were randomly selected based on their body weight at the time of introduction and classified into a smoked charcoal use group and a control group, with 5 cows in each group.

[0111] In a general cowshed owned by the inventors, in the smoked charcoal use group, a method for fattening beef cattle by feeding the feed containing the above-mentioned smoked charcoal (feed additive) was implemented. That is, the fattening period was divided into an initial period, a pre-later period, a later period, and a finishing period. For the roughage or compound feed in each period, a certain amount of smoked charcoal (feed additive) was mixed within the range of 3 to 9 g per head and fed once in the morning. On the other hand, in one control group, standard fattening with only the roughage or compound feed in each period was carried out. For both groups, regarding drinking water, it was freely ingested using a general water dispenser.

[0112] In both the smoked charcoal use group and the control group, during the breeding period until shipment, no abnormalities were observed in the general condition of any of the individuals, and no significant fluctuations were observed in the weight gain, feed intake, and feed requirement rate even in comparison with each other. The 10 test cows in each group were shipped as beef cattle on the same day after going through the above-mentioned finishing period. After being subjected to predetermined inspections before and after slaughter, they were made into carcasses from which the skin, head, feet, and internal organs were removed, and were graded in a state where they were cut into two pieces, left and right, from the center. Note that the age in months of any of the test cows on the shipment date corresponded to the late 26-month period.

[0113] <<Meat quality grading>> Grading (officially known as "carcass trading standards") is a ranking done by the Japan Meat Grading Association in accordance with national standards. The carcass is graded by applying specified standards to judge the quality of the meat. The application of specified standards involves a grade being given for each of the "yield" and "meat quality", with "yield" displayed as an alphabet and "meat quality" as numbers. If the carcass has any defects, the condition is noted alongside the grade according to a specified type classification, but as none of the 10 test cows had any defects, an explanation of the defects will be omitted.

[0114] First, the "yield" grade is expressed as one of three grades (A, B, C) based on the weight of the portion of meat obtained from the carcass. This yield grade is determined by applying a value called the yield standard value to a specified formula and comparing the calculated value with the grading table shown in Figure 13. Regardless of the above-mentioned regulations, if the carcass meets predetermined conditions, it may be graded one grade lower, but none of these conditions applied to the 10 test cows.

[0115] The "meat quality" grade is determined based on four criteria: "fat marbling (marbling)," "meat color and luster," "meat firmness and texture," and "fat color and luster and quality." Of these criteria, the lowest grade is assigned.

[0116] 1) The grade of marbling (marbling) is determined based on the amount of fat (marbling) in the loin core of the carcass. The grade is determined based on a 12-level chart (commonly known as BMS) called B (beef), M (marbling), and S (standard). Specifically, as shown in Figure 14, if the BMS is No. 8 to No. 12, the marbling is considered to be quite heavy, and the grade is "5." If the BMS is No. 5 to No. 7, the marbling is considered to be somewhat heavy, and the grade is "4." If the BMS is No. 3 to No. 4, the marbling is considered to be normal, and the grade is "3." If the BMS is No. 2, the marbling is considered to be somewhat light, and the grade is "2." If the BMS is No. 1, the marbling is considered to be almost nonexistent, and the grade is "1."

[0117] 2) The grade of meat color and luster is determined based on the balance between the standard for evaluating the color of the carcass and the luster. The grade is determined based on a seven-level chart (commonly known as BCS) called B (beef), C (color), and S (standard). Specifically, as shown in Figure 15, if the BCS is No. 3 to No. 5, the meat color and luster are fairly good and graded "5", if the BCS is No. 2 to No. 6, the meat color and luster are somewhat good and graded "4", if the BCS is No. 1 to No. 6, the meat color and luster are standard and graded "3", if the BCS is No. 1 to No. 7, the meat color and luster are close to the standard and graded "2", and if the BCS is anything other than grades 5 to 2, the meat color and luster are poor and graded "1".

[0118] 3) The grades of firmness and texture of meat are judged based on the firmness, which indicates the water retention of the carcass, and the fineness of the texture, etc. The judgment here is done by the naked eye, and specifically, as shown in Figure 16, very good is graded "5", fairly good is graded "4", standard is graded "3", near standard is graded "2", and poor is graded "1".

[0119] 4) The grade of fat color and quality is determined based on the standard for evaluating fat color and the balance between fat luster and quality. The grade is determined based on a seven-level chart (commonly known as BFS) called B (beef), F (fat), and S (standard). Specifically, as shown in Figure 17, if BF S is No. 1 to No. 4, the fat color and quality is fairly good and graded as "5", if BF S is No. 1 to No. 5, the fat color and quality is somewhat good and graded as "4", if BF S is No. 1 to No. 6, the fat color and quality is standard and graded as "3", if BF S is No. 1 to No. 7, the fat color and quality is close to the standard and graded as "2", and if BF S is other than grades 5 to 2, the fat color and quality is poor and graded as "1".

[0120] The final meat quality grade is determined by the lowest rank of the four evaluation items 1) to 4) mentioned above. For example, even if the marbling (marbling) grade is 3 and all others are 5, the meat quality grade of this beef will be determined to be 3. In other words, to receive the meat quality grade "5", the beef must be ranked 5, the highest, in all four items.

[0121] <<Results of fattening test>> Figure 18 shows the results of the above-mentioned grading of the carcasses of 10 test cattle after fattening. The grading system combines three grades (A, B, C) for "yield" with a five-level ranking for "meat quality," with A5 being the highest quality and C1 being the lowest quality. Using this grading system as a reference, wholesalers, for example, will purchase the carcasses, process them further, and sell them to general butcher shops, etc.

[0122] As is clear from Figure 18, the rankings of the charcoal-treated group were A5 rank for one cow and A4 rank for four out of five test cows. In contrast, the rankings of the control group were B2 rank for two cows, B3 rank for one cow, C2 rank for one cow, and C3 rank for one cow.

[0123] From such results, it has newly become clear that by feeding the feed containing the above-mentioned smoked charcoal (feed additive), the effect of improving the meat quality grade of beef cattle can be achieved, and it has become possible to increase the commercial value of beef cattle. Although there are individual differences in the weights of each test cattle at the time of shipment, there were no significant differences in the increased body weights during the period of this fattening test, although there were some differences.

[0124] According to the above-mentioned feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10, since ignition occurs from the uppermost layer surface of the plant raw material, the smoke generated in the smoking and burning layer of the plant raw material in the upper-layer smoked charcoal passes between the layers that have already become smoked charcoal (smoked charcoal layer during carbonization) above that position. Therefore, the pH of the smoked charcoal becomes 6.5 to 7.0 due to the components in the smoke. For example, smoked charcoal with a pH of 6.5 is suitable for the growth of effective microorganisms such as bacteria that produce propionic acid, which suppresses methane production in the rumen of cattle, and can promote the growth of such microorganisms. Also, as mentioned above, the smoke contains a relatively large amount of 2.20% propionic acid.

[0125] Specifically, the rumen of cattle decomposes and ferments feed by the action of microorganisms. In this process, methane is generated and propionic acid, which is an energy source for cattle, is produced. It is known that the more propionic acid there is, the more the generation of methane is suppressed. Also, methane does not become an energy source for cattle. Therefore, ruminants such as cattle waste a considerable proportion of the energy ingested from feed through methane production. If this part is directed towards the production of propionic acid, it is also possible to raise cattle with less feed.

[0126] From the above, it is considered that by giving more propionic acid to cows, the generation of methane gas is suppressed, the feed efficiency is improved, and as a result, the state of the beef becomes better and the meat quality is improved. In addition, methane generated from ruminants is estimated to be about 2 billion tons per year worldwide, accounting for about 4% of the greenhouse gases generated worldwide, and is thus considered to be one of the causes of global warming. Therefore, reducing the methane production of cows is considered to have an effect not only on improving the meat quality as described above, but also on mitigating global warming.

[0127] In addition, as an effect of smoked charcoal as a feed additive, not only can the meat quality grade of the beef cattle described above be improved, but also the bad smell in manure and bad breath can be suppressed. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that not only cows, but also pigs and chickens can suppress the bad smell of their manure when fed. The reason is considered to be that smoked charcoal increases the beneficial bacteria in the animal body, and the beneficial bacteria assist in the digestion and absorption of feed (intestinal regulation effect), bringing about effects such as promoting animal appetite, growth, maintaining health, and improving immunity.

[0128] In addition, by mixing smoked charcoal into the manure of edible animals, the smell of manure can be directly reduced. Such a deodorizing effect is presumably due to the large surface area of the porous structure of smoked charcoal, which makes it easy to adsorb organic substances and nitrogen. Therefore, smoked charcoal is useful for the deodorizing effect of livestock houses. Furthermore, smoked charcoal can also be used as a material for improving water quality in aquaculture farms for fish, shellfish, shrimp, etc.

[0129] [Configuration and Effects of the Present Invention] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present invention derived from the above-described embodiments will be described below.

[0130] First, the present invention is a feed additive for improving the meat quality grade of edible animals, characterized in that components contained in the smoke generated during the carbonization process are naturally contained in smoked charcoal obtained by smoking and carbonizing a plant raw material of the grass family mainly composed of rice husks.

[0131] According to such a feed additive, since its raw materials are cereal plant raw materials such as rice husks, the cost is low. Although its production is easy only by natural combustion of the plant raw materials, it is possible to easily improve the meat quality grade of edible animals.

[0132] In addition, in the present invention, the components contained in the smoke are characterized in that acetic acid accounts for about 40%, and then acetone accounts for a large proportion. By using such smoked charcoal with such a component composition as a feed additive, it is possible to achieve an excellent effect of improving the meat quality grade of edible animals.

[0133] In addition, the present invention is a feed for improving the meat quality grade of edible animals, characterized in that it is obtained by mixing the aforementioned feed additive into the solid feed of edible animals. Thereby, such feed can be easily fed to edible animals such as beef cattle.

[0134] In addition, the present invention relates to a fattening method for beef cattle, which are edible animals. It is characterized in that the aforementioned feed for improving the meat quality grade is continuously and freely fed from the start of feeding the beef cattle until shipment. Thereby, the grading rank of beef cattle can be surely improved, and the commercial value of beef cattle can be significantly increased.

[0135] In addition, the present invention relates to a fattening method for beef cattle, which are edible animals. The period from the start of feeding the beef cattle until shipment is divided into a plurality of stages, and for each stage, the aforementioned feed for improving the meat quality grade to be fed is adjusted to be constant in weight of the aforementioned feed additive for improving the meat quality grade regardless of the type or weight change of the original solid feed, and is freely fed at the time of the first feeding in a day.

[0136] As a result, it has been confirmed that the grading rank of beef cattle can be improved more reliably, and the commercial value of beef cattle can be significantly enhanced. Incidentally, it has been confirmed that even if the feeding of the solid feed mixed with smoked charcoal (feed additive) is stopped by the early stage of the fattening period of beef cattle described above, and only commercially available solid feed is fed from the later stage, the effect of improving the meat quality grade can be exerted to a certain extent. That is to say, it can be said that the feeding of the solid feed mixed with smoked charcoal (feed additive) is important in the first stage of the fattening period, namely the initial stage and the early stage.

[0137] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are changes and additions within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, they are included in the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0138] The feed additive, feed, and beef cattle fattening method using these according to the present invention can be effectively utilized in the livestock industry.

Explanation of Signs

[0139] 10… Feed additive manufacturing apparatus 11… Container body 101… Air supply chamber 102… Carbonization chamber 111… Lower inverted frustum part of the main body 112… Small-diameter part at the bottom of the main body 113… Upper frustum part of the main body 114… Small-diameter part at the top of the main body 115… Bottom cover 116… Top cover 12… Rostle 13… Support mechanism 20… Vent 21… Hood part 22… Shutter 23… Opening and closing mechanism 30… Chimney 31… Elbow 32… Cheese 33… Long tube part 34… Top 35… Support column

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for producing a feed additive for improving the meat quality of edible animals from a plant raw material of the grass family mainly composed of rice husks by a feed additive manufacturing apparatus, The feed additive manufacturing apparatus is, The interior for charging the plant raw material is partitioned into an air supply chamber that supplies air at the bottom side and a carbonization chamber that is filled with the plant raw material above it, and where charring carbonization sequentially proceeds from the uppermost layer to the lowermost layer where the plant raw material is ignited, An air vent that is opened on the peripheral wall of the container body on the air supply chamber side of the container body and can naturally take in external air into the interior, A shutter that can open and close the air vent between an open state where air can be taken in and a closed state where the intake of air is stopped, An opening and closing mechanism that maintains the shutter in the open state until the charring carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowermost layer, and when the charring carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowermost layer, makes it into the closed state due to the heat of carbonization at that part, A method for manufacturing a feed additive for improving the meat quality of edible animals, characterized in that when the shutter is closed by the opening and closing mechanism and the charring carbonization of the plant raw material is completed, components in the smoke generated during the process of the charring carbonization are generated as smoked charcoal naturally containing them.

2. The method for manufacturing a feed additive for improving the meat quality of edible animals according to claim 1, characterized in that the components contained in the smoke account for about 40% of acetic acid, and then acetone accounts for a large proportion.

3. A method for manufacturing a feed for improving the meat quality of edible animals, which produces a feed additive for improving the meat quality of edible animals from a plant raw material of the grass family mainly composed of rice husks by a feed additive manufacturing apparatus, and mixes the feed additive into a solid feed for edible animals. The feed additive manufacturing apparatus is, The interior for charging the plant raw material is partitioned into an air supply chamber that supplies air at the bottom side and a carbonization chamber that is filled with the plant raw material above it, and where charring carbonization sequentially proceeds from the uppermost layer to the lowermost layer where the plant raw material is ignited, An air vent that is opened on the peripheral wall of the container body on the air supply chamber side and can naturally take in external air into the interior, A shutter that can open and close the air vent between an open state in which air can be taken in and a closed state in which intake of air is stopped, An opening and closing mechanism that maintains the shutter in the open state until the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowermost layer, and when the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowermost layer, sets the shutter to the closed state due to the heat of carbonization at that part, When the shutter is closed by the opening and closing mechanism and the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material is completed, the feed additive is produced as smoked charcoal naturally containing the components in the smoke generated during the process of the smoking and carbonization, A method for producing a feed for improving the meat quality grade of edible animals, characterized in that the feed additive is mixed into the solid feed of the edible animals.

4. In a fattening method for beef cattle, which are edible animals, The feed additive for improving the meat quality grade of the beef cattle is produced from a plant raw material of the Gramineae family mainly composed of rice husks by a feed additive production apparatus, The feed additive production apparatus is, A container body whose interior for charging the plant raw material is partitioned into an air supply chamber that supplies air at the bottom side and a carbonization chamber that is filled with the plant raw material above the air supply chamber and in which smoking and carbonization sequentially proceed from the uppermost layer where the plant raw material is ignited to the lowermost layer, An air vent that is opened on the peripheral wall of the container body on the air supply chamber side and can naturally take in external air into the interior, A shutter that can open and close the air vent between an open state in which air can be taken in and a closed state in which intake of air is stopped, An opening and closing mechanism that maintains the shutter in the open state until the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowermost layer, and when the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowermost layer, sets the shutter to the closed state due to the heat of carbonization at that part, When the shutter is in the closed state by the opening and closing mechanism and the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material are completed, the feed additive is produced as smoked charcoal naturally containing the components in the smoke generated during the process of the smoking and carbonization. A method for fattening beef cattle, characterized in that the feed for improving the meat quality grade obtained by mixing the feed additive into the solid feed for edible animals is continuously and freely fed from the start of feeding the beef cattle until shipment.

5. In a method for fattening beef cattle which are edible animals, The feed additive for improving the meat quality grade of the beef cattle is produced from a plant raw material of the grass family mainly composed of rice husks by a feed additive production device, and the feed additive is mixed into the solid feed for edible animals to produce a feed for improving the meat quality grade. The feed additive production device is A container body whose interior for charging the plant raw material is partitioned into an air supply chamber for supplying air at the bottom side and a carbonization chamber filled with the plant raw material above it, where the smoking and carbonization sequentially proceed from the uppermost layer to the lowermost layer where the plant raw material is ignited. A ventilation port opened on the peripheral wall of the container body on the air supply chamber side, capable of naturally taking in external air into the interior. A shutter capable of opening and closing the ventilation port between an open state where air can be taken in and a closed state where the intake of air is stopped. An opening and closing mechanism that maintains the shutter in the open state until the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material reach the lowermost layer, and when the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material reach the lowermost layer, the shutter is closed due to the carbonization heat at that part. When the shutter is in the closed state by the opening and closing mechanism and the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material are completed, the feed additive is produced as smoked charcoal naturally containing the components in the smoke generated during the process of the smoking and carbonization. By mixing the feed additive into the solid feed for edible animals, the feed for improving the meat quality grade is produced. A beef cattle fattening method characterized in that the period from the start of feeding to shipment of the beef cattle is divided into a plurality of stages, and the feed for improving meat quality grade to be fed at each stage is adjusted so that the weight of the feed additive for improving meat quality grade is constant regardless of the change in the type or weight of the solid feed as its basis, and free feeding is allowed at the time of the first feeding in a day.

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