Feed additive and livestock feed

Abstract

This feed additive contains methionine hydroxy analogue and / or a calcium salt thereof, methionine and / or a salt thereof, and guanidinoacetic acid and / or a salt thereof. This livestock feed contains methionine hydroxy analogue and / or a calcium salt thereof, methionine and / or a salt thereof, guanidinoacetic acid and / or a salt thereof, and basic feed.

Description

Feed additives and livestock feed

[0001] The present invention relates to a feed additive and livestock feed, and further to a method for raising livestock using the livestock feed, and a method for improving the weight gain and feed conversion ratio in livestock.

[0002] Methionine is an essential amino acid that cannot be synthesized in animals, and is known to be used as a feed additive for livestock and other animals.

[0003] Creatine, a type of amino acid, is present in animals' bodies and serves as an energy source during exercise. Creatine is produced by methylation of its precursor, guanidinoacetic acid. Since guanidinoacetic acid is a source of creatine, its use as a feed additive has been proposed (for example, JP-A-2008-501352 (Patent Document 1)).

[0004] Special Publication No. 2008-501352

[0005] Feed additives and livestock feeds are required to achieve good weight gain and feed conversion ratios.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a feed additive and livestock feed that can improve the weight gain and feed conversion ratio of livestock.

[0007] The present invention provides the following feed additives, livestock feed, livestock breeding methods, and methods for improving weight gain and feed conversion ratio in livestock. [1] A feed additive comprising a methionine hydroxy analog and / or a calcium salt thereof, methionine and / or a salt thereof, and guanidinoacetic acid and / or a salt thereof. [2] The feed additive according to [1], further comprising a carrier. [3] The feed additive according to [2], wherein the carrier comprises a solid carrier, and the solid carrier supports the methionine hydroxy analog. [4] Livestock feed comprising a methionine hydroxy analog and / or a calcium salt thereof, methionine and / or a salt thereof, guanidinoacetic acid and / or a salt thereof, and a basal feed. [5] The livestock feed according to [4], further comprising a carrier. [6] The livestock feed according to [5], wherein the carrier comprises a solid carrier, and the solid carrier supports the methionine hydroxy analog. [7] A method for raising livestock, comprising a step of feeding the livestock feed according to any one of [4] to [6]. [8] The method for raising livestock according to [7], wherein the livestock is poultry. [9] A method for improving weight gain and feed conversion ratio in livestock, comprising a step of feeding the livestock feed according to any one of [4] to [6].

[10] The method according to [9], wherein the livestock is poultry.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a feed additive and livestock feed that can improve the weight gain and feed conversion rate of livestock.

[0009] (Feed Additive) The feed additive of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the feed additive") contains a methionine hydroxy analog and / or its calcium salt (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "LMA"), methionine and / or its salt (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "DLM"), and guanidinoacetic acid and / or its salt (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "GAA").

[0010] The LMA may be a methionine hydroxy analog, a calcium salt of a methionine hydroxy analog, or a mixture thereof. The methionine hydroxy analog may be in the D-form, the L-form, or a mixture thereof. The calcium salt of a methionine hydroxy analog may be in the D-form, the L-form, or a mixture thereof. The LMA is preferably a methionine hydroxy analog.

[0011] DLM may be methionine, a salt of methionine, or a mixture thereof. As the salt of methionine, sodium salt is preferred. Methionine may be L-methionine, D-methionine, or a mixture thereof. DLM is preferably L-methionine and / or DL-methionine.

[0012] GAA may be guanidinoacetic acid, a salt of guanidinoacetic acid, or a mixture thereof. Examples of the salt of guanidinoacetic acid include guanidinoacetic acid hydrochloride, guanidinoacetic acid hydrobromide, and guanidinoacetic acid phosphate. GAA is preferably guanidinoacetic acid.

[0013] The feed additive contains LMA, DLM, and GAA, and is therefore capable of improving the weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of livestock. The feed additive is capable of improving the weight gain and feed conversion ratio of livestock compared to when LMA and DLM are used alone, and when one of LMA and DLM is used in combination with GAA.

[0014] The mass ratio of LMA to DLM (LMA / DLM) contained in this feed additive may be 0.05 or more, 0.1 or more, 0.3 or more, or 0.5 or more. LMA / DLM may be 10.0 or less, 5.0 or less, 3.0 or less, or 2.0 or less. LMA / DLM may be 0.05 or more and 10.0 or less, 0.1 or more and 5.0 or less, 0.3 or more and 3.0 or less, or 0.5 or more and 2.0 or less. Herein, when LMA contains two or more of the above-mentioned components, the mass of LMA refers to the total amount of these. Herein, when DLM contains two or more of the above-mentioned components, the mass of DLM refers to the total amount of these.

[0015] The GAA content in this feed additive may be 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, or 18% by mass or more of the total amount of LMA and DLM. The GAA content in this feed additive may be 50% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, or 25% by mass or less of the total amount of LMA and DLM. The GAA content in this feed additive may be 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, 15% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, 15% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, 15% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less of the total amount of LMA and DLM.

[0016] The LMA content in this feed additive, when the total amount of LMA, DLM, and GAA in the feed additive is taken as 100% by mass (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "LMA content in this feed additive"), may be 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more. The LMA content in this feed additive may be 75% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less, or 45% by mass or less. The LMA content in this feed additive may be 5% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less, 10% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less, 15% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, 20% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, 25% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, 30% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, or 35% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less.

[0017] The DLM content in this feed additive, when the total amount of LMA, DLM, and GAA in the feed additive is taken as 100% by mass (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "DLM content in this feed additive"), may be 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more. The DLM content in this feed additive may be 75% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less, or 45% by mass or less. The DLM content in this feed additive may be 5% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less, 10% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less, 15% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, 20% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, 25% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, 30% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, or 35% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less.

[0018] When the total amount of LMA, DLM, and GAA in this feed additive is taken as 100% by mass, the GAA content (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "GAA content in this feed additive") may be 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more. The GAA content in this feed additive may be 45% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, or 25% by mass or less. The GAA content in this feed additive may be 5% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, 10% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less.

[0019] The total amount of LMA, DLM, and GAA in this feed additive may be 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, or 95% by mass or more. The total amount of LMA, DLM, and GAA in this feed additive may be 100% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or less. The total amount of LMA, DLM, and GAA in this feed additive may be 15% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, 20% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, 30% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, 50% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, 20% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, 80% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, 90% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, 95% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, 50% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less, 50% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, 20% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less.

[0020] The feed additive may further contain a carrier. The carrier contained in the feed additive may be one that formulates the feed additive into a powder, granules, or the like, or one that formulates LMA, DLM, and / or GAA. Examples of the carrier include excipients used in the art. Examples of solid carriers include lactose, sucrose, glucose, dextrin, corn starch, corn flour, gelatin, casein, starch, gum arabic, cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, alginic acid, rice husk, diatomaceous earth, silicic acid anhydride, anhydrous silicates, light anhydrous silicic acid, silicic acid, silicates, hydrous silicon dioxide, hydrous amorphous silicon oxide, talc, vermiculite, kaolin, perlite, bentonite, zeolite, calcium carbonate, etc.

[0021] When the LMA contained in the present feed additive contains a methionine hydroxy analog, the present feed additive preferably contains a solid carrier. By supporting the methionine hydroxy analog on the solid carrier, the methionine hydroxy analog can be solidified, thereby improving handling.

[0022] When a methionine hydroxy analog is supported on a carrier, the carrier is preferably an inorganic carrier. The particle size of the carrier is preferably 1 μm or more and 2000 μm or less, more preferably 5 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, more preferably 10 μm or more and 850 μm or less, even more preferably 50 μm or more and 710 μm or less, and even more preferably 100 μm or more and 500 μm or less. The carrier is preferably one or more carriers selected from the group consisting of diatomaceous earth, silicic acid anhydride, silicates, light silicic acid anhydride, silicic acid, silicates, hydrous silicon dioxide, hydrous amorphous silicon oxide, zeolite, and perlite, and more preferably zeolite. Examples of zeolites that can be used include Minezeon (manufactured by Nitto Funka Kogyo). In this specification, particle size refers to the mode diameter of the mass-based particle size distribution obtained by sieving.

[0023] When preparing the feed additive by spray drying, the carrier may be either an organic carrier or an inorganic carrier. Examples of organic carriers include sugars such as lactose, starches (including starch hydrolysates), dextrin, cyclodextrin, sucrose, maltose, glucose, ethyl cellulose, gum arabic, xanthan gum, guar gum, and tracantha gum; sugar alcohols such as maltitol, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol, trehalose, and reduced palatinose; and corn starch. Examples of inorganic carriers include sodium chloride, anhydrous silicic acid, anhydrous silicates, light anhydrous silicic acid, silicic acid, silicates, hydrous silicon dioxide, hydrous amorphous silicon oxide, calcium sulfate, and calcium hydrogen phosphate. Preferably, the organic carrier is one or more selected from the group consisting of lactose, dextrin, ethyl cellulose, and corn starch, and more preferably dextrin. These may be used alone or in combination. The sugar alcohol may be either anhydrous or hydrated. When the feed additive is prepared by spray drying, a carrier may not be used.

[0024] When the methionine hydroxy analogue is supported on a carrier, the content of the carrier in the feed additive may be 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 50% by mass or less, 45% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or less. When the methionine hydroxy analogue is supported on a carrier, the content of the carrier in the feed additive may be 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, 10% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less.

[0025] When the feed additive is prepared by spray drying, the feed additive may or may not contain a carrier. When the feed additive contains a carrier, the content of the carrier in the suspension used to prepare the feed additive by spray drying may be 5% by mass or less, 3% by mass or less, 2% by mass or less, or 1% by mass or less.

[0026] The feed additive may contain one or more other ingredients such as protein, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium pantothenate, nicotinamide, folic acid, etc.), and trace inorganic salts (magnesium sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, potassium iodide, cobalt sulfate, etc.). The feed additive may also contain one or more additives such as antioxidants, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, anthelmintics, flavorings, colorants, taste-imparting agents, and enzymes.

[0027] This feed additive can be produced by mixing LMA, DLM, and GAA. Mixing of LMA, DLM, and GAA can be carried out by adding all three components to a mixing vessel, or by first mixing two of the three components and then mixing the remaining component. When this feed additive contains a carrier, other components, and / or additives, these may be mixed at an appropriate timing. For example, a carrier may be mixed with a mixture of components other than the carrier contained in this feed additive, or a specific component contained in this feed additive may be mixed with the carrier and then the remaining components may be mixed.

[0028] When the LMA contains a methionine hydroxy analog, it is preferable to solidify the methionine hydroxy analog by supporting it on a solid carrier. In this case, the feed additive can be produced by mixing the solidified methionine hydroxy analog with the remaining ingredients contained in the feed additive. As described above, solidification of the methionine hydroxy analog improves handleability, making it easier to mix uniformly with DLM and GAA. Furthermore, when pre-solidified methionine hydroxy analog, DLM, and GAA are mixed to prepare the feed additive containing LMA, DLM, GAA, and a carrier, the method and equipment used are not particularly limited and can be any known technology in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Examples of such methods include general preparation methods such as grinding, mixing, and granulation. Examples of such equipment include roller mills, jet mills, hammer mills, pin mills, W-type mixers, V-type mixers, drum mixers, ribbon mixers, paddle mixers, conical screw mixers, fluidized bed granulators, and agitator granulators. The particle size of the carrier may be 10 μm to 2000 μm, 50 μm to 1000 μm, 100 μm to 850 μm, 150 μm to 710 μm, 180 μm to 600 μm, or 210 μm to 500 μm, from the viewpoint of supporting the methionine hydroxy analogue. The particle sizes of DLM and GAA may each independently be 5 μm to 1000 μm, 50 μm to 810 μm, 100 μm to 850 μm, 150 μm to 710 μm, 180 μm to 600 μm, or 210 μm to 500 μm, from the viewpoint of facilitating uniform mixing with the methionine hydroxy analogue supported on the carrier.

[0029] When the methionine hydroxy analog is supported on a carrier, the mass ratio (carrier / methionine hydroxy analog) may be, for example, 0.1 or more and 30.0 or less, 0.5 or more and 20.0 or less, 1.0 or more and 15.0 or less, 2.0 or more and 10.0 or less, or 2.0 or more and 5.0 or less.

[0030] When preparing the present feed additive containing a carrier by spray drying, DLM, GAA, and the carrier are pulverized and mixed to homogenize thoroughly, and then LMA diluted with a solvent such as water is added and the temperature is raised to prepare a suspension containing DLM, GAA, LMA, and the carrier. The present feed additive containing a carrier can be obtained by spray drying this suspension while stirring and maintaining the temperature.

[0031] This feed additive can be administered to livestock as is, or as a livestock feed mixed with a basal livestock feed as described below. The amount administered to livestock can be determined so as to satisfy the methionine requirements of the livestock. This feed additive can be administered to livestock throughout the entire rearing period, or during a specific period of the rearing period.

[0032] Livestock that may be fed with the feed additive include poultry such as chickens (meat chickens and layer hens), ducks, quails, ducks, geese, pigeons, turkeys, and ostriches, as well as mammals such as cows, goats, horses, camels, buffalo, pigs, and sheep. The livestock is preferably poultry, and more preferably chickens.

[0033] (Livestock Feed) The livestock feed of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the livestock feed") contains LMA, DLM, GAA, and a basal feed. That is, the livestock feed may contain the feed additive and a basal feed. The livestock feed may further contain a carrier. Details of the ingredients contained in the livestock feed and the feed additive, such as LMA, DLM, GAA, and a carrier, are as described above.

[0034] The basal feed is a feed composition that can be combined with the present feed additive, and is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used as livestock feed. Examples of feed ingredients contained in the basal feed include corn, rice, wheat (barley, wheat), milo, grain sorghum, soybean meal, rapeseed meal, bran, defatted rice bran, fish meal, skim milk powder, dried whey, alfalfa meal, North Sea meal, soybean oil, palm oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, animal fats and oils (meat meal, chicken meal, lard, beef tallow, etc.), wheat flour, meat and bone meal (feather meal), calcium phosphate, corn gluten meal, corn distiller's grain soluble, corn jam meal, molasses, calcium carbonate, triphosphate, etc. Examples of suitable additives include calcium, sodium chloride, choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium pantothenate, nicotinamide, folic acid, etc.), amino acids other than LMA and DLM (lysine, threonine, etc.), trace inorganic salts (magnesium sulfate, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, potassium iodide, cobalt sulfate, selenium compounds, etc.), organic acids (formic acid, fumaric acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, etc.), enzymes (phytase, etc.), live bacteria agents, prebiotics, and killed bacteria agents.

[0035] Since the livestock feed contains LMA, DLM, and GAA, it can improve the weight gain and feed conversion rate of livestock. Livestock that are fed the livestock feed include the livestock described above.

[0036] The contents of LMA, DLM, and GAA in the present livestock feed may be set based on the component composition of the basal feed so as to satisfy the methionine requirement of livestock. Since the component composition of the basal feed is usually adjusted according to the growth stage of the livestock, the contents of these components may be adjusted according to the component composition of the basal feed to which LMA, DLM, and GAA (or the present feed additive) are blended.

[0037] The content of LMA in the livestock feed may be, for example, 0.01% by mass to 3.00% by mass, 0.02% by mass to 2.50% by mass, 0.03% by mass to 2.00% by mass, or 0.05% by mass to 1.00% by mass. The content of DLM in the livestock feed may be, for example, 0.01% by mass to 4.00% by mass, 0.03% by mass to 3.00% by mass, 0.05% by mass to 2.00% by mass, or 0.10% by mass to 1.00% by mass. The content of GAA in the livestock feed may be, for example, 0.01% by mass to 2.00% by mass, 0.01% by mass to 1.50% by mass, 0.02% by mass to 1.00% by mass, or 0.03% by mass to 0.50% by mass.

[0038] The mass ratio of LMA to DLM (LMA / DLM) contained in the livestock feed may be 0.05 or more, 0.1 or more, 0.3 or more, or 0.5 or more. LMA / DLM may be 10.0 or less, 5.0 or less, 3.0 or less, or 2.0 or less. LMA / DLM may be 0.05 or more and 10.0 or less, 0.1 or more and 5.0 or less, 0.3 or more and 3.0 or less, or 0.5 or more and 2.0 or less.

[0039] The GAA content in this livestock feed may be 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, or 18% by mass or more of the total amount of LMA and DLM. The GAA content in this livestock feed may be 50% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, or 25% by mass or less of the total amount of LMA and DLM. The GAA content in this livestock feed may be 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, 15% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, 15% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, 15% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less, 18% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, or 18% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less of the total amount of LMA and DLM.

[0040] The livestock feed may be produced by mixing LMA, DLM, GAA, and a basal feed, by mixing the feed additive with a basal feed, or by mixing LMA, DLM, GAA, and the feed ingredients that make up the basal feed. Mixing of LMA, DLM, GAA, and the basal feed (or feed ingredients) may be carried out by adding all of these ingredients to a mixing vessel, or by sequentially adding each ingredient to the mixing vessel and mixing. When the livestock feed contains a methionine hydroxy analog, the methionine hydroxy analog may be solidified by being supported on a solid carrier and mixed with the remaining ingredients contained in the livestock feed.

[0041] The livestock feed can be ingested by livestock. The livestock feed can be used in a method for raising livestock and / or a method for improving weight gain and feed conversion rate in livestock. Both the method for raising livestock and the method for improving weight gain and feed conversion rate in livestock comprise a step of feeding the livestock feed to livestock. The livestock feed can be used to improve weight gain and feed conversion rate in livestock.

[0042] The amount of the livestock feed ingested by livestock may be set so as to satisfy the methionine requirement of the livestock. The livestock feed may be ingested throughout the entire rearing period of the livestock, or during a specific period of the rearing period. When the livestock is poultry, it is preferable to ingest the livestock feed throughout the entire rearing period of the poultry.

[0043] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0044] The raw materials used in Test Examples 1 and 2 are as follows: DLM: DL-methionine (purity: 99%); LMA: DL-methionine hydroxy analog (purity: 88%); GAA: guanidinoacetic acid (purity: 96%); Diatomaceous earth: Radiolite #200, Showa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.; Zeolite: Minezeon #7, Nitto Funka Kogyo Co., Ltd.; Perlite: Topco 5B, Showa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.; Hydrous silicon dioxide: CARPLEX XR, Evonik.

[0045] [Test Example 1] [Preparation of basal feed] Basal feeds (1) to (3) containing the ingredients as shown in Table 1 were prepared.

[0046]

[0047] The metabolizable energy and content of each component calculated from the component composition of basal diets (1) to (3) are shown in Table 2 (calculated values ​​based on the Japanese Standard Feed Composition Table (2009 edition)). Table 2 also shows the sufficiency rate of the calculated metabolizable energy and content of each component relative to the requirements of broilers (Ross Nutrition Specification 2019).

[0048]

[0049] [Preparation of Feed Additives] DLM, LMA, and GAA were mixed in the proportions shown in Table 3 (1-6), (2-6), and (3-6) to prepare the feed additives.

[0050] [Preparation of livestock feed] Livestock feeds were prepared by mixing the feed additive obtained above and basal feeds (1) to (3) in the proportions shown in Table 3 (1-6), (2-6), and (3-6). The other livestock feeds in Table 3 were prepared by mixing DLM, LMA, GAA, and basal feeds (1) to (3) in the proportions shown in Table 3. The total content of DLM and LMA in the livestock feed was set to be 98% of the total amount of methionine and cystine required by broilers (the column "digestible methionine + cystine" in Table 2).

[0051] For example, 997.2 kg of the basal feed (1) was weighed and placed in the tank of a ribbon mixer (RM-300, manufactured by Fuji Denki Co., Ltd.), and while mixing at a predetermined rotation speed, 2.8 kg of DLM was added and mixed for a further 10 minutes to obtain 1,000 kg of livestock feed (1-1). Other livestock feeds were mixed in the same manner to obtain the required amounts.

[0052]

[0053] (Test Animals) Male broilers were used in the test. Sixteen broilers were assigned to one group (replicate), with seven replicates in each test area.

[0054] (Test Period) The test period was from 0 to 42 days of age of the broilers.

[0055] (Test Groups) Six test groups were set up as shown in Table 4. The test period was divided into an early period from 0 to 7 days of age, a middle period from 8 to 21 days of age, and a late period from 22 to 42 days of age, and the broilers were fed the livestock feed shown in Table 4 during each period.

[0056]

[0057] (Evaluation) After the test, the average weight gain (weight gain during the test period = weight at the end of the test - weight before the start of the test) and feed conversion ratio (= feed intake during the test period / weight gain during the test period) of the broilers were calculated for each test group. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0058]

[0059] As described above, test group 6, in which broilers were fed livestock feed containing LMA, DLM, and GAA in addition to the basal feed, showed improved weight gain and feed conversion rate compared to the other test groups 1 to 5.

[0060] [Test Example 2] [Preparation of basal feed] Basal feeds (4) to (6) containing the ingredients as shown in Table 6 were prepared.

[0061]

[0062] The metabolizable energy and content of each component calculated from the component composition of basal diets (4) to (6) are shown in Table 7 (calculated values ​​based on the Japanese Standard Feed Composition Table (2009 edition)). Table 7 also shows the sufficiency rate of the calculated metabolizable energy and content of each component relative to the requirements of broilers (Ross Nutrition Specification 2019).

[0063]

[0064] [Feed Additive Preparation] Feed additives were prepared using DLM, LMA, GAA, and a carrier in the proportions shown in Table 8. Specifically, when preparing this feed additive for producing 1,000 kg of livestock feed (4-1), 4.8 kg of diatomaceous earth was placed in the container of a universal mixer "30DM-rr." While stirring at 68 rpm, 1.7 kg of LMA was added in small portions to the container. The mixture was stirred for 5 minutes to fully impregnate the diatomaceous earth with the LMA, then stopped and the impregnation status was confirmed. Next, 1.5 kg of DLM and 0.6 kg of GAA were added to the container and stirred for an additional 5 minutes, yielding a total of 8.6 kg of this feed additive. The feed additives to be mixed with livestock feeds (4-2) to (6-3) were prepared in the same manner.

[0065] [Preparation of Livestock Feed] Livestock feed was prepared by mixing the feed additive obtained above and basal feeds (4) to (6) in the proportions shown in Table 8. The total content of DLM and LMA in the livestock feed was set to 98-100% of the total amount of methionine and cystine required for broilers (see the "Digestible Methionine + Cystine" column in Table 7). For example, if 1,000 kg of livestock feed (4-1) was required, 991.4 kg of basal feed (4) was weighed and placed in the tank of a ribbon mixer (RM-300, Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.). While mixing at a predetermined rotation speed, 8.6 kg of the feed additive obtained above was added, and the mixture was further mixed for 10 minutes to obtain 1,000 kg of livestock feed (4-1). Other livestock feeds were mixed in the same manner to obtain the required amounts.

[0066]

[0067] (Test Animals) Male broilers were used in the test. Ten broilers were assigned to one group (replicate), and the number of replicates in each test group was four.

[0068] (Test Period) The test period was from 0 to 42 days of age of the broilers.

[0069] (Test Groups) Three test groups were set up as shown in Table 9. The test period was divided into an early period from 0 to 7 days of age, a middle period from 8 to 21 days of age, and a late period from 22 to 42 days of age, and the broilers were fed the livestock feed shown in Table 9 during each period.

[0070]

[0071] (Evaluation) After the test, the average weight gain (weight gain during the test period = weight at the end of the test - weight before the start of the test) and feed conversion ratio (= feed intake during the test period / weight gain during the test period) of the broilers were calculated for each test group. The results are shown in Table 10.

[0072]

[0073] As shown in Table 10, test area 8, which used zeolite, showed the best results.

[0074] In addition to the above, feed additives can be prepared with the compositions shown in Tables 11 and 12. The obtained feed additives can be mixed with livestock feed in the same manner as above and given to livestock to improve weight gain and feed conversion ratio.

[0075]

[0076]

Claims

1. A feed additive comprising a methionine hydroxy analogue and / or a calcium salt thereof, methionine and / or a salt thereof, and guanidinoacetic acid and / or a salt thereof.

2. The feed additive of claim 1, further comprising a carrier.

3. The feed additive according to claim 2, wherein the carrier comprises a solid carrier, and the solid carrier carries a methionine hydroxy analogue.

4. A livestock feed comprising a methionine hydroxy analogue and / or a calcium salt thereof, methionine and / or a salt thereof, guanidinoacetic acid and / or a salt thereof, and a basal feed.

5. The livestock feed of claim 4, further comprising a carrier.

6. The livestock feed of claim 5, wherein the carrier comprises a solid carrier, and the solid carrier carries a methionine hydroxy analogue.

7. A method for raising livestock, comprising a step of feeding the livestock feed according to any one of claims 4 to 6 to livestock.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the livestock is poultry.

9. A method for improving weight gain and feed conversion in livestock, comprising a step of feeding the livestock feed according to any one of claims 4 to 6 to the livestock.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the livestock is poultry.

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