Soft Moist Extruded Animal Feed for Weaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Young animals face challenges during weaning due to abrupt changes in diet and social structure, leading to digestive disruptions, growth retardation, and susceptibility to digestive issues, as they adapt from a liquid to a solid diet with potentially undigestible ingredients, and their immature immune systems make them prone to intestinal inflammation.
Innovation Solution
An extruded animal feed composition in the form of a soft, moist nugget with a moisture content of 12-20% and preservatives of 0.25-8% by weight, which is easier to digest and provides shelf stability, helping young animals transition from a liquid to a solid diet while maintaining gut integrity and function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If complex pelleted diets containing plasma protein and milk products are used to minimize postweaning lag, then growth performance is improved, but the digestive system of young animals is overwhelmed and intestinal inflammation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the feed by using extrusion processing to create a soft, moist texture with modified starch gelatinization. This alters the digestibility parameters of the feed, making complex ingredients more accessible to young animals' immature digestive systems while maintaining high nutritional value for growth performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite feed formulations containing plasma protein, milk products, and other nutritional components combined in specific ratios. This composite approach provides comprehensive nutrition for growth while the extrusion process ensures proper gelatinization and digestibility, preventing intestinal inflammation
2Quantity of substance
If hard pellet diets are used for weaning, then feed intake is reduced, but growth performance deteriorates due to digestive disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the feed from hard pellets to soft, moist extruded nuggets with specific moisture content (12-20%). This parameter change makes the feed more palatable and easier to digest for young animals, simultaneously increasing feed intake and maintaining growth performance
3Reliability
If feed with high moisture content is provided to improve digestibility, then gut integrity is maintained, but shelf stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the moisture content parameter to a specific range (12-20%) that balances digestibility and shelf stability. The extrusion process creates a gelatinized starch matrix that maintains this moisture level while preventing microbial growth, achieving both gut health benefits and adequate shelf life
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite formulations with preservatives and specific ingredient combinations that maintain feed stability at elevated moisture levels. This allows the feed to remain shelf-stable while providing the high moisture content needed for maintaining gut integrity in young animals
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The soft moist extruded feed improves feed intake and growth performance by 23-27% in the first week post-weaning and maintains these benefits over the next week, reducing growth lag and digestive issues compared to traditional hard pellet diets.
Implementation Method 1
The feed includes a moisture content of between about 12 and about 20 percent... a soft, moist nugget... easier to digest
Data Source
AI summary
The animal feed of the present invention is a soft extruded nugget with a chewy, moist interior. These nuggets have a high moisture content and preservatives. The animal feed also has a long shelf life given the high moisture content. The animal feed of this invention is provided to young animals after weaning from a liquid diet.