JP7661378B2 - Formula feed for laying hens - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a compound feed for laying hens, and more specifically to a compound feed with high metabolic energy that reduces food intake while maintaining egg production.

Poultry farming includes layer chickens and broiler chickens, and they are raised on feed that is appropriate for their developmental stage. In conventional technology, the metabolizable energy (ME) per kg of feed for layer chickens is generally 2,850 kcal/kg, and there have been reported cases where egg production and egg weight have decreased when the ME exceeds 3,000 kcal/kg, so compound feed with such high metabolic energy is not normally used.

For example, Non-Patent Document 1 describes the effects of differences in crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) in the feed of commercial laying hens raised in a hot environment on the amount of food eaten, egg production rate, egg weight, feed conversion rate, etc., and states that the best performance was achieved when the ME was 2700 kcal/kg, but when it was 3100 kcal/kg, all performance showed a tendency to decrease. Furthermore, Non-Patent Document 2 describes that when feeding different feeds with metabolic energy (AMEn) of 2700, 2775, 2850, 2925, or 3000 kcal/kg, both egg production rate and egg weight decreased as the AMEn increased (p≦0.05).

Patent Document 1 discloses a feed additive for laying hens that contains 8 to 16 parts by weight of fats and oils, 12 to 20 parts by weight of vegetable protein, and 2 to 5 parts by weight of methionine and has a metabolic energy of 4,000 kcal/kg or more, in order to prevent a decrease in productivity of laying hens during the cold season, such as a decrease in survival rate and egg yield. However, details such as the metabolic energy value and consumption amount of compound feed prepared using this feed additive are unknown.

Almeida VR et al. , Crude protein and metabolizable energy levels for layers reared in hot climates. Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science, 2012/v. 14/n. 3/159-232 Ribeiro PAP et al. , Effect of dietary energy concentration on performance parameters and egg quality of white leghorn laying hens. Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science, 2014/v. 16/n. 4/381-388

Special Publication No. 3-58254

Thus, various studies have been conducted on the productivity of laying hens and the metabolic energy of feed, but increasing the metabolic energy of feed does not necessarily increase egg productivity, and it has been believed that the crude protein or amino acid levels in the feed are the most important nutrients that affect the performance of laying hens.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a new compound feed that has metabolic energy of approximately 3000 kcal/kg or more and has egg production rates and egg weights equivalent to or greater than those of general compound feeds, in order to increase feed efficiency from a comprehensive perspective, including not only egg productivity but also a reduction in feed intake and fecal volume.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems by adjusting the type and amount of soybean meal used as an ingredient in compound feed, supplementing essential amino acids to improve amino acid utilization efficiency, and adding fats and oils to increase metabolic energy levels.

That is, the present invention includes the following embodiments.
(1) A compound feed for laying hens containing grains, soybean meal and fats and oils, and having a metabolizable energy of 2,960 to 3,100 kcal/kg.
(2) A compound feed for laying hens according to (1), in which the blending ratio of soybean meal is 15 to 30 mass%.
(3) The feed for laying hens according to (1) or (2), wherein the blending ratio of fats and oils is 3.5 to 6% by mass.
(4) A compound feed for laying hens described in any one of (1) to (3), having a crude protein content of less than 18.5% by mass, a lysine content of 0.75% by mass or more, and a total content of methionine and cystine of 0.65% by mass or more.
(5) A compound feed for laying hens described in any one of (1) to (4), having a crude fiber content of less than 2.5%.
(6) A compound feed for laying hens containing grains, soybean meal and fats and oils, the blending ratio of soybean meal being 15 to 30% by mass or more, the blending ratio of fats and oils being 3.5 to 6% by mass, the crude protein content being less than 18.5% by mass, the lysine content being 0.75% by mass or more, the total content of methionine and cystine being 0.65% by mass or more, the crude fiber content being less than 2.5%, and the metabolic energy being 2960 to 3100 kcal/kg.
(7) A compound feed for egg-laying hens according to any one of (1) to (6), for reducing the feed conversion ratio (feed intake/egg production) when egg-laying hens are allowed to freely ingest feed to 2.0 or less over the entire period from 18 to 51 weeks of age.
(8) A compound feed for laying hens according to any one of (1) to (7) for reducing feces volume.
(9) A compound feed for laying hens according to any one of (1) to (8) for reducing the incidence of dirty eggs.

The compound feed for laying hens of the present invention has egg production rates and egg weights equal to or greater than those of general compound feeds, while improving overall feed efficiency by reducing the amount of feed consumed and feces.

FIG. 1 is a graph showing the weekly food intake of laying hens (Julia Light) fed in the control group, the example 1 group, and the example 2 group. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) for each week of laying hens (Julia Light) fed in the control group, the example 1 group, and the example 2 group.

(Definition)
In this specification, "laying hens" refers to hens (chickens) that lay eggs to be shipped for consumption. Brands of commercial hens raised for egg production include Julia Light and Boris Brown. Female chicks are kept in groups in brood cages until they reach about 120 days of age, after which they are moved to adult cages for egg production. Laying hens start laying eggs at about 150 days of age, lay the most eggs at 32-36 weeks of age (224-252 days of age), and then the egg production rate gradually decreases and they are used for production until they reach 80-85 weeks of age (560-595 days of age) (Tasaki Takeo, "Chicken Farming Handbook", Yokendo, 1993, p. 244).

In this specification, "eating amount" refers to the amount of feed eaten, and is synonymous with "feed intake." "Formulated feed" refers to a mixture and preparation of two or more types of feed ingredients according to a certain formula to provide sufficient nutrition to the target livestock. "Soybean meal" refers to the residue remaining after squeezing soybeans, which contain about 20% oil. Powder made by grinding soybean meal is also called soybean meal. Soybean meal contains about 44% to 48% crude protein and has an excellent amino acid balance.

As used herein, "metabolic energy" refers to apparent metabolic energy, and means the total energy of ingested feed minus the total energy contained in feces, urine, and gaseous digestive products. The metabolic energy of each feed composition can be actually measured using a general method for measuring the amount of energy. Furthermore, the metabolic energy value of chicken feed is generally calculated based on the ME value, etc., listed in the composition table of the Japanese Standard Feed Composition Tables (2009 edition, compiled by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization), so such a calculation method can also be used.

(Formulated feed for laying hens)
In one embodiment of the present invention, a compound feed for laying hens is provided, which contains grains, soybean meal, and oils and fats, and has a metabolic energy of about 2960 to 3100 kcal/kg. In a preferred embodiment, the metabolic energy of this compound feed is about 3000 to 3100 kcal/kg. The soybean meal component contained in the feed of this embodiment may be either so-called "low-pro soybean meal" with a crude protein content of about 44% or so-called "high-pro soybean meal" with a crude protein content of about 48%. The crude protein content of normal soybean meal is about 44% and is called low-pro soybean meal, whereas dehulled soybeans are called high-pro soybean meal. The crude protein content of this dehulled soybean meal is about 48%, which is about 10% higher than that of normal soybean meal. In this embodiment, it is preferable that at least a portion of the soybean meal contains dehulled soybean meal, and it is even more preferable to use substantially all dehulled soybean meal. There is no particular restriction on the type of dehulled soybean meal, and any commercially available one can be used. For example, Showa Sangyo's brand name "HiPro Soybean (meal)" can be mentioned as an example. Here, "substantially all" means that as long as the effects described below are obtained, even if a small amount of normal soybean meal is unintentionally mixed in, it is acceptable.

In the feed of this embodiment, by using dehulled soybean meal for at least a portion, or substantially all, of the soybean meal component, the amount of soybean meal required to ensure the same level of protein content can be reduced to about 10%. As a result, in the feed of this embodiment, the soybean meal content may be about 15-30% by mass of the total amount of the feed, and is preferably in the range of about 18-25% by mass.

In the early egg-laying stage, hens continue to grow into the large chick stage, and once egg-laying begins, the egg production rate and egg weight increase dramatically, leading to an increase in egg production. This is why the importance of protein and amino acid content in feed during the egg-laying stage has been pointed out. In particular, egg weight is said to be greatly affected by the amount of crude protein (methionine) intake in the feed. On the other hand, if the crude protein level in the feed is increased, one of the other ingredients must be reduced in compensation. Therefore, in the compound feed of this embodiment, even if the crude protein content is less than 18.5% by mass, the lysine content is set to 0.75% by mass or more, and the total content of methionine and cystine is set to 0.65% by mass or more, thereby maintaining an optimal amino acid balance and increasing the freedom of compound feed design.

In a preferred embodiment of the feed, the amount of grains (corn, milo, etc.) and fats and oils, which are the main ingredients of the feed, can be increased compared to conventional feeds by the amount of soybean meal content reduced. Specifically, the amount of grains can be increased to approximately 60% by mass, and the amount of fats and oils can be increased to approximately 3.5 to 6% by mass.

Energy is an important nutrient for egg laying. In general, fat is added to increase the amount of energy. However, since fat has a lower digestibility than starch, it is said that high-fat feed puts a strain on the stomach and intestines because it has a long intestinal retention time. In the compound feed of this embodiment, the amount of oil and fat is set to 3.5 to 6 mass%, thereby increasing the metabolic energy amount of the feed while suppressing the strain on the stomach and intestines. The oil and fat used as a raw material for the feed of this embodiment may be either vegetable oil or animal oil, but animal oil and fat are preferred from the viewpoint of cost. "Vegetable oil and fat" refers to oil and fat derived from plant seeds, such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sesame oil, palm oil, olive oil, and safflower oil. "Animal oil and fat" is a general term for oil and fat obtained from animals, and includes, for example, medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides derived from animals such as pigs, cows, and chickens, tallow, yellow grease (YG), lard, head, etc.

The raw materials other than soybean meal and animal fats to be mixed into the compound feed of this embodiment may be any material known in the art without any particular restrictions. Examples of such raw materials include grains such as rice, brown rice, rye, wheat, barley, corn, milo, and soybeans; corn gluten meal, corn germ meal, corn gluten feed, and corn steep liquor; vegetable oils and fats such as linseed oil cake and palm oil cake; vegetable oils and fats such as soybean oil and rice oil; inorganic salts such as magnesium sulfate, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, potassium iodide, cobalt sulfate, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, sodium chloride, calcium phosphate, and choline chloride; amino acids such as lysine and methionine; vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, vitamin E, calcium pantothenate, nicotinamide, and folic acid; animal feeds such as fish meal, skim milk powder, and dried whey; fresh grass; and hay.

The amount of each ingredient in the compounded feed for laying hens of the present invention may be increased or decreased as appropriate according to the age of the laying hens, within the above composition range. For example, in the early laying stage (around 17 to 39 weeks of age), the egg production rate increases as the hens grow, so the amount of crude protein may be increased, and in the middle laying stage (around 40 to 50 weeks of age) and late laying stage (after 50 weeks of age), the eggshell strength decreases as the hens age, so the amount of calcium and other ingredients used in eggshells may be increased.

In another aspect of the present invention, a compound feed for egg-laying hens is provided for reducing the feed conversion ratio (feed intake/egg production) when the egg-laying hens are allowed to freely ingest feed. As shown in the examples described below, the feed conversion ratio is preferably 2.0 or less for the entire season at 18 to 51 weeks of age. Alternatively, the feed conversion ratio at the peak of egg-laying (e.g., around 30 to 40 weeks of age) is preferably 1.8 or less. This effect is thought to be obtained by reducing the amount of food consumed while maintaining egg productivity. Therefore, when the typical egg-laying hens, Julia Light, are allowed to freely ingest feed, the average amount of food consumed is about 100 (g/day/bird) or less at 17 to 51 weeks of age, and about 110 (g/day/bird) or less even at the peak of egg-laying (e.g., around 30 to 40 weeks of age). By reducing the amount of food consumed by egg-laying hens, the effect of reducing the amount of chicken manure can also be obtained. Chicken manure is mainly processed into compost, but there are often cases during processing where odors and pests are generated, causing environmental problems for the surrounding area, and cases where the price of compost is so low that the processing costs cannot be recovered. Reducing the amount of chicken manure can be a major problem-solving measure at egg production sites.

The amount of chicken manure can also be reduced by reducing the crude fiber content in the feed. By using grains or protein ingredients with relatively low fiber content instead of high-fiber brans and vegetable oil cakes, the crude fiber content of the compound feed can be reduced. The compound feed of this embodiment does not use low-digestible soybeans, and by keeping the crude fiber content to less than 2.5%, preferably less than 2.0%, the amount of chicken manure associated with egg production can be reduced.

Furthermore, by reducing the amount of food consumed, sufficient nutrition can be provided even when the appetite of laying hens decreases in hot environments, and secondary effects can be obtained such as reduced feed transportation costs and improved marketability due to reduced dirty eggs caused by reduced chicken manure.

(Feeding time and method)
The timing of feeding the compound feed of this embodiment may be either the rearing period or the adult period of the laying hens, but it is preferable to feed during the adult period from the viewpoint of increasing egg productivity. There is no particular limitation on the feeding method, and examples thereof include ad libitum feeding or restricted feeding, but ad libitum feeding, which allows the hens to freely consume as much feed as they want at any time, is preferable. The form of the feed may be any of mash feed, pellet feed, and crumble feed.

Materials and Methods
Julia Light chickens were used as test chickens, and 100 chickens were used per test plot. Three test plots were set up in total as shown in Table 1. Phase 1 was from 17 weeks to 39 weeks of age when the large chicks were introduced, and Phase 2 was from 40 weeks to 51 weeks. The control plots used were control CP18 (phase 1) and control CP17 (phase 2) (both manufactured by Japan Feed Co., Ltd.), which are general layer chicken feeds. The test plots were Example 1, where ME was 3,000 kcal/kg and a 5% reduction in the amount of food consumed was expected, and Example 2, where ME was 3,050 kcal/kg and a 7% reduction in the amount of food consumed was expected. The mixture ratio and nutritional design value of the test feed were as shown in Tables 2-1 and 2-2. The raw materials for the test group were mainly composed of corn, soybean meal and animal fats (YG), with no low digestibility soybeans (rice bran, corn gluten feed, DDGS). The amount of YG added was set at an upper limit of 5.2% in consideration of the fluidity of the feed. The amino acid design was based on the Japanese Feed Standard Poultry (2011 edition) and on past tests, which was assumed to be able to meet the egg weight of the manual. The feeding management was in accordance with the Julia Light Manual, 3rd edition (Gen Corporation). The animals were fed ad libitum.

(Measurement items)
The egg-laying rate and egg weight were measured daily, and the weekly average was calculated. The amount of food consumed (g/bird/day) was calculated by measuring the amount of remaining food every 2 or 3 weeks and subtracting it from the amount of food fed. Body weights (n=20) were measured every week from 17 to 25 weeks, every 2 weeks from 26 to 37 weeks, and every 3 weeks from 38 weeks onwards. The weight of chicken droppings was measured at 27, 34 and 51 weeks of age. The weight of fresh droppings and the weight of dry matter for 3 days (n=50) were calculated. The incidence of dirty eggs was measured from 34 to 51 weeks of age. Regardless of the amount of chicken droppings attached, all eggs that had chicken droppings attached to them were judged to be dirty eggs.

<Results and Discussion>
The production results during the test period are shown in Table 3, Figures 1 and 2. The egg-laying rates during the test period were 89.8, 89.4 and 89.1% for the control, Example 1 and Example 2, respectively, which were good results compared to the manual value of 82.6%. The egg weights during the test period were 59.7, 59.4 and 59.5g for the control, Example 1 and Example 2, respectively, which were good results compared to the manual value of 59.4g. The amount of food consumed during the test period was 108.0, 101.5 and 99.2g/day/bird for the control, Example 1 and Example 2, respectively, and the amount of food consumed was reduced by 6% and 8% for Example 1 and Example 2, respectively, compared to the control. According to Figure 1, which shows the weekly changes in food intake, it was lower in Example 1 and Example 2 groups than in the control group throughout the entire period, but during the 30-40 week period including the peak egg-laying period, the control group exceeded 110 g/day/bird, whereas it was lower in Example 1 and Example 2 groups. ME intake was 308, 304 and 302 kcal/day/bird in the control group, Example 1 and Example 2 groups, respectively, and CP intake was 19.1, 16.4 and 16.5 g/day/bird in the control group, Example 1 and Example 2 groups, respectively.

The above results suggest that the layer's intake is regulated by ME intake, not CP, as in the test results in Non-Patent Document 2. Feed conversion ratios (FCRs) were 2.01, 1.91, and 1.87 for the control, Example 1, and Example 2 groups, respectively, over the entire period from 18 to 51 weeks, resulting in improvements of 0.10 and 0.14 for Example 1 and Example 2 groups compared to the control group. As shown in Figure 2, the FCR at the peak of egg laying (e.g., around 30 to 40 weeks of age) was 1.88 for the control group, and 1.77 and 1.74 for Example 1 and Example 2 groups, respectively. This is due to the fact that the daily egg mass was similar, but the intake was reduced. The survival rate remained high at 99% in all groups.

In a study conducted by Ribeiro et al. (Non-Patent Document 2) using feed with ME of 3000 kcal/kg or more, similar to this study, it was found that increasing the ME in the feed reduced the amount of food eaten, but at the same time, the egg mass per day decreased. This is presumably because, since the amino acid values of each feed were constant, the intake of each nutrient, including amino acids, decreased as the amount of food eaten decreased.

In this study, by using highly digestible ingredients in addition to designing a well-balanced mix of amino acids, we believe that we were able to maintain high egg production and reduce food intake by more than 5%, even when using feed with an ME of 3,000 kcal/kg or more.

The changes in body weight during the test period are shown in Table 4. Throughout the test period, the Example 1 and Example 2 groups maintained a higher body weight than the control group. This was thought to be due to the fact that, in addition to the intake of less water-soluble fiber, which inhibits nutrient absorption, compared to the control group, the amount of excess protein intake was also less, allowing the animals to save energy on protein excretion.

The chicken droppings weights measured at 27, 34 and 51 weeks of age are shown in Table 5. The average fresh droppings weights (50 birds, 3 days) at 27, 34 and 51 weeks of age were 15.5, 12.5 and 12.0 kg for the control, Example 1 and Example 2 groups, respectively, which were 80% and 77% of the control group for Example 1 and Example 2 groups, respectively. Similarly, the average dry droppings weights (50 birds, 3 days) were 4.4, 3.1 and 3.2 kg for the control, Example 1 and Example 2 groups, respectively, which were 70% and 72% of the control group for Example 1 and Example 2 groups, respectively. The decrease in chicken droppings weight in both test groups was thought to be due to a decrease in the amount of food eaten, as well as a decrease in the intake of fiber that chickens cannot digest and absorb.

The incidence of soiled eggs is shown in Table 6. The average incidence of soiled eggs from 34 to 51 weeks of age was 12.1, 9.7 and 8.9% for the control, Example 1 and Example 2 groups, respectively, resulting in a lower incidence of soiled eggs in the test group compared to the control group. This was thought to be due to a lower amount of chicken manure being discharged.

This test confirmed that high egg-laying performance was maintained and the amount of food consumed was reduced when the compound feed of the present invention, ME 3000 kcal/kg or 3050 kcal/kg, was used compared to a general control feed (ME 2850 kcal/kg). In addition, a reduction in feces weight and soiled egg production was confirmed compared to the control feed. From the above, it can be expected that the use of the compound feed of the present invention will improve egg production costs by reducing feed costs, delivery costs, feces disposal costs, and soiled eggs.

The compound feed of the present invention reduces the amount of food consumed by 5% or more and the feed requirement (FC) by 0.1 compared to conventional compound feed. In the poultry industry, the amount of feed used is reduced, which is expected to reduce transportation costs, and the amount of chicken droppings and dirty eggs are reduced, leading to improved product yields.

Claims (5)

Contains grains, soybean meal and animal fats and oils,
The blending ratio of the soybean meal is 18 to 25% by mass,
The blending ratio of the animal fats and oils is 3.5 to 6% by mass,
Crude protein content is 14 to 17% by mass;
Lysine content is 0.83 % by mass or more,
The total content of methionine and cystine is 0.74 % by mass or more,
A method for reducing the amount of feces and the incidence of dirty eggs in laying hens, comprising feeding the laying hens a compound feed having a crude fiber content of less than 2.0% by mass and a metabolizable energy of 2960 to 3100 kcal/kg. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is a Julia Light. The method according to claim 1 or 2, which can reduce the amount of feces to 72% or less in terms of dry feces weight ratio relative to a control feed , wherein the control feed is CP18 or CP17. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the incidence of dirty eggs can be reduced to 9.7% or less as an average value for eggs produced by laying hens aged 34 to 51 weeks. Contains grains, soybean meal and animal fats and oils,
The blending ratio of the soybean meal is 18 to 25% by mass,
The blending ratio of the animal fats and oils is 3.5 to 6% by mass,
Crude protein content is 14 to 17% by mass;
Lysine content is 0.83% by mass or more,
The total content of methionine and cystine is 0.74% by mass or more,
A crude fiber content of less than 2.0% by mass; and
A commercial egg production method comprising feeding laying hens a compound feed having a metabolizable energy of 2960 to 3100 kcal/kg.