A FEED COMPOSITION FOR YOUNG ANIMALS

Abstract: The present invention relates to a feed-stuff for young animals, particularly piglets, to be administered during the first weeks of life and comprising starch, vitamins, and minerals, whereby it has a composition which in general resembles the composition of the mother milk with regard to the ratio of casein to whey proteins, that the lactose contents has been adopted to the lactose content of the mother milk, that the starch present is gelatinized and is substantially free of fibers and other mineral and trace substance binding carbohydrate complexes, and that it contains organic, acidifying compounds to maintain a low pH in the stomach.

Description: A FEED COMPOSITION FOR YOUNG ANIMALS DESCRIPTION Technical field The present invention relates a starting feed-stuff for young animals, particularly for piglets, but also for ruminants and deer, to be added during the first weeks of their lives, typi¬ cally from the age of one week to four weeks. The object of the present invention is to obtain a starting feed-stuff intended for young animals, particularly piglets, by means of which feed-stuff, administered when the animals are one to four weeks old, only, one stimulates the animal to an early feed-stuff intake and thereby promotes the animal's own production of particularly protein and starch reducing enzymes. Another object of the present invention is further to obtain a starting feed-stuff which by means of its composition, function and physical shape is particularly suited as carrier for vita¬ mins, carbohydrates, different proteins with the aim of increa¬ sing the i mmuno Iogi c a I status, fat, minerals, micro nutrients, such as i ron, probiotics, such as positively acting bacteria, and antibacterial substances. A further object of the present invention is to obtain a start¬ ing feed-stuff which by means of an ideal composition and tas¬ te, without then disturbing the gast ro-i ntest i na I functions of the animals is consumed at an early stage by the piglets, whe¬ reby the affliction on the mother animal can be reduced by re¬ duced demands for milk production, and thereby the mother ani¬ mal can better maintain its body weight and nutri ional-physio¬ logical status. Background of the invention It is commonly known that piglets during their early growth and weaning period in many cases are caught by disasterous diarr¬ hoea conditions. These conditions are many times caused by the inabi lity of the animals to assimi late nutritional elements from the intestine whereby undigested nutrients wi ll end up in the large intestine, where they are a substrate for an undesi- red intestinal bacterial flora. The total mortality including dead born piglets in a Swedish and international pig breeding is today as high as 20 to 25%. Many of these piglets are also prior to their death the object of an intense care as they already at birth has under weight and e.g. iron anaemia. Problems that causes a bad start of li- fe. The lack of iron, which is caused by the rapid growth of the pig and the low contents of iron in the sow milk can partly be compensated for by iron injections, but partly these are costly, partly the effect is not particularly durable. To add adequate amounts of iron orally to the piglets at an early stage is thus a great demand, the problem is to get the piglets to consume this iron in quantities large enough, without dis¬ turbing the other gast o-intestina I functions of the animals. Adding to this is the problem that under-weight and anaemic piglets very often refuse to eat additional feed-stuff and the- reby the introduction and the consumption of more iron rich feed-stuffs is further delayed. Moreover, the health status of the mother animal is further afflicted by a prolonged sucking. Different additional feed-stuffs have been proposed to increase the palatabi lity and to increase the administration of iron via these. Thus diets based on oat flakes are often a palatable source which the piglets accepts. Oat flakes alone, however, do not provide a balanced feeding status, and, moreover, the fytin content makes e.g. the iron resorption more difficult. Additio¬ nal feed-stuffs based on cereal grains are thus from this point of view unsuitable as carriers of iron preparations Description of the present invention It has now surprisingly been found possible to be able to eli¬ minate these problems by means of the present invention which is characterized in that the starting feed-stuff has a compo¬ sition which in general resembles the composition of the mother mi lk with regard to the ratio of casein to whey proteins, and that the starch present is gelatinized and is substantially free of fibers and other mineral and trace substance binding carbohydrate complexes, and that it contains organic, acidi- fying compounds to maintain a low pH in the stomach. Further characteristics are evident from the accompanying c lai ms . The content of organic, acidifying compounds to maintain a re¬ latively low pH in the stomach is citric acid or lactic acid or another organic acid obtained by Lactobaci llus or other simi lar acid forming bacteria which grow on a substrate containing i .a. lactulose to promote the survival of these I actobac i I lae . The starting feed-stuff should as a rule not contain any larger amounts of saccharides of the type which can not be resorbed in the upper ga st ro-i ntest na I tract. Further the feed-stuff should not contain more than 0.3% of Na. In order to guarantee a complete resorption the feed-stuff may, if it i s so deemed necessary, contain carbohydrate digesting enzymes such as cellulases, amylases, lactase, or proteolytic enzymes in order to faci litate the digestion of proteins in the intestine. One part of the feed-stuff consists of a particular base of the feed-stuff which base is a fraction of casein and whey proteins having been digested by Lactobaci llus. The d igest i on/ aci di f i ca¬ tion hereby takes place at pH 5.8 for a time period of normally 4 to 10 hrs at a temperature of 37 to 45 C. The invention wi ll be described more in detai l with reference to the Examples given however, without being restricted there¬ to. EXAMPLE 1 ~ ~ First a base was prepared which base consisted of 40 % of whey 2 % of dry yeast (proteins, nutritional salts, vitamins) 5-8 % ofsodium and/or potassium caseinate 50 % of fat (tallow, lard, rape oil, soya oil, or a mixture thereof) q.s. antioxidants (to protect the fat present) which base, with the exception for the fat content, is first subjected to a fermentation in the presence of Lactobaci llus buLgaricus and Streptococcus thermophi lus to pH 5.8 for a time period of 6 hrs at a temperature of 42 C. The acidified casein- whey part was spray-dried and the fat above was added thereto. The fat is hereby bound into the casein-whey powder to the for- mation of a substantially dry base. 60 % of the above base 10 % of vegetabilic proteins (from potato or carbohydrate freed soya) 10 % of animalic protein 5-15 % of gelatinized starch 1 % of wheat germs 1 % of citric acid 1 % of lyzed yeast 1 % of dextrose 3 % premix (vitamins, minerals, trace elements, probiotics, Lactulose, and carrier) were dry mixed and shaped into granules or pellets having a size of 2 to 5 mm and a length of 3 to 10 mm. These granules or pellets are administered ad libitum to the resting place of the piglets and have thereby turned out to be well accepted, whereby the time for introduction and consump¬ tion of the ordinary feed-stuff for piglets has been able to be made one or two weeks earlier. The result has further been a considerable reduction in the number of appearing diarrhoeas. A positive lowering of the pH in the stomach at an early age has further been observed. A low pH in the stomach is important to stop unsuitable bacteria to pass through the stomach and there¬ by cause di ar rhoea . The iron content is preferably in the form of iron sulphate, but also other iron compounds, such as EDTA-iron can be used. EXAMPLE 2 A feed-stuff for young calves was prepared in accordance with the following formula; 34.0 % of fat (tallow, lard, rape oil, soya oil, or a mixture thereof ) 2.0 % of starch 27.0 % of skim milk powder 18.0 % of desalted whey powder 11.5 % of Na-caseinate 6.0 % of potato protein 1.5 % of pre ix of vitamins and minerals The ingredients were carefully mixed and pelletized. The final feed-stuff contains 32% of protein, 35 % of fat, 20% of lacto¬ se, and 0% of f i be rs . The feed-stuff not be pelletized if the animals are very young as the feed-stuff can then be added in the form of an aqueous suspension to a dry solids content of 12%. EXAMPLE 3 A feed-stuff for young deer was prepared in accordance with the following formula: 24.0 % of fat (tallow, lard, rape oil, soya oil or a mixture 5 thereof) 12.5 % of skim milk powder 20.5 7. of egg yolk powder 26.0 % of desalted whey 2.0 % of starch ° 14.0 % of Na-caseinate 1.0 % of premix of vitamins and minerals The ingredients were carefully mixed and pelletized. The compo¬ sition of the feed-stuff was 32% of proteins, 36% of fat, 15% of lactose, and 0% of fibers. 5 The feed-stuff for young deer need not necessarily be pelleti¬ zed but can be administered as a powder suspended in water to a dry solids contents of 20%. 0 5 0 5

Claims: -η- CLAIMS 1. Starting feed-stuff to be administered to young animals, particularly piglets, ruminants, and deer during the first weeks of life and comprising starch, vitamins, and minerals, characterized in that the starting feed-stuff has a composition which in general resembles the composition of the mother milk with regard to the ratio of casein to whey proteins, that the lactose contents has been adopted to the lactose content of the mother milk, that the starch present is gelatinized and is sub¬ stantially free of fibers and other mineral and trace substance binding carbohydrate complexes, and that it contains organic, acidifying compounds to maintain a low pH in the stomach, whe¬ reby the ratio casein to whey protein is 1:5-8, and whereby the feed-stuff at a suspension in water gives a pH of 5.8 or more. 2. Staring feed-stuff according to claim 1, characterized in that casein and whey proteins are present in the form of spray dried product having been fermented with lactic acid producing bacteria. 3. Starting feed-stuff according to claim 2, characterized in that the product has been provided with fat in the relationship 1 :1 ( casein/whey: fat ) . 4. Starting feed-stuff according to claim 1-3, characterized in that it contains about 24 % of whey proteins, about 3-5 % ca¬ sein, about 30 % of fat, about 10 % of a vegetabi lic protein, about 10 % animalic protein, about 5-15 % of gelatinized starch, about 1 % citric acid, about 1 % of lyzed yeast, about 1 % of dextrose, and about 3 % of vitamins and minerals. 5. Starting feed-stuff according to claim 2, characterized in that the casein/whey proteins are fermented using Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophi lus .

Inventors: JUNGVID HANS, JUNGVID, HANS
Applicants: JUNGVID HANS AB, HANS JUNGVID AKTIEBOLAG
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A23K1
IPC codes: A23C11, A23K1