MEANS FOR IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND STATE OF HEALTH OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HANDLERS, FOR EXAMPLE IN HOG CONFINEMENTS AND HORSE STABLES

Abstract: The invention concerns means for improving the environment, for example in hog confinements and horse stables, and for keeping hogs and horses and other animals as well as human beings, for example animal handlers, in good health. The means consist of a mixture comprising on the one hand sarsaponines of the Yucca Schidigera plant and on the other hand garlic in appropriate form, and it is supplied commercially for blending into all kinds of feed in definite quantities so that the relevant animals receive appropriate proportions.

Description: TITLE MEANS FOR IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND STATE OF HEALTH OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HANDLERS, FOR EXAMPLE IN HOG CONFINEMENTS AND HORSE STABLES TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention concerns means for improving the environment and state of health of animals and farm hands for example in hog confinements and horse stables and for keeping hogs and horses and other animals as well as human beings, for example animal handlers, in good health. These means may be seen from the accompanying claims. STATE OF THE ART For example, modern raising of hogs has a plurality of problems to cope with, such as performing climate control in systems which tend to become increasingly larger and retain¬ ing a good state of health of stock in which one single infected hog or a new stable infection can cause the outbreak of illness in the complete stock. To this are added the health aspects with regard to the handler or handlers of animals. The statistics for the preservation of health of animals in terms of quality classification and recorded illnesses of hogs show that the average of illness remarks in slaughterhouses is approximately 20-30 per cent of the slaughtered animals, with recorded pneumonias and pleurisies being predominant. A plurality of these illness damages are attributed to unfavourable stable climates having too high content of ammonium gases, etc. in the stable air. Other damage to health may be caused by virus and bacteria. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In connection with developing the present invention it has been found that if saponines, particularly sarsaponines which have been extracted from the Yucca Schidigera plant (a desert palm tree which grows in Mexico and Southern Califor¬ nia) are added to animal feed in the form of a powder or in a solution the content of ammonium gas and sulphuric gas in the stable air can be effectively reduced and the consistency and homogeneity of the manure can be improved to a substantial degree and also that unpleasant odours for most animal species can be reduced. This leads to a better environment in the stable, better state of health, better growth, better utilization of feed and an easier and to the environment more friendly handling of stable manure in stables and in storage and spreading. The saponine powder may appropriately be administered in a quantity of between approximately 9 grams and 100 grams per ton feed, preferably approximately 18-35 grams per ton, well mixed into the completed feed, but other quantities may also be possible. Garlic and garlic powder have long been recognized as providing health to animals and human beings. The garlic is attributed good properties against colds and infections and is effective against coughs, bronchitis, asthma and stomach problems. Garlic contains allicine which is a virus killer and bacteria killer. Garlic powder (garlic concentrate) is administered in doses of between approximately 1 gram and 1000 grams, preferably approximately 1 gram, per slaughterhog and day, based on an average weight of 65 kilos, but other quantities may also be possible. Alternatively, garlic granulate or raw garlic can be used in the same or other appropriate quantities. According to the invention it is now proposed that a mixture - preprepared if desired - a so-called premix - consisting on the one hand of one or more powdery or liquid saponines, particularly sarsaponines, of natural or synthetic origin and on the other hand of garlic powder in solid or liquid form or garlic granulate or fresh garlic or allicine of synthetic origin be provided for being mixed into all kinds of feed in the quantities mentioned above so that the relevant animals receive appropriate proportions, wherein for providing an appropriate, easily handled premix and to faci¬ litate homogeneous intermixing, as an appropriate amount for the quantity of a completed mixture of saponine and garlic powder, between approximately 1 kilo and 5 kilos, preferably approximately 1 kilo, of the completed saponine/garlic powder mixture is blended in per ton completed feed. In keeping with this the mixture of saponine and garlic powder can be blended with an appropriate bulk product, for example feed calcium or flour, if desired with the addition of vitamins or other ingredients, in order to facilitate blending on the farm. Although specific quantities of saponines and garlic powder, respectively, have been mentioned above and are preferable it is emphasized that the protective scope of the patent concerns all possible commercial mixtures of feed in which saponine, particularly sarsaponine, and garlic are included.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Means for improving the environment and state of health of animals and farm hands, for example in hog confinements and horse stables, and for keeping hogs and horses and other animals as well as human beings, for example animal handlers, in good health, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it consists of a mixture - preprepared if desired - a so-called premix, consisting on the one hand of sarsaponines from the Yucca Schidigera plant, and on the other hand of garlic, for being blended into feed of all kinds. 2. Means in accordance with Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the quantity of the completed mixture of sarsaponine and garlic consists of between approximately 1 kilo and 5 kilos per ton completed feed, preferably approximately 1 kilo per ton completed feed. 3. Means in accordance with Claim or 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the sarsaponines consist of powdery or liquid sarsaponines of natural or synthetic origin. 4. Means in accordance with any one of Claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the garlic occurs as garlic powder in solid or liquid form or garlic granulates or garlic as fresh goods or allicine of synthetic origin. 5. Means in accordance with any one of Claims 1-4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the mixture of sarsaponine and garlic is mixed with an appropriate bulk product, for example feed calcium or flour, with a vitamin additive if desired.

Inventors: HULT GUNNAR, HULT HANS, HULT HELEN, HULT KRISTINA, HULT LARS, HULT MONICA, HULT PETER, HULT, GUNNAR, HULT, HANS, HULT, HELEN, HULT, KRISTINA, HULT, LARS, HULT, MONICA, HULT, PETER
Applicants: HULT GUNNAR, HULT HANS, HULT HELEN, HULT KRISTINA, HULT LARS, HULT MONICA, HULT PETER, HULT, GUNNAR, HULT, HANS, HULT, HELEN, HULT, KRISTINA, HULT, LARS, HULT, MONICA, HULT, PETER
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A23K1
IPC codes: A23K1