FEED ADDITIVE COMPOSITIONS
The present invention provides feed compositions comprising a basal animal diet supplemented with direct fed microbial (DFM) and at least one of a formulated yeast, a Capsicum product, and an antimicrobial clay. The feed compositions improve growth, general health, intestinal health, and reduce microbial pathogens in non-human animals fed the feed compositions.
1 . A feed composition for non-human animals comprising a basal animal diet supplemented with a combination of active ingredients selected from Capsicum product and a DFM; antimicrobial clay and a DFM; formulated yeast and a DFM; Capsicum product, formulated yeast, and a DFM, and Capsicum product and formulated yeast.
2 . A feed composition for non-human animals comprising a basal animal diet supplemented with Capsicum product and Bacillus licheniformis.
3 . A feed composition for non-human animals comprising a basal animal diet supplemented with antimicrobial clay and Bacillus licheniformis.
4 . A feed composition for non-human animals comprising a basal animal diet supplemented with formulated yeast and Bacillus licheniformis.
5 . A feed composition for non-human animals comprising a basal animal diet supplemented with Capsicum product, formulated yeast, and Bacillus licheniformis.
6 . A feed composition for non-human animals comprising a basal animal diet supplemented with Capsicum product and formulated yeast.
7 . A method for improving health in non-human animals, the method comprising administering to the non-human animal a feed additive composition comprising a combination of antimicrobial clay and a DFM; wherein the composition is administered to the animal orally as part of a basal animal diet.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein improving the health of a non-human animal is selected from reducing incidence of diarrhea, reducing number of days of diarrhea, decreasing mortality, improving intestinal health, reducing microbial pathogens in the intestinal tract of the animal, decreasing cytokine panel measuring TNF-alpha, and combinations thereof.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the non-human animal is a chicken.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein improving the health of the chicken comprises reducing the impact of Clostridium perfringens in broilers.
11 . A method for improving performance of non-human animals, the method comprising feeding the non-human animal a feed composition of claim 1 .
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein improving performance is selected from increase in body weight gain, feed conversion rate (FCR), feed intake, average daily weight gain (ADG), an increase in average daily food intake (ADFI), an improved overall body weight, and ratio of F/G.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the non-human animal is a chicken.
14 . A method for improving quality of a product derived from a non-human animal, the method comprising feeding the non-human animal a feed composition of claim 1 .
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein improving the quality of a product derived from a non-human animal is selected from improving breast meat yield, reducing product variability, reducing impact on consumer appeal due to poor color, poor texture, and drip loss in retail display, reducing organoleptic qualities in cooked chicken, including incidence of woody breast.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the non-human animal is a chicken.
17 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the DFM is Bacillus licheniformis or Bacillus subtilis.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the Bacillus licheniformis in the feed composition is at a concentration of about 1×10 4 cfu/g to about 1×10 6 cfu/g feed.
19 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the clay is mined clay.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the antimicrobial clay in the feed composition is at a concentration of about 2 to about 6 lb/ton feed.
21 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the antimicrobial clay in the feed composition is at a concentration of about 2 lb/ton to about 6 lb/ton feed and the Bacillus licheniformis in the feed composition is at a concentration of about 1×10 4 cfu/g to about 1×10 6 cfu/g feed.