CH686274A5 - Animal fodder contg natural lignin prepd without sulphur - Google Patents

Abstract

A fodder for animals, esp. protein-rich fodder contains admixed natural lignin from cellulose prodn. prepd. without S.

Description

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description

A. Description of the invention

The invention relates to feed and food according to claims 1 and 6. The feed contains an additive which largely prevents the release of ammonia into the air.

The formation of ammonia occurs through bacterial breakdown of urea in faeces. The rate of degradation is accelerated by increased temperatures and humidity.

High temperatures promote the rapid decomposition to ammonia, very low, but also very high moisture contents can prevent the formation of ammonia.

Ammonia gas is lighter than air and damages e.g. Farm animals before they can be removed by ventilation. Ammonia is very irritating and toxic.

The human nose can already detect ammonia levels of around 5 ppm. Concentrations from 5 ppm are already very irritating, cause eye burning and lead to tears.

Farm animals react in the same way.

The harmful effects of ammonia on humans and animals result from the combination of time and concentration of exposure.

A classic disease in chickens, ammonia blindness (keratoconjunctivitis) is well known in the case of mass farming.

Experiments with chickens that begin with the laying period show that with 17 days of exposure at 200 ppm ammonia concentration a living weight that is 170 grams lower results, feed intake is reduced, egg production drops and a high mortality rate occurs.

Maintaining low concentrations of ammonia over longer periods is of greater importance in practical livestock farming. This is the case when poultry is kept on the ground or in cages where the faeces accumulate in the building over a long period of time. The poultry respiratory system is progressively damaged in this manner of keeping. At ammonia levels around 10 ppm, damage to the cilia, the cilia, which keep foreign objects away from the surface of the lungs, was observed. This makes the chickens susceptible to diseases such as Newkastle Disease and Airsculitis.

At higher concentrations, mucus secretions occur with cilia, which indicates that the lungs have been severely damaged.

Ammonia, especially during cold days, dissolves in condensed water. In this form, ammonia leads to serious corrosion problems on metals, especially zinc-galvanized metals and aluminum.

Immission from livestock farms, especially ammonia, has a negative impact on the environment.

In the immediate vicinity, there is not only bad odor, but also damage to human health.

In this case, damage to plants was studied more closely. (Graber, K., Schürmann, B .: Agricultural Research, Special Issue 26/1, pp. 36-40 1971).

In no case should it be neglected that humans are also exposed to this high ammonia concentration in chicken coops. The Swiss Accident Prevention Institute (SUVA) specifies a maximum workplace concentration of 25 ppm for ammonia.

Systems to solve the ammonia problem exist. The regular removal of feces, but also good ventilation leads to lower ammonia concentrations. The removal of faeces is labor-intensive and leads to high production costs. Ventilation creates drafts, which the chickens are very sensitive to, but also causes higher energy costs, especially in winter.

Another method for ammonia reduction is offered by adding sarasaponin, a steroid saponin from the yucca plant (Yucca Schildigera).

Surprisingly, it has now been shown that ammonia release from faeces does not, or only takes place in a greatly reduced manner, when natural, sulfur-free lithium is added to the feed. Lignin occurs in the new pulp production processes, which do not contain sulfur components in the cooking process.

These are pulp production processes based on the Alcell® process, the Organocell® process, the Acetosolv® process, the Milox® process or other sulfur-free cooking processes that are still at the laboratory stage and in which lignin is obtained in a natural, unchanged form. Lignin from the pulp production processes customary today, such as the sulfate process or the sulfate process (Kraft), give lignins which are not suitable in their present form for this application. The lignin sulfonate results from the sulfite process and the thiolignin from the sulfate process. Lignin sulfonate is used as a binder in animal feed production, but in no way shows the same effect as sulfur-free lignin. On the contrary, lignin sulfonate has often been described as non-digestible to animals.

It has now been found in experiments that sulfur-free, natural lignin, which is added to the animal feed between 0.5% and 20%, prevents the ammonia formation in the faeces, but also binds the ammonia formed, so that it is not released into the air . This could be seen in all livestock farming, especially in poultry farming

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Pig farming, cattle farming, horse keeping. The lignin administered with the feed is more resistant to the action of the microorganisms than cellulose and hemicellulose. It is not broken down by the enzymes of the digestive tract and is therefore considered to be indigestible by the monogastric. (Fonnesbeck et al. (1974), J. Anim. Sci. 39, 182; Gordon, A.J. (1978), Plenum Press, New York).

It cannot be ruled out that lignin may experience changes in its functional groups, especially the hydroxyl and methoxyl groups, due to microbial action. In addition, ferulic acid and to a small extent p-cumaric acid are said to be lost (Gordon A. J. (1978) idem).

Relatively early studies show that there can be a therapeutic effect associated with the oral intake of lignin. (Braun R. (1947), Prakt. Tierarzt 31, 265-271). Existing diarrhea could be eliminated or at least improved.

A reduction in the number of bacteria due to lignin in the stomach up to complete sterility of certain intestinal sections (duodenum) could be demonstrated.

By reducing the number of bacteria in the fecal mass, the breakdown of urea to ammonia is severely restricted. Lignin also has the property that it enters into a chemical reaction with ammonia and binds it so that it cannot escape.

The ammonia concentration in the livestock housing stalls with the addition of sulfur-free and natural provinces remains low due to the combination of these effects described above, does not harm animals, humans or the environment and is preserved as a nitrogen fertilizer for agriculture.

B. Examples:

Example 1:

From the beginning of the laying period with the same feed, the chickens were kept in the same conditions in two identical hen houses, floor-keeping. The feed composition was as follows:

Corn

29.0%

Fodder wheat

28.5%

soy

10.0%

Grass cube

6.0%

Herring flour

5.0%

Bone meal

3.0%

Feed lime

1.0%

Kalkgrit

5.0%

Wood pulp

5.5%

Additives

2.5%

molasses

2.0%

fat

2.5%

In feeder A the feed given above was fed, in feeder B the same feed but with the addition of 5% lignin (natural, made without sulfur). The following were found in the stables until the fourth laying period:

Average of 26 measurements

Stall A

Stall B

NH3 content:

28 ppm

NH3 content: 10 ppm

Laying performance:

92.5%

Laying performance: 92.3%

Food consumption:

141g / day

Food consumption: 139 g / day + 7.5 g lignin

With almost the same feed consumption and the same laying performance, the ammonia content in the house air could be reduced to less than half by adding 5% lignin.

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Claims (6)

Claims 1. Feed for farm animals, characterized in that the feed is mixed with natural, sulfur-free lignin from pulp production. 2. Feed according to claim 1, characterized in that it is feed for a) poultry b) pigs c) cattle d) horses. 3. Feed according to claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the lignin content in the feed is maintained between 0.5% and 20%. 4. Feed according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the feed with Li-gninzusatz in: a) ground form b) crushed form c) pelletized form is produced. 5. Food for humans, characterized in that natural, sulfur-free lignin is added to the food in a percentage of 0.5 to 20%. 6. Food according to claim 5, characterized in that the lignin content is 3-6%. 4th