AU2016228154A1 - Animal feed - Google Patents

Abstract

An animal feed comprising an animal feed protein product encased in a digestible casing and a method of producing an animal feed the method comprising extruding an animal feed protein product into a digestible flexible casing to form an encased extruded product, and portioning the encased extruded product to form animal feed portions comprising the animal feed protein product encased in the digestible casing.

Description

2016228154 12 Sep 2016 1

ANIMAL FEED

PRIORITY DOCUMENT

[0001] The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2015903697 titled "ANIMAL FEED" and filed on 11 September 2015, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to feedstuffs for animals, such as reptiles.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Keeping reptiles, including snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and tortoises as domestic pets is becoming more common place as the type of living accommodation of people in urban areas changes. Indeed, reptile keeping is the fastest growing sector in the Australian pet industry. Whilst keeping reptiles has a number of benefits, feeding can be a deterrent for some people. This is because reptiles are ideally fed raw, whole animals or insects. For example, carnivorous reptiles such as snakes, lizards, monitors and crocodiles are ideally fed raw mice, rats, birds, insects, and fish, whilst omnivorous reptiles, such as bearded dragons and many aquatic turtles are ideally fed crickets, mealworms, earthworms, etc. Many people, particularly those that are new to reptile keeping or those that keep reptiles as domestic pets, find feeding the least pleasant part of keeping reptiles.

[0004] All snakes are predators and most kill and eat other vertebrate animals in the wild state. In captivity, most reptiles are fed with prekilled prey and these are readily accepted by most reptiles. However, many people are still hesitant to feed reptiles with prekilled prey, such as prekilled rodents, and the prey is generally sold and stored in a frozen state which places some restrictions on how and where it can be stored. Furthermore, most reptile species are fussy about the food they will accept and, therefore, feeding reptiles kept in captivity poses difficulties in some cases.

[0005] Feeding other animals, such as cats, dogs, amphibians, birds and ferrets can present similar problems or be messy.

[0006] There is a need for feedstuffs for animals that overcome one or more of the disadvantages of existing feedstuffs and/or provide consumers with a useful alternative to existing feedstuffs. 2 2016228154 12 Sep 2016

SUMMARY

[0007] The products and methods described herein have arisen from the inventors' efforts to develop a feedstuff for reptiles and other animals that is convenient and easy to handle and, importantly, is readily consumed by reptiles and other animals.

[0008] According to a first aspect, there is provided an animal feed comprising an animal feed protein product encased in a digestible casing.

[0009] According to a second aspect, there is provided a method of producing an animal feed the method comprising extruding an animal feed protein product into a digestible flexible casing to form an encased extruded product, and portioning the encased extruded product to form animal feed portions comprising the animal feed protein product encased in the digestible casing.

[0010] According to a third aspect, there is provided a method of feeding an animal comprising feeding an animal the animal feed of the first aspect.

[0011] In certain embodiments of the first, second and third aspects the animal is a reptile and the animal feed is a reptile feed.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Disclosed herein is an animal feed comprising an animal feed protein product encased in a digestible casing.

[0013] The present inventors developed the animal feed with a view to feeding reptiles. However, the feed can also be used for other animals, including cats, dogs, amphibians, birds and ferrets. For ease of description, the following description will refer to embodiments in which the feed is a reptile feed but it will be appreciated that the feed could also be used for other animals as well.

[0014] As used herein, the term "reptile" is intended to mean the group of animals consisting of snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, monitors, and crocodilians. The reptile feed disclosed herein is suitable for feeding to reptiles. The term "suitable for" means the product is more likely than not to be consumed by a reptile.

[0015] It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that reptiles instinctively kill and eat other live vertebrate animals and/or insects in the wild state and in captivity are typically fed prekilled vertebrates or insects. Thus, atypical reptile diet comprises predominantly other vertebrate animals and insects and, in practice, it can be difficult to feed them products other than live or prekilled vertebrate 3 2016228154 12 Sep 2016 animals or insects. Surprisingly, the present applicants have found that reptiles readily consume the reptile feed disclosed herein. This is despite the fact that the animal protein product of the feed is encased in a casing. Advantageously, the reptile feed disclosed herein is more acceptable to people who may otherwise have an aversion to feeding prekilled animals and insects to reptiles. Furthermore, the reptile feed disclosed herein allows a reptile handler to have full knowledge and control over the dietary intake of the animal and also add any therapeutic or dietary supplements to the feed that may be required.

[0016] The reptile feed protein product can be any meat product that would ordinarily be consumed by a reptile. It could also be a mixture of different meat products. Suitable meat products include, but are not limited to, mice, rats, birds, insects, fish, crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, cockroaches, moths, earthworms, kangaroo, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, rabbit, offal, and other ruminants. The meat products may be whole animals or insects or parts thereof.

[0017] In certain embodiments, the meat product is comminuted. For example, the meat product (or group of meat products) can be minced, chopped, pulverised, blended, ground, etc. using known methods, tools and appliances.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the feed protein product is extruded. For example, the feed protein product can be extruded into the digestible casing to form the reptile feed.

[0019] The reptile feed may also contain ingredients and additives in addition to the feed protein product. For example, the reptile feed may also comprise: one or more carbohydrates, one or more raw feeds, one or more silages, one or more fats, one or more vitamins, one or more minerals, one or more trace elements, one or more physiologically active agents, and/or one or more therapeutically active agents. For example, physiologically active amounts of amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, probiotic microorganisms, prebiotic foods, mineral salts may be combined with the protein feed product, mixed and extruded into the digestible casing to form the reptile feed.

[0020] The animal feed may comprise feed protein product in an amount (w/w) of 50% to 99%, such as 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99%. The animal feed may comprise additional ingredients and additives in an amount (w/w) of 0.1 % to 10%, such as 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% or 10%.

[0021] The reptile feed protein product is encased in a digestible casing. Any casing material of animal or synthetic origin that can be digested by a reptile can be used. In certain embodiments, the casing is a 4 2016228154 12 Sep 2016 flexible tubular casing into which the reptile feed protein product (including any additional ingredients and additives) is extruded. The digestible casing may comprise (w/w) 1% to 2% of the animal feed.

[0022] Casings of animal origin that can be used include animal intestine, derived from, for example, cattle, pigs, or sheep. Casings also can be manufactured from polymers, such as alginates, cellulose, starch, collagen, nylon, or other natural and synthetic polymers. Alginate casings comprising a continuous phase of alginate optionally containing a network of collagen fibres are an example of a suitable digestible synthetic casing. Specifically, the reptile feed product can be manufactured by the co-extrusion of a casing material and a reptile feed protein product dough or mash through concentric pipes in a coextruder so that, on exiting the co-extruder, the extruded reptile feed protein product dough or mash is covered by a thin film of the casing material. Optionally, the casing material may be further treated to form a robust casing material by treatment with suitable chemicals. For example, alginate-containing materials can be used as the casing material and co-extruded around the reptile feed protein product dough or mash and then gelled in a calcium bath to form a robust casing. The casing material can be selected based on the size of the animal to be fed and the strength of the animal to be fed as different casings have different strengths.

[0023] Ideally, the casing is at least partially permeable to scents. Most reptile prey species have their own unique odour and reptiles can be discerning in the food they eat based on scent.

[0024] In certain embodiments, the reptile feed is portioned into single serve portions. Portions can be formed by firstly co-extruding the casing material and a reptile feed protein product dough or mash in a co-extruder so that, on exiting the co-extruder, the extruded reptile feed protein product dough or mash is covered by a thin film of the casing material. Predetermined lengths of the resultant extruded product can be "tied off by twisting the casing material at the desired location or by mechanically tying off or constricting the casing material and reptile feed protein product at the desired location using a string, wire, or similar. The portions may be about 30 grams, about 60 grams, about 100 grams, about 150 grams, about 200 grams, about 250 grams, about 300 grams, or about 350 grams. The portion sizes may vary in 50 gram increments.

[0025] It will be evident from the foregoing discussion that also disclosed herein is a method of producing a reptile feed. The method comprises extruding a reptile feed protein product into a digestible flexible casing to form an encased extruded product, and portioning the encased extruded product to form reptile feed portions comprising the reptile feed protein product encased in the digestible casing.

[0026] It will also be evident from the foregoing discussion that disclosed herein is a method of feeding a reptile, the method comprising feeding a reptile the reptile feed as described herein. 2016228154 12 Sep 2016 5

EXAMPLE

[0027] A reptile feed protein product was prepared with the following composition: 99% (w/w) meat (chicken, lamb etc) and 1% (w/w) casing. Alternatively, a reptile feed protein product was prepared with the following composition: 97% (w/w) meat, 2% (w/w) vitamin supplement and 1% (w/w) casing.

[0028] A mixed variety reptile feed protein product was also prepared with the following composition: 30% (w/w) beef, 30% (w/w) chicken, 30% (w/w) lamb, 7% (w/w) offal, 2% (w/w) vitamin supplement, and 1% (w/w) casing. Another mixed variety reptile feed protein product was prepared with the following composition: 40% (w/w) rabbit, 40% (w/w) chicken, 17% (w/w) offal, 2% (w/w) vitamin supplement, and 1% (w/w) casing.

[0029] The feed protein product is extruded into the casing using a sausage filler, such as a Rex Vacuum Filler (RVF 760) available commercially from Superior Food Machinery.

[0030] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted in its use to the particular application described. Neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein. It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims.

[0031] Throughout the specification and the claims that follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words “comprise” and “include” and variations such as “comprising” and “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

[0032] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Claims (16)

1. An animal feed comprising an animal feed protein product encased in a digestible casing.

2. The animal feed according to claim 1, wherein the animal feed is a reptile feed suitable for feeding reptiles.

3. The animal feed according to either claim lor claim 2, wherein the animal feed protein product comprises a meat product selected from one or more of the group consisting of: mice, rats, birds, insects, fish, crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, cockroaches, moths, earthworms, kangaroo, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, rabbit, offal, and other ruminants.

4. The animal feed according to claim 3, wherein the meat product is comminuted.

5. The animal feed according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the feed protein product is extruded.

6. The animal feed according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising one or more ingredients and/or additives in addition to the feed protein product.

7. The animal feed according to claim 6, wherein the one or more ingredients and/or additives is selected from the group consisting of: one or more carbohydrates, one or more raw feeds, one or more silages, one or more fats, one or more vitamins, one or more minerals, one or more trace elements, one or more physiologically active agents, and/or one or more therapeutically active agents.

8. The animal feed according to claim 7, wherein the one or more ingredients and/or additives is selected from the group consisting of: amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, probiotic micro-organisms, prebiotic foods, and mineral salts.

9. The animal feed according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising feed protein product in an amount (w/w) of 50% to 99%.

10. The animal feed according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising additional ingredients and additives in an amount (w/w) of 0.1 % to 10%.

11. The animal feed according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the casing is at least partially permeable to scents.

12. The animal feed according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the animal feed is portioned into single serve portions.

13. The animal feed according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising: 99% (w/w) meat and 1% (w/w) casing.

14. The animal feed according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising: 97% (w/w) meat, 2% (w/w) vitamin supplement and 1% (w/w) casing.

15. A method of producing an animal feed the method comprising extruding an animal feed protein product into a digestible flexible casing to form an encased extruded product, and portioning the encased extruded product to form animal feed portions comprising the animal feed protein product encased in the digestible casing.

16. A method of feeding an animal comprising feeding an animal the animal feed of any one of claims 1 to 14.