Methods for improving agricultural production of fowl by administration of microbial compositions or purified strains thereof

• US 10,617,134 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Native Microbials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ascus Biosciences, Inc.
• Inventors: Embree, Mallory, Gogul, Grant, Martino, Cameron, Pitt, Norm
• Primary Examiner(s): Devi, Sarvamangala
• Application Number:
  US16/093,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20190269742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 45/00 Other aviculture appliances, e.g. devices for determining whether a bird is about to lay
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/18 of live microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/30 by encapsulating; by coating
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/75 for poultry
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/3204 Probiotics, living bacteria to be ingested for action in the digestive tract
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2035/115 Probiotics
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 35/742 Spore-forming bacteria, e.g. Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus subtilis, clostridium or Lactobacillus sporogenes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 35/747 Lactobacilli, e.g. L. acidophilus or L. brevis
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0053 Mouth and digestive tract, i.e. intraoral and peroral administration rectal administration A61K9/0031
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/20 Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/205 Bacterial isolates
• CPC Class Codes: C12R 2001/01 Bacteria or Actinomycetales ; using bacteria or Actinomycetales
• CPC Class Codes: C12R 2001/225 Lactobacillus

Abstract

The disclosure relates to isolated microorganisms-including novel strains of the microorganisms-microbial consortia, and compositions comprising the same. Furthermore, the disclosure teaches methods of utilizing the described microorganisms, microbial consortia, and compositions comprising the same, in methods for modulating the production of poultry, disease resistance, and egg yield. In particular aspects, the disclosure provides methods of increasing feed efficiency, and methods of preventing colonization of pathogenic microbes.

Claims

1. A method for decreasing incidence of mortality in a chicken, the method comprising:

(a) administering to the chicken an effective amount of a chicken feed composition comprising;

(i) chicken feed, and

(ii) a Bacillus sp. comprising the 16S nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;

13,

wherein the chicken administered the effective amount of the chicken feed composition exhibits a decrease in the incidence of mortality, as compared to a chicken not having been administered the composition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the administering of the chicken feed composition is an oral administration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Bacillus sp. is in spore form.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Bacillus sp. further comprises an exogenous starch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the chicken feed composition is administered to the chicken at least once a day.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each administration of the chicken feed composition comprises at least 10³ spores of the Bacillus sp.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the chicken is a broiler.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the chicken feed composition is dried.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the Bacillus sp. is freeze dried.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the chicken feed composition has a moisture content of less than 10%.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the chicken feed is in pellet form, capsule form, granulated, powdered, mash, liquid, or semi-liquid.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the chicken feed composition comprises premix, forage, fodder, beans, grains, oil, haylage, silage, syrup, fatty acid, sugar alcohol, and/or oyster shell;

or mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the chicken feed composition comprises the Bacillus sp. within or on pelleted feed.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the incidence of mortality decreases by at least 1%.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the incidence of mortality decreases by at least 5%.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the administration of the chicken feed composition shifts the gut microbiome of the chicken.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the gut microbiome shift is a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more microbes that were present in the gut prior to the administration of the chicken feed composition.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the gut microbiome shift is an increase in the relative abundance of one or more microbes that were present in the gut prior to the administration of the chicken feed composition.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the gut microbiome shift is an increase in the relative abundance of obligate anaerobes.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the gut microbiome shift is an increase in the relative abundance of lactic acid-producing microbes.