Animal feed compositions and methods of use

Abstract

The invention provides an animal feed composition comprising plant material from a transgenic plant or plant part expressing a recombinant thermotolerant α-amylase. The invention further provides methods of improving feed utilization and decreasing liver abscesses. Also provided are methods of producing a steam flaked corn product, and the steam flaked corn product so produced. The invention provides an animal feed composition comprising plant material from a transgenic plant or plant part expressing a recombinant thermotolerant α-amylase. The invention further provides methods of improving feed utilization and decreasing liver abscesses. Also provided are methods of producing a steam flaked corn product, and the steam flaked corn product so produced.

1 . A method of reducing liver abscesses in harvested cattle, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) feeding an animal feed composition to cattle, wherein the animal feed composition comprises plant material from a transgenic plant or plant part expressing a recombinant thermotolerant microbial α-amylase; and   b) harvesting the cattle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microbial α-amylase comprises a polypeptide having at least 80% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a polypeptide encoded by a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4 and/or SEQ ID NO:5. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transgenic plant or plant part comprises about 1% to about 100% by weight of the plant material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant material comprises from about 5% to about 100% by weight of the animal feed composition. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant material is corn. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the corn comprises corn event 3272. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the corn is steam flaked. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cattle are beef cattle. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cattle are feedlot cattle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cattle are dairy cows. 
     
     
         11 . A harvested cattle carcass produced by the method of  claim 1 , wherein the harvested cattle carcass comprises the liver of the harvested animal, and wherein there is a reduced incidence of liver abscesses in said harvested cattle carcass as compared with carcasses from control cattle that are not fed plant material from a transgenic plant or plant part expressing a recombinant thermotolerant microbial α-amylase. 
     
     
         12 . A method of producing an animal feed, the method comprising:
 a) providing transgenic corn kernels comprising a recombinant thermotolerant microbial α-amylase; and   b) steam flaking the corn kernels to produce a steam flaked corn product.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the throughput rate is increased as compared with control corn kernels that do not comprise a recombinant thermotolerant microbial α-amylase. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the time to steam flake the transgenic corn kernels is reduced as compared with the control corn kernels. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the digestability of starch in the steam flaked corn product is increased as compared with the digestability of starch in a control steam flaked corn product produced from the control corn kernels. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the steam flaked corn product has a decrease in geometric mean particle size as compared with a control steam flaked corn product produced from the control corn kernels. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the transgenic corn kernels comprise corn event 3272. 
     
     
         18 . A steam flaked corn product produced by the method of  claim 12 . 
     
     
         19 . The steam flaked corn product of  claim 18 , wherein the steam flaked corn product is utilized more efficiency when fed to cattle as compared with the utilization of a control steam flaked corn product. 
     
     
         20 . The steam flaked corn product of  claim 19 , wherein the steam flaked corn product is utilized more efficiently when fed to cattle as compared with the utilization of a control steam flaked corn product that has a substantially similar starch availability.