the invention provides compositions consisting of a mixture of specific pre -, pro -, and postbiotics for use as animal feed , feed additives or feed supplements . unless stated otherwise , all percentages mentioned in this document are by weight based on the total weight of the composition . the probiotic component of the composition comprises a mix of probiotic bacteria bacillus subtilis , pediococcus acidilactici , pediococcus pentosaceus , and lactobacillus plantarum . in preferred embodiments the compositions of the present invention comprise between 10 - 20 % by weight of each of pediococcus acidilactici , pediococcus pentosaceus , and lactobacillus plantarum , and from 1 to about 5 wt % of the bacillus subtilis . in preferred embodiments the bacillus subtilis has an 16s sequence of : the levels of the probiotic bacteria to be used according to the present invention will depend upon the types thereof . it is preferred that the present product contains probiotic bacteria in an amount between 10 5 and 10 11 colony forming units per gram . in a particularly preferred composition of the present invention the lactobacillus and bacillus organisms are present at a level of at least 1 × 10 8 cfu / g . the term “ probiotic bacteria ” or “ probiotics ” as used herein , refers to microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health or nutritional benefit . the probiotics according to the invention may be viable or non - viable . in case the probiotics are non - viable , they have to be substantially structurally intact , meaning that these non - viable micro - organisms are still sufficiently intact to avoid or delay disintegration in the distal intestinal tract thereby enabling the interaction of ( conserved structures of ) the non - viable micro - organisms with the immune system , particularly the mucosal immune system . the non - viable probiotics are metabolically - active . by “ metabolically - active ” is meant that they exhibit at least some residual enzyme activity characteristic to that type of probiotic . by the term “ non - viable ” as used herein is meant a population of bacteria that is not capable of replicating under any known conditions . however , it is to be understood that due to normal biological variations in a population , a small percentage of the population ( i . e . 5 % or less ) may still be viable and thus capable of replication under suitable growing conditions in a population which is otherwise defined as non - viable . by the term “ viable bacteria ” as used herein is meant a population of bacteria that is capable of replicating under suitable conditions under which replication is possible . a population of bacteria that does not fulfill the definition of “ non - viable ” ( as given above ) is considered to be “ viable ”. by the term “ bioactive component ” as used herein is meant a component which has a physiological effect upon the animal when consumed in adequate amounts . in some embodiments of the invention , the probiotic bacteria employed are viable probiotic bacteria . the use of viable probiotic bacteria offers the advantage that these probiotic bacteria may become a part of the intestinal microflora , thereby providing additional health benefits . the probiotic bacteria according to the invention may be produced using any standard fermentation process known in the art . for example , solid state or submerged liquid fermentation . the fermented cultures can be mixed cultures or single isolates . the postbiotic components are derived from the fermentation supernatants remaining after centrifugation of the lactobacillus organisms and comprise from 5 to about 20 % by weight of the composition . the prebiotic component comprises gluco - and / or fructo - oligosaccharides ( e . g . kestose , nystose , fructosylnystose , bifurcose , inulobiose , inulotriose , inulotetraose ) including fermentation products resulting from the metabolism of inulin . in preferred embodiments the postbiotic components comprise between 0 . 1 and 10 wt % of the formula . additionally , the formulations may comprise up to about 50 % by weight of a cereal grain filler such as nutri - sure ™, dextrose , or other suitable filler material . the compositions of the present invention are formulated for administration in animal feed , including mash and pellets , but may also be delivered via the drinking water supply . in one preferred embodiment the compositions have been formulated into feed mash . in another preferred embodiment the compositions have been formulated into a feed pellet . in yet another preferred embodiment the compositions can be directly formulated into an animals &# 39 ; drinking water supply . these compositions improve animal health , including accelerating weight gain , reducing the waste odor and / or increasing utilization of feed proteins . when formulated for animal feed the compositions are typically dosed between 0 . 1 and 1 kg per metric ton of feed . preferably , the feed composition is dosed at 50 , 100 , 200 , 300 , 400 , 500 , 600 , 700 , 800 , 900 or more grams per metric ton of feed . when dosed into drinking water the compositions are typically dosed between 0 . 1 and 1 kg per 1000 liters . for aquatic applications , i . e ., shrimp or fin fish , the compositions are typically dosed between 0 . 1 and 10 ppm . for example , for aquatic applications , the feed composition is dosed at 0 . 1 , 0 . 2 . 0 . 25 , 0 . 5 , 1 , 1 . 5 , 2 , 2 . 5 , 3 , 3 . 5 4 , 4 . 5 , 5 , 5 . 5 ppm . preferably , the feed composition is dosed at 0 . 25 or 2 . 5 ppm . in some aspects the , feed composition is added on top of a diet at about 0 . 05 % to 5 %. preferably at 0 . 05 , 0 . 1 , 0 . 2 , 0 . 3 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 5 , 0 . 6 , 0 . 7 , 0 . 8 , 0 . 9 . 1 . 0 . 2 . 0 , 3 . 0 , 4 . 0 , or 5 . 0 % the pre -, pro - and postbiotic components of the compositions are preferably in powdered dried form ; especially in spore form for those probiotic microorganisms which form spores . the compositions according to the invention have been freeze dried to moisture content less than 20 %, 15 %, 10 %, 9 %, 8 %, 7 %, 6 %, 5 %, 4 %, 3 %, 2 % or 1 %. preferably , the composition according to the invention has been freeze dried to moisture content less than 5 %. in some embodiments the freeze dried powder is ground to decrease the particle size . for example the particle size is less than 1000 , 900 , 800 , 700 , 600 , 500 , 400 , 300 , 200 microns , or less . preferably , the freeze dried powder is ground to decrease the particle size such that the particle size is less than 800 microns . in various embodiments the freeze dried powder is homogenized . further , if desired , the compositions may be encapsulated or agglomerated to further increase the probability of survival : for example in a wax matrix , sugar matrix , fat matrix or polysaccharide matrix . the compositions of the invention are used to produce animal feed products and supplements or used as an animal feed additive . although it is possible to achieve the benefits of the present invention by simply admixing the pre -, pro - and , and postbiotic compositions with animal feed or by using the compositions as a feed supplement , it is an object of the present invention to provide ready - to - eat feed products containing both a balanced diet ration and the composition of the present invention . the feed supplement can be provided as a dried powder or liquid . alternatively , the compositions of the invention may be formulated into “ lick blocks ”. the feed products can be produced by coating a pre - manufactured ready - to - eat animal feed product with the pre -, pro -, and postbiotic mixture . coating the animal feed product can be achieved by methods known in the art . for example , the dried compositions of the invention can be dispersed in low melting grease or wax to which an animal feed product is added , or alternatively the molten grease or wax containing the pre -, pro -, and postbiotic mixture is sprayed onto the animal feed product . additionally , feed products containing the compositions of the invention may be prepared by mixing the pre -, pro -, and postbiotic composition with any suitable ingredients , such as those commonly used in the production of animal feed . the animal feed then may be produced in many different ways as desired . however , an especially suitable way to produce the feed products of the invention is by extrusion cooking . this can be done by methods well known in the art . for example , in one suitable process , a feed mixture is fed into a preconditioner . the teed mixture is made up of a starch source and other ingredients such as sugar , salt , spices , seasonings , vitamins , minerals , flavoring agents , coloring agents , antioxidants , protein sources , yeast extracts , fats and the like . suitable starch sources are , for example , corn , rice , wheat , beets , barley , algae , soy and oats . the starch source may be a grain , a meal , a gluten or a flour . suitable protein sources may be selected from any suitable animal or vegetable protein source ; for example meat meal , bone meal , fish meal , soy protein concentrates , milk proteins , gluten , yeast extracts , whey , and the like . the choice of the protein source will be largely determined by the nutritional needs , palatability considerations , and the type of feed product produced . of course , the starch source may also be a source of protein . if desired , sources of insoluble fiber may also be included ; for example wheat bran , corn bran , rice bran , rye bran and the like . further , if desired , a source of soluble fiber may be included , for example , chicory fibers , oat bran concentrate , guar gum , carob bean gum , xantham gum , and the like . depending upon the desired form of the feed product , the starch content of the feed mixture may be varied . for example , for an expanded cereal product , the feed mixture preferably includes up to about 40 % by weight of starch . however , for a flaked product , it is not necessary to use large amounts of starch in the feed mixture since it is possible to flake an unexpanded product . in the preconditioner , water or steam , or both , is mixed into the feed mixture . sufficient water or steam is mixed into the feed mixture to moisten the feed mixture . if desired , the temperature of the feed mixture may be raised in the preconditioner to about 60 - 90 ° c . it is not necessary to subject the feed mixture to preconditioning but it is advantageous to do so . the moistened feed leaving the preconditioner is then fed into an extruder along with the pre -, pro -, and post biotic composition . the extruder may be any suitable single or twin screw , cooking - extruder . suitable extruders may be obtained from wenger manufacturing inc , dextral sa , buhler ag , and the like . during passage through the extruder , the moistened feed passes through a cooking zone , in which it is subjected to mechanical shear and is heated ; for example up to a maximum temperature of up to about 150 ° c . and a forming zone . the gauge pressure of the forming zone is about 300 kpa to about 10 mpa , as desired . if desired , water or steam , or both , may be introduced into the cooking zone . if desired , a small amount of edible oil may be fed into the extruder along with the moistened feed to facilitate the extrusion process or as a carrier for oil soluble additives . any suitable oil may be used ; for example vegetable oils such as sunflower oil , safflower oil , corn oil , and the like . if oils are used , oils which are high in mono - unsaturates are particularly preferred . hydrogenated oils or fats are also preferred . the amount of oil used is preferably kept below about 1 % by weight . the food matrix leaving the extruder is forced through a suitable die . a shaped extrudate , which has a cross - sectional shape corresponding to that of the orifice of the die , leaves the die . if a flaked product is to be produced , the pieces may then be transferred to a flaking apparatus . suitable apparatus are well known and widely used in the cereal industry and may be purchased from , for example , buhler ag in switzerland . if desired , the pieces may be partially dried before flaking . the pieces are then dried to a moisture content below about 10 % by weight . this is conveniently carried out in a hot air drier as is conventional . the dried , ready - to - feed product contains about 10 5 to about 10 11 colony forming units ( cfu ) per gram ( g ) of the dried feed product ; preferably about 10 6 to about 10 9 cfu / g . the dried feed product may contain from 0 . 01 to 0 . 5 % by weight of the pre -, pro -, and post biotic mixture . numerous modifications may be made to the embodiments described above . for example , it is not necessary to produce the cereal product by extrusion cooking , instead the cereal product may be produced by any suitable method of producing dried , ready - to - eat cereal pieces . for example , the feed materials may be cooked with water to provide a cooked paste . the paste is then roller - dried to produce dried flakes ; usually of a thickness of about 0 . 6 to about 1 mm . a better understanding of the present invention may be given with the following examples which are set forth to illustrate , but are not to be construed to limit the present invention . the composition of the present invention is prepared via a combination of submerged liquid fermentations and solid substrate fermentations . individual purified isolates of pediococcus acidilactici , pediococcus pentosaceus and lactobacillus plantarum were grown - up in separate fermenters using standard anaerobic submerged liquid fermentation protocols . the individual organisms were recovered from the fermenters via centrifugation , mixed together in equal proportions on a weight basis , then added to the following mixture : 1 part inulin , 2 . 2 parts isolated soy protein , 8 parts rice flour with 0 . 25 % w / w sodium chloride , 0 . 045 % w / w calcium carbonate , 0 . 025 % w / w magnesium sulphate , 0 . 025 % w / w sodium phosphate , 0 . 012 % w / w ferrous sulphate and 29 . 6 % water . this mixture was allowed to ferment for up to 5 days at 30 ° c . upon completion of the fermentation , the entire mixture was freeze dried to a moisture content less than 5 %, ground to an average particle size of 295 microns , with 60 % of the product in the size range between 175 - 840 microns , and homogenized . the final microbial concentration of the powdered product is between 109 and 1011 cfu / g . individual , purified isolates of pediococcus acidilactici , pediococcus pentosaceus , and lactobacillus plantarum were grown - up in separate fermenters in the presence of inulin using standard anaerobic submerged liquid fermentation protocols . after fermentation the individual cultures were filtered , centrifuged , freeze dried to a moisture level less than about 5 %, then ground to a mean particle size of 295 microns , with 60 % of the product in the size range between 175 - 840 microns , and homogenized . the final microbial concentration of the powdered product is between 109 and 1011 cfu / g . the supernatants remaining after centrifugation of the organisms produced from the submerged fermentations of premix b above were collected , mixed together , freeze dried to a moisture level less than about 5 %, then ground to a mean particle size of 295 microns , with 60 % of the product in the size range between 175 - 840 microns , and homogenized . a sample of bacillus subtilis ( 34klb ) is added to a 250 ml erlenmeyer flask which also contains a sterilized solution of 100 mls distilled , deionized water , 2 grams nutrient broth , 2 grams amberferm ( yeast extract ) and 4 grams maltodextrin . the flask is sealed and placed on an orbital shaker at 30 ° c . the culture is allowed to grow for 3 - 5 days . a larger culture is prepared by adding 18 grams nutrient broth , 18 grams amberferm , and 36 grams maltodextrin to a 1 liter flask with 900 mls distilled , deionized water . the flasks are sealed and sterilized as above . after cooling , 100 mls of the microbial media from the 250 ml erlenmeyer flasks are added . the 1 liter flask is sealed , placed on an orbital shaker , and allowed to grow out for another 3 - 5 days at 30 ° c . in the final grow - out phase before introduction to the fermenter , the culture from the 1 liter flask is transferred under sterile conditions to a sterilized 6 liter vessel and fermentation continues at 30 ° c . with aeration until stationary phase is achieved . the contents of the 6 liter culture flask is transferred to a fermenter which is also charged with a sterilized growth media made from 1 part yeast extract and 2 parts dextrose . the fermenter is run under aerobic conditions at ph 7 . 0 and 35 ° c . until cell density reaches 10 11 cfu / ml . for a dried product the fermenter is emptied through a filter , centrifuged , and the cell mass recovered . the cell mass is vacuum dried until moisture levels drop below about 5 %. the final microbial activity of the dried product is typically between about 10 8 and 10 11 cfu / g . a final composition is prepared by combining premixes a , b , and c in equal proportion by weight and mixing to homogeneity then mixing in premix d and a filler . typically , the final pre -, pro -, and postbiotic composition comprises 50 % by weight of the combined premixes a , b , and c , 3 . 33 % by weight of premix d , and 46 . 67 % by weight nutri - sure ™. the final activity of the lactobacillus in this formulation is 6 . 9 × 109 cfu / g and that of the bacillus is 3 . 7 × 108 cfu / g . the mixture from example 1 is formulated onto animal feed pellets ( shrimp , poultry , swine , and cattle ) via the following methods : a . 1 kilogram of a low melting grease ( e . g . hydrogenated soybean oil with m . p . of 47 - 48 ° c .) is heated to just slightly above the melting point ( 50 ° c .). once all the grease is melted , 1 kilogram of the dried , powdered composition from example 1 is dispersed in the melt with rapid stirring , 999 kilograms of animal feed pellets are then quickly added to this melt and rapidly stirred to achieve homogeneous coating . the pellets are allowed to air dry overnight at room temperature . the final microbial activity of the coated pellet is between 10 7 and 10 9 cfu / g . b . alternatively , a low melting grease ( e . g . hydrogenated soybean oil with m . p . of 47 - 48 ° c .) is added to a tank and heated to 50 ° c . with stirring . the melted grease is sprayed onto a stirred bed of feed pellets heated with forced air to about 45 ° c . the final weight of grease ranges from 1 to 5 % w / w . the dried composition from example 1 is added to the coated feed at weight between 0 . 01 and 1 % w / w , the heated air flow is turned off , and the bed allowed to mix and cool until it reaches ambient temperature . c . 1 kilogram of the dried , powdered composition from example 1 is dispersed with vigorous mixing into 10 kilograms of sardine oil . while continuing to stir , this mixture is sprayed , at a rate of 1 kg / minute , onto a bed of feed pellets mixing in a ribbon blender operating at 60 hertz , in order to achieve a final loading of 1 % w / w . mixed with sufficient water to make a 100 % composition and subjected to high temperature ( 120 - 150 ° c .) with mixing for 20 minutes . during this process fat ( 2 . 6 % w / w ) may be added to the mixture . after cooking the mixture is conveyed into a wenger tx52 twin screw extruder with the screws setup in a conveying configuration ( low shear , low friction ) and water is added at the rate of 23 . 5 kg / hr . the powder composition from example 1 is metered into the extruder via an accurate screw feed at a rate sufficient to achieve 0 . 1 wt % of the final composition . the paste that is created is pushed through a die having 3 mm openings . the extrudate is cut into 3 mm lengths using a four blade rotating knife . the resulting pellets are collected and conveyed through a forced air , convection drying oven at 35 ° c . until moisture levels are below 10 %. the microbial activity of the final composition is between 10 6 - 10 8 cfu / g . a 53 - day shrimp feeding study was conducted at the texas a & amp ; m agrilife marine culture laboratory in port arkansas , tex . pl10 animals with a mean initial weight of 0 . 005 grams were divided equally among three treatment tanks : control ( sucrose only ) 0 . 25 ppm dose of the composition from example 1 2 . 5 ppm dose of the composition from example all tanks were fed 40 % protein diets based on a diminishing fcr through days 0 - 5 . during days 0 - 3 , in addition to the feed called for in the fcr , 9 g of 45 % protein standard reference diet ( srd ) were added daily . feed protein rate and fcr were evaluated daily taking into consideration remaining feed in the tank , water quality , and biofloc level . the example 1 composition was added daily as a liquid ( dried composition dissolved in water ) during the morning feeding . a zero water exchange raceway system was used after 53 days the study was terminated and average shrimp weight in each tank determined . ( fig1 and fig2 ). the study was carried out in an environmentally controlled poultry house . birds were housed in pens ( 17 chicks / m 2 ). floor pens were assigned to six treatments : 1 . control mash feed 2 . control pellet feed 3 . 100 g example 1 composition / ton mash feed 4 . 1000 g example 1 composition / ton mash feed 5 . 100 g example 1 composition / ton of pellet feed 6 . 1000 g example 1 composition / ton of pellet feed the distribution of experimental pens was arranged to avoid any effects from location in the poultry house . the pens had double wire netting between them to prevent physical contact between the birds in different pens , and to minimise the risk of cross contamination with bacillus spores . the birds had free access to feed and water . each pen was equipped with a hopper feeder to be manually filled on a daily basis . new wood shavings were used as litter . the initial brooding temperature was held at 31_c for the first three days , and then gradually lowered to 20_c by the end of the experiment . during the first two days of life , 24 h of light was provided , which was decreased to 22 h for the next 12 d , and to 20 h for the rest of the trial . eimeria vaccination was carried out on the first day ( by coccivac spray in the hatchery ) according to the instructions provided . the chickens were not vaccinated against other diseases . an antibiotic and coccidiostat - free basic diet was used during the experiment from 1 to 42 d . the ingredients ( g / kg ) were : maize 450 , soyabean meal 48 % 185 full fat soyabean 135 , wheat 200 and a vitamin - mineral starter premix 30 . nutrient analyses ( g / kg ) were : crude protein 200 ; ether extract 72 ; crude fibre 41 ; ash 64 ; lysine 11 — 5 ; methionine 4 — 6 ; cystine 4 — 4 . the composition of example 1 was added to mash and pelleted feeds at 100 g / t and 1000 g / t feed . all birds were weighed individually after their arrival from the hatchery and on d 7 , 14 , 21 , 28 , 35 and 42 . feed consumption was recorded on a pen basis at the same time as the live weight recording . adjusted feed conversion ratio ( fcr ) results are shown in fig3 . the pelleted feed containing the composition of example 1 showed significant improvement in fcr versus the controls . the study was conducted in a cinder block structure with a clay floor . continuous lighting was provided . birds were housed in pens ( 27 / pen ) which provided a stocking density of 0 . 74 ft 2 per bird . floor pens were assigned to six treatments ( 10 replicate pens per treatment ): 1 . control mash feed 2 . control pellet feed 3 . 50 grams of a 5 % dose of composition 1 / mt in mash feed 4 . 500 grams of a 5 % dose of composition 1 / mt in mash feed 5 . 500 grams of a 2 % dose of composition 1 / mt in pellet feed 6 . 500 grams of a 4 % dose of composition 1 / mt in pellet feed new wood shavings were used on day 0 and used litter was introduced in equal amounts per pen ( 4 lb ./ pen ) on day 4 . the added litter at 4 days was homogenized prior to placement and contained enough levels of e . coli , salmonella and clostridia to allow for a mild challenge to naïve chickens . prior to trial start , all pens were carefully inspected to ensure that there were no openings to allow for pen to pen migration by broilers . chicks were given free access to food and water . prior to placement and weighing on day 0 , birds were spray vaccinated for coccidiosis with coccivac ®- b . all pens were checked daily during the study . observations included availability of feed and water , and brooder control for attainment of desired temperature . feeds in mash form were fed on a schedule of days 0 - 14 , 15 - 28 and 29 - 42 of starter , grower and finisher feeds respectively . each feed type was prepared from a large basal diet as shown in appendix a and were divided into aliquots and then blended with the test article followed by pelleting of 3 of the diets as indicated above . 4 broiler starter feed 0 - 14 d stored jun . 18 , 2014 14 : 02 : 23 the composition of example 1 was added to the mash and pelleted diets as mentioned above . all birds were weighed by pen on days 0 , 35 and 42 and all pen feeds were weighed on days 14 , 28 and 42 . day 42 body weight ( bw ) and adjusted feed conversion ratio ( fcr ) results are shown below . the pelleted feed containing composition example 1 showed a 5 . 44 % improvement in weight gain and a 3 . 2 % improvement in fcr over the control diet . a total of 144 weanling pigs ( 72 barrows , 72 gilts ; 18 - 21 days of age ) were obtained from the university of illinois imported swine research laboratory . two barrows and two gilts were allotted per pen and pigs had ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the trial . pigs were blocked by body weight and ancestry at the time of weaning in a randomized complete block design . a standard three - phase feeding program was employed : the composition from example 1 was added on top of each phased diet at either 0 , 0 . 05 , or 0 . 5 % to produce three experimental dietary treatments . phases 1 and 2 were each fed for 1 - week and phase 3 diets were fed for the final 2 weeks of study . there were 12 replicate pens for each of the 3 treatments , with each pen containing 4 pigs . diets were formulated to meet or exceed the nutrient requirements for phase of growth based on nrc ( 2012 ). pigs and feed weights were recorded every week for 4 - week period to determine body weight ( bw ), average daily gain ( adg ) and average daily feed intake ( adfi ) from which f : g was calculated per week and overall . percent feed conversion improvements versus the control leg are shown in fig3 . 8 pens in grower sheds housing 45 pigs per pen ( 360 total , 8 weeks of age , initial bw average = 19 . 5 kg ) were used in a 90 - day growth experiment . pigs were fed a typical mash diet containing the composition of example 1 for the duration of the trial . pigs were assigned to a completely randomized design with 45 pigs per pen and 4 replications . treatments were : 1 . control ( no added biology ) 2 . composition of example 1 at 200 grams per ton of mash feed after 90 days , average daily body weight gain was 15 % and the percent feed conversion improvement versus the control was 6 . 3 %. the composition of example 1 was added to a liquid feed additive at the equivalent of 5 % of the finished feed ration for 1200 head dairy cattle . the cattle were fed on this diet for a period of 30 days . milk production was recorded for this time period and compared to the prior month . a 1 . 9 % increase in milk production was observed and butterfat content increased 3 . 8 % versus the prior month .
the present invention relates to pre -, pro -, and postbiotic compositions and methods of use for improving the health and nutrition of commercial livestock and companion pets .