the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention contains at least one protective agent selected from a hardened vegetable oil and a hardened animal oil having a melting point higher than 50 ° c . and lower than 90 ° c ., 0 . 05 to 6 % by weight of lecithin , water , and 40 % by weight or more and less than 65 % by weight of a basic amino acid . the basic amino acid used in the present invention includes free basic amino acids as well as physiologically acceptable salts thereof , for example , hydrochlorides or sulfates . suitable examples of the basic amino acid include l - lysine , l - arginine , l - ornithine , and salts thereof . among them , a basic amino acid which is considered to be the most important in the enhancement of milk yield in lactating cows is l - lysine , and typically , the crystals of l - lysine monohydrochloride are used , which also constitute the most preferred example in the present invention . as for the basic amino acid , commercially available products may be used as it is or after being pulverized , to be mixed with other raw materials . it is preferable for the pulverized crystals of the basic amino acid to have an average particle size of 100 μm or less , and more preferably 50 to 75 μm . here , the average particle size as used herein means a median diameter . the heating and melting temperature of hardened oil in the extruder is 100 ° c . or lower , and because l - lysine monohydrochloride having a melting point of 263 ° c . does not melt , the feed additive composition in the extruder is in fact in a slurry state even though referred to be in a molten state . the content of the basic amino acid is , in terms of l - lysine monohydrochloride , 40 % by weight or more and less than 65 % by weight , and more preferably 40 % by weight or more and 60 % by weight or less ( 32 to 52 % by weight in terms of free l - lysine ). the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention may also contain , in addition to the basic amino acids , methionine , threonine , tryptophan and other amino acids which may be added to the feed for ruminants , and in particular , incorporation of methionine is preferable . as for the at least one protective agent selected from a hardened vegetable oil and a hardened animal oil having a melting point higher than 50 ° c . and lower than 90 ° c ., hardened vegetable oils such as hardened soybean oil , hardened rapeseed oil , hardened groundnut oil , hardened olive oil , hardened cottonseed oil , and hardened palm oil , are preferably used . in addition to these , it is also possible to use beeswax , waxes and the like . the content of these substances in the feed additive composition is more than 23 % by weight and less than 60 % by weight . the content of lecithin in the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention is 0 . 05 to 6 % by weight , preferably 0 . 05 to 5 % by weight , more preferably 0 . 5 to 3 % by weight , and particularly preferably 1 to 2 % by weight . since l - lysine monohydrochloride has a melting point of 263 ° c ., the substance does not melt at 50 to 90 ° c ., which is the melting temperature of the protective agent according to the present invention , and exists as hydrophilic particles in the state of being mixed with the protective agent . since the hardened oils , beeswax and waxes as the protective agent are oleophilic , the surface of l - lysine monohydrochloride is modified by using lecithin , which is an anionic surfactant , and the l - lysine monohydrochloride is homogeneously dispersed so as not to be localized in the molten hardened oil . it is considered that even when basic amino acids are present at the surface of the produced granules , since the surface has been modified with lecithin , the basic amino acids are relatively stable and have a resistance to degradation in rumen juice even upon a contact with the rumen juice . the presence of water in the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention influences the storage stability of the product , and consequently , it greatly affects the resistance to degradation in rumen juice . if the storage environment is at a low temperature of 10 ° c . or lower , the feed additive composition for ruminants is relatively stable irrespective of the content of water contained therein . however , in the case where the composition is exposed to a severe environment in which the temperature of the storage environment exceeds 40 ° c ., if the moisture content in the feed additive composition for ruminants is decreased , the resistance to rumen juice of the basic amino acids tends to decrease . also , if the moisture content exceeds 6 % by weight , the tendency of the decrease of resistance to rumen juice is recognized . therefore , it is desirable for the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention to contain moisture in a proportion of 0 . 01 to 6 % by weight , preferably 2 to 6 % by weight , more preferably 2 . 5 to 6 % by weight , and particularly preferably 3 to 6 % by weight . the granules of the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention are characterized by having the above - mentioned moisture content , and at the same time , maintaining certain water repellency . the water repellency of the granules as stated in the present invention means the difficulty of moisture to infiltrate into the granule surface layer part , which property is obtained by immersing the granules in an aqueous solution having an appropriate water - soluble colorant such as red food colorant ( food colorant no . 102 ) dissolved therein , for a certain time period , and the difference in the chromaticity ( δt ) at the surface of granules of before and after the immersion is expressed for descriptive purposes . a low value of δt means that the granules are poorly stained with colorants , that is , the granules have a characteristic that the surface layer part of the granules is hardly infiltrated by moisture , while a high value of δt means that the granules are readily stained with colorants , that is , the granules have a characteristic that the surface layer part of the granules is susceptible to the infiltration of moisture . it is believed that when moisture infiltrates into the surface layer part of the granules , the basic amino acid contained in the granule surface layer part is eluted to the outside of the granules , and the rumen bypass property is decreased ; therefore , it is preferable that the granules of the feed additive composition for ruminants have water repellency to a certain degree . as will be shown in the test examples that will be described later , the water repellency of the granules of the present invention is in generally 5 to 6 , when expressed as the difference in redness ( δt ) which is obtained by immersing the granules in a 75 % aqueous solution of ethanol containing 0 . 1 % of food colorant no . 102 , at 40 ° c . for 45 minutes . the water repellency of the granules of the present invention is such that the δt value measured under the above - described conditions can be increased to about 3 , by implementing a heating treatment on the mixture obtained by immersing a molten mixture into water to solidify . as discussed above , the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention can be described as a feed additive composition for ruminants containing at least one protective agent selected from a hardened vegetable oil and a hardened animal oil having a melting point higher than 50 ° c . and lower than 90 ° c ., 0 . 05 to 6 % by weight of lecithin , water , and 40 % by weight or more and less than 65 % by weight of a basic amino acid , wherein the difference in redness ( δt ) obtained by immersing granules into a 75 % aqueous solution of ethanol containing 0 . 1 % of food colorant no . 102 at 40 ° c . for 45 minutes , is 3 to 6 . the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention is produced by a method including a process of preparing a molten mixture formed from at least one protective agent selected from a hardened vegetable oil and a hardened animal oil having a melting point higher than 50 ° c . and lower than 90 ° c ., lecithin and a basic amino acid ; and a process of obtaining a solidified mixture by immersing the molten mixture into water . in the aforementioned method , a protective agent , lecithin and a basic amino acid are used as raw materials , and these are melted and mixed . when this molten mixture is immersed into water to be formed into a granular shape , a portion of the basic amino acid is eluted in water , but the amount is very small . meanwhile , water is incorporated into the mixture at this stage . this water can be reduced by a subsequent drying process . of course , the cooling may be accomplished by immersing the molten mixture into an aqueous liquid which contains other components in addition to water . in the process of preparing a molten mixture in the continuous production method of the present invention , a commercially available extruder can be used , but it is preferable to remove the die plate which is placed at the outlet . by removing the die plate , a molten mixture of the raw material composition for the feed additive composition for ruminants can be obtained in a state where the inside of the cylinder tube of the extruder is not subjected to so much pressure . a molten mixture containing a large amount of l - lysine monohydrochloride is difficult to be granulated by air prilling , but when even such a molten mixture is allowed to fall free directly from orifices having an appropriate diameter , the mixed molten product having a continuous rod shape is formed into a fine fiber form , and finally cut under the action of the surface tension during the falling , to become separate and individual liquid droplets . when the liquid droplets are dropped into water which is in the state of being stirred , the liquid droplets are instantaneously cooled and solidified in the water . it is the production capacity of the extruder which affects the amount of production of the composition for feed , and in the production method of the present invention , it is possible to operate the extruder at its upper limit of capacity . here , the machine which is usable is not limited to extruder , as long as it is capable of obtaining a molten mixture of the raw material composition , and is capable of preparing a molten mixture which is turned into liquid droplets during falling . the multi - hole shooter is a means necessary for increasing the amount of production in the method of producing the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention . the multi - hole shooter according to the present invention is a vessel having a perforated bottom with a plurality of holes , and is a facility for temporarily retaining a heated molten mixture discharged from the extruder . the multi - hole shooter preferably includes a heating facility so that the retained heated molten mixture does not become cold . the amount of production of the feed additive composition for ruminants is directly proportional to the number of holes provided at the bottom of the vessel . the distance from the bottom surface of the multi - hole shooter to the water surface ( fall distance ) determines the final shape of the granules . when the heated molten mixture is allowed to fall at a temperature of 65 ° c ., granules having a spherical shape to a shape close to that of a rugby ball are obtained at a fall distance of 5 cm to 15 cm . furthermore , when the fall distance is further increased , the impact energy at the water surface is increased , and thus more flattened granules having a shape of pressed barley are obtained . at a fall distance of about 50 cm , granules having a shape of pressed barley with an undulating fringe are obtained . the diameter of the holes of the multi - hole shooter is selected depending on the viscosity and the size of the granules to be produced . in the case of producing small granules , it is preferable to have holes having a size of 0 . 5 to 3 mm , and in order to obtain granules having a size with a diameter of about 10 mm , it is preferable to have holes having a size of about several millimeters . typically , a size of 0 . 5 to 5 mm is preferred . the processes of the production method of the present invention will be described . the basic amino acids which are used as the raw material may be pulverized and used . pulverization is performed using , for example , a pulverizer , until the average of the particle size of the basic amino acid becomes 100 μm or less , and preferably 75 μm , and if necessary , sieving is performed . the order of addition of lecithin is not to be particularly fixed , and in order to coat the surface of the basic amino acid , for example , l - lysine monohydrochloride , with lecithin , the two substances may be mixed in advance with a nauta mixer , and if the production efficiency is to be improved , three components of the protective agent , lecithin and basic amino acid may be nearly simultaneously charged into the cylinder of an extruder . it is also possible to respectively charge predetermined amounts of the three components through a feed inlet near the inlet of the cylinder . alternatively , a molten mixture may be obtained by first charging a basic amino acid and hardened oil and mixing them at near room temperature , then finally charging lecithin , and heating the raw material composition to melt . the temperature for melting and mixing the raw material composition may be at or above the melting point of the hardened oil , but for example , in the case of fully hydrogenated soybean oil , since the melting point is 67 to 71 ° c ., the melting point may be 80 to 85 ° c ., and a temperature higher than the melting point by 5 to 15 ° c . is sufficient . in regard to the heating temperature , it is not necessary to heat at a temperature above the melting point from the beginning , and if the raw materials are initially pre - heated to a temperature lower than the melting point by 5 to 10 ° c ., conveyed by the screw in the cylinder of the extruder , and then heated to a predetermined temperature above the melting point , a stable molten mixture can be obtained efficiently . the discharged heated molten mixture is temporarily retained in a multi - hole shooter , and the molten mixture is allowed to fall free into water from the holes having a size of 1 to 4 mm provided at the bottom . the temperature of water into which the falling objects are immersed may be about 10 to 30 ° c . the molten mixture dropped from the multi - hole shooter falls into the water which is stirred in a water tank for granule cooling , and is instantaneously solidified there . water is constantly replenished while the water temperature is maintained constant , and at the same time , the solidified mixture is discharged from the water tank for granule cooling by being carried away by overflowing water . the solidified mixture has a specific gravity of about 1 . 1 , and drifts in the water . the granules of the solidified mixture discharged from the water tank are collected with a net or a netted vessel , and dried to yield a feed additive composition for ruminants . the method of producing a feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention preferably includes a process of implementing a heating treatment on the mixture which has been solidified in water . the heating treatment may be carried out under some conditions approximately resulting in the melting of a portion of the crystalline component of the protective agent present at the surface layer part of the solidified mixture . specifically , the solidified mixture may be exposed to an atmosphere set to a temperature near the melting point of the protective agent contained in the solidified mixture , for example , to hot water , vapor , hot air or the like , generally for some ten seconds to several tens of seconds . the amount of heat supplied to the mixture varies with the amount of the mixture ( weight ), and such amount of heat is determined by the product of the treatment temperature and the treatment time . therefore , the amount of heat sufficient for a portion of the crystalline component of the protective agent present at the surface layer part of the solidified mixture to melt may be provided by exposing the solidified mixture to an atmosphere set to a temperature lower than the melting point of the protective agent contained in the solidified mixture for a longer period of time , or by exposing the solidified mixture to an atmosphere set to a temperature higher than the melting point of the protective agent contained in the solidified mixture for a shorter period of time . specific treatment temperature and treatment time may be appropriately set based on the type of the protective agent contained in the composition and the amount of the mixture . in another embodiment , present invention provides novel processes for raising a ruminant by feeding the ruminant such a feed additive composition . such ruminants include cattle , goats , sheep , giraffes , american bison , european bison , yaks , water buffalo , deer , camels , alpacas , llamas , wildebeest , antelope , pronghorn , and nilgai . these ruminants may be fed the feed additive composition of the present invention at any time and in any amount during their life . that is , the ruminant may be fed the feed additive composition of the present invention either by itself or as part of a diet which includes other feedstuffs . moreover , the ruminant may be fed the feed additive composition of the present invention at any time during their lifetime . the ruminant may be fed the feed additive composition of the present invention continuously , at regular intervals , or intermittently . the ruminant may be fed the feed additive composition of the present invention in an amount such that it accounts for all , a majority , or a minority of the feed in the ruminant &# 39 ; s diet for any portion of time in the animal &# 39 ; s life . preferably , the ruminant is fed the feed additive composition of the present invention in an amount such that it accounts for a majority of the feed in the animal &# 39 ; s diet for a significant portion of the animal &# 39 ; s lifetime . in another embodiment , the present invention provides novel processes for making meat by harvesting meat from a ruminant which have been fed such a feed additive composition . the ruminants in this embodiment are the same as those described above in connection with the present process for raising ruminants . the feeding may be carried out as described above in connection with the process for raising ruminants . the meat may be harvesting at any suitable time during the animal &# 39 ; s lifetime . the harvesting of the meat may be carried out using the techniques conventional in the art of butchering . typical meats to be harvested include , beef , pork , mutton , lamb , venison , bison , etc . the meat may be sold fresh or frozen . the meat may be processed as described in kirk - othmer , encyclopedia of chemical technology , fourth ed ., wiley - interscience , ny , vol . 16 , pp . 68 - 87 , 1995 , which is incorporated herein by reference . in another embodiment , the present invention provides novel processes for making milk by harvesting milk from a ruminant which have been fed such a feed additive composition . the ruminants in this embodiment are those which produce milk , such as cattle , oxen , bison , deer , goats , sheep , etc . the feeding may be carried out as described above in connection with the process for raising ruminants . the harvesting of the milk may be carried out using the conventional techniques known to those in the art . the milk may be processed , stored , cooled , shipped , and packaged , as described in kirk - othmer , encyclopedia of chemical technology , fourth ed ., wiley - interscience , ny , vol . 16 , pp . 700 - 746 , 1995 , which is incorporated herein by reference . in another embodiment , the present invention provides processes for making a dairy product from the milk harvested from a ruminant which has been fed the feed additive composition of the present invention . such dairy products include evaporated and condensed milk , dry milk , cream , anhydrous milk fat , butter , buttermilk , cheese , yogurt , and frozen desserts ( such as ice cream , frozen yogurt , ice milk , sherbets , and mellorine ), lactose , and casein . the conversion of the milk into the dairy product may be carried out using conventional techniques known to those skilled in the art as described in kirk - othmer , encyclopedia of chemical technology , fourth ed ., wiley - interscience , ny , vol . 16 , pp . 700 - 746 , 1995 , which is incorporated herein by reference . in another embodiment , the present invention provides novel processes for making wool by harvesting wool from a ruminant been fed such a feed additive composition . the ruminants in this embodiment are those which produce wool , such as goats , sheep , lambs , lama , alpaca , etc . the feeding may be carried out as described above in connection with the process for raising ruminants . the wool may be harvested and treated by conventional techniques known to those skill in the art and as described in kirk - othmer , encyclopedia of chemical technology , fourth ed ., wiley - interscience , ny , vol . 25 , pp . 664 - 712 , 1998 , which is incorporated herein by reference . in another embodiment , the present invention provides novel processes for making leather by harvesting skin from a ruminant which have been fed such a feed additive composition and converting the skin into leather . in the context of the present invention , the term leather also includes suede and the term skin include hides and pelts . the ruminants in this embodiment are those whose skin may be converted into leather , such as cattle , oxen , bison , deer , goats , sheep , lambs , lama , alpaca , yaks , etc . the feeding may be carried out as described above in connection with the process for raising ruminants . the skin may be harvested and converted into leather by conventional techniques known to those skill in the art and as described in kirk - othmer , encyclopedia of chemical technology , fourth ed ., wiley - interscience , ny , vol . 15 , pp . 159 - 177 , 1995 , which is incorporated herein by reference . other features of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following descriptions of exemplary embodiments which are given for illustration of the invention and are not intended to be limiting thereof . a molten mixture in a slurry form obtained by heating ( 85 ° c .) and melting the mixture using an extruder was weighed to 100 g in a 200 - ml beaker made of heat resistant glass , placed in a constant temperature water bath at 90 ° c ., and slowly stirred to set the temperature of the molten mixture at 90 ° c . when the temperature became constant at 90 ° c ., viscosity measurement was performed at 90 ° c . using a rotational viscometer of viscometer model bl manufactured by tokimec , inc . for the measurement , a rotating shaft for direct viscosity measurement was immersed into the molten mixture in the beaker , the rotating shaft was rotated , and the viscosity was measured several times . when the value became constant , it was determined as the rotational viscosity ( pa · s ) at 90 ° c . the moisture content was determined by measuring the weight loss after heating at 105 ° c . for 20 minutes , using a kett moisture analyzer ( infrared moisture balance fd - 610 ). in a 50 - ml conical tube manufactured by falcon , corp ., 4 . 00 g of the dried product obtained after the measurement of moisture content in the preparation , and 20 . 0 g of pure water were weighed and tightly stoppered . the conical tube was immersed in a constant temperature water bath at 85 ° c . for 20 minutes , to melt the hardened soybean oil . the hardened oil and l - lysine monohydrochloride were separated , and l - lysine monohydrochloride was dissolved in an aqueous solution . the l - lysine monohydrochloride thus recovered was analyzed by conventional liquid chromatography , and thus the content (% by weight ) of l - lysine monohydrochloride in the preparation ( dried product ), “ w ,” as determined . in a 50 - ml conical tube manufactured by falcon , corp ., 4 . 00 g of the preparation and 20 . 0 g of pure water were weighed and tightly stoppered . the conical tube was immersed in a constant temperature water bath at 85 ° c . for 20 minutes , to melt the hardened soybean oil . the hardened oil and l - lysine monohydrochloride were separated , and l - lysine monohydrochloride was dissolved in an aqueous solution . the l - lysine monohydrochloride thus recovered was analyzed by conventional liquid chromatography , and thus the content (% by weight ) of l - lysine monohydrochloride in the preparation , “ w ,” was determined 2 . 00 g of the preparation was weighed in a 50 - ml conical tube manufactured by falcon , corp ., and 10 . 0 g of an artificial rumen juice was added thereto . the conical tube was tightly stoppered and laid horizontal , and the tube was shaken for 20 hours in an oscillating shaker at 40 ° c . subsequently , the content of l - lysine monohydrochloride in the aqueous solution was analyzed before and after the shaking , and the proportion (%) of l - lysine monohydrochloride in the preparation which was not eluted out at 40 ° c . for 20 hours , was determined as the protection rate (%): “ a .” the product of the content of l - lysine monohydrochloride in the preparation “ w ” (% by weight ) and the protection rate “ a ” (%) was determined as the small intestine arrival rate (“ w ”×“ a ”). since the amount of soybean lecithin used was a trace amount , in order to uniformly disperse this , soybean lecithin was triturated in advance by a mixing granulator using finely pulverized l - lysine monohydrochloride ( the composition ratio was l - lysine monohydrochloride : soybean lecithin = 5 : 1 ). three components , that is , finely pulverized l - lysine monohydrochloride for feed having an average particle size of 75 μm ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc . ), soybean lecithin ( manufactured by ajinomoto co , inc .) and fully hydrogenated soybean oil ( melting point 67 ° c . ; manufactured by yokozeki oil & amp ; fat corp .) were respectively weighed at the composition shown in table 1 , including the above - mentioned amount of soybean lecithin , and so as to obtain a total amount of 5 kg , and the three components were sufficiently mixed . in addition , as the amino acid for invention 10 , a mixture formed by adding 6 . 0 % by weight of dl - methionine ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc .) to 42 % by weight of l - lysine monohydrochloride was prepared . subsequently , the composition raw materials were charged into the hopper of a twin - screw extruder for laboratory use ( laboruder model name : mark - ii , manufactured by japan steel works , ltd . ), and the composition raw materials were continuously fed at 9 kg / h from the hopper into the feed inlet of the screw which had been preliminarily heated ( preliminary heating temperature 60 ° c ., main heating temperature 85 ° c ., set temperature at outlet 70 ° c .) and was rotating ( 400 rpm ). the molten mixture was conveyed into the screw to be heated , melted and mixed , and was discharged from the outlet of the extruder with its die plate removed , in the form of finely textured , uniform molten slurry . the discharged molten mixture in a slurry state was charged into a multi - hole shooter ( number of holes : 30 , size of hole : 2 mm in diameter ), which was set directly underneath . the molten mixture in a slurry state was temporarily retained in the multi - hole shooter , and was dispersed through the thirty holes . the molten mixture in a slurry state was discharged from a plurality of holes at a low speed such that the discharge rate from one hole was 0 . 3 kg / h , and formed perfect liquid droplets . the liquid droplets fell into a water tank for granule cooling ( 20 ° c . ), which was placed directly below and was being stirred , and were cooled to instantaneously solidify . at this time , the distance from the bottom surface of the multi - hole shooter to the water surface of the water tank for granule cooling was 20 cm . the shape of the granules of the solidified mixture obtained in this manner were such that those having a high rotational viscosity obtained a shape of flatly deformed rugby ball having a diameter of 3 to 4 mm , and those having a low rotational viscosity obtained a shape of pressed barley having a diameter of 5 to 8 mm . the obtained granules of the solidified mixture were recovered , the water of adhesion was dehydrated , and then the granules were dried in air at ambient temperature to obtain the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention ( subject inventions 1 to 10 ). the loss of raw materials in the composition due to water and others was small , and the recovery rate was as high as 98 to 99 . 5 % in all cases . the content of l - lysine monohydrochloride w in the obtained granules × protection rate for lysine [ a ] in the rumen juice , represented the small intestine arrival rate of l - lysine monohydrochloride , w ×[ a ], and this value was 35 % by weight or more as shown in table 1 . the specific weight of the obtained feed additive composition for ruminants was 1 . 05 to 1 . 15 , and the composition drifted in the rumen juice without floating thereon . an experiment was performed by the same method as in example 1 and with the composition and the blending amounts shown in table 1 , with l - lysine monohydrochloride in an amount decreased to 30 % by weight , and the obtained results are presented together in table 1 . the rotational viscosity obtained when the composition was heated and melted was 0 . 15 pa · s , and the liquidity was quite fluid . the protection rate [ a ] of the comparative example 1 was high , but the small intestine arrival rate of l - lysine monohydrochloride was low . the results obtained by the same method as in example 1 , with a larger amount of l - lysine monohydrochloride are presented together in table 1 . in comparative examples 2 and 3 , the mixtures heated and melted in the extruder were in the form of slurry , but since the rotational viscosity was very high , the heated and melted mixture did not form liquid droplets even when dropped from the multi - hole shooter , and formulation into granules could not be achieved . the slurry - like mixture which was obtained using the composition raw materials and blending ratios indicated in table 1 by heating and melting them in an extruder in the same manner as in examples , was heated to 90 ° c ., and the mixture was granulated by air prilling with pressurized air ( 0 . 5 mpa ), using a nozzle having an orifice diameter of 3 mm . in the case where granulation by prilling was possible , an evaluation of the resulting preparation was performed , and the results are presented in table 1 . in comparative examples 4 and 5 , granulation by prilling was possible , but the preparations mostly did not contain moisture , and had very low protection rates [ a ], and therefore , small intestine arrival rates w ×[ a ] were also low . the particles of the resulting preparations were spheres with a diameter of about 1 mm , and classification was unavoidable when blended into feedstuff . in the raw materials containing 50 % by weight of l - lysine monohydrochloride as indicated in comparative example 6 , since the rotational viscosity of the resulting slurry - like mixture was high , prilling of the slurry - like mixture in the air by means of pressurized air ( 0 . 5 mpa ) could not be carried out , and it was not possible to obtain a granulated preparation . as an example of the composition formed from an amino acid , high melting point oil and fat , and low melting point oil and fat as disclosed in japanese patent application publication ( jp - b ) no . 49 - 45224 , a composition containing 40 % by weight of l - lysine monohydrochloride , 30 % by weight of hardened soybean oil and 30 % by weight of soybean oil ( not containing lecithin ) was prepared , and a molten mixture was prepared by heating and melting the aforementioned composition at 85 ° c . using an extruder with its die plate removed , in the same manner as in example 1 . the molten mixture was charged into a multi - hole shooter , and was immersed into water at 20 ° c . to obtain granules . an evaluation of these granules was performed , and the results are presented together in table 1 . as a result , it was confirmed that these granules had a low protection rate [ a ], and a small intestine arrival rate , w ×[ a ], lower than those of the examples . in particular , the small intestine arrival rate which indicates the amount of l - lysine monohydrochloride arriving at the small intestine of a lactating cow was as low as 16 . 7 %, and this implies that there is a large loss along the way , and the preparation cannot be provided for practical use . the specific weight of the preparation was less than 1 , and the preparation floated on the surface in the rumen juice . 17 . 7 kg of l - lysine monohydrochloride for feedstuff ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc .) which was pulverized to a particle size of 100 μm or less was charged into a nauta mixer nx - s ( manufactured by hosokawa micron , ltd . ), and 3 . 5 kg of soybean lecithin ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc .) was added and mixed therewith while being stirred . 1 . 3 kg of the mixture , 9 . 9 kg of the above - mentioned l - lysine monohydrochloride , and 8 . 8 kg of fully hydrogenated soybean oil ( manufactured by yokozeki oil & amp ; fat corp . ; melting point 67 ° c .) were mixed with the nauta mixer . subsequently , the mixture was charged into a twin - screw extruder ( manufactured by cosmotec corp .) having the inside of the screw heated to 85 ° c ., and the slurry - like molten mixture discharged from the outlet was charged into a multi - hole shooter ( number of holes : 30 , size of hole : 2 mm in diameter ). the slurry - like molten mixture was dropped into a stirred water tank which was installed at a distance of 20 cm from those holes to cool and solidify the molten mixture , and the resulting granules of the solidified mixture were recovered . the recovered granules were subjected to the dehydration of the water of adhesion , and were dried in air at ambient temperature . in that regard , various granules having a moisture content of 0 . 01 % to 6 . 1 % were produced by varying the time for air drying from 0 to 14 hours . the granules thus produced were subjected to the measurement of the content of l - lysine monohydrochloride w , and then a part of them was placed in a chamber at 45 ° c ., while the remnants were stored at 4 ° c . after three days , the granules were taken out , and the protection rate [ a ] was measured . the results are presented in table 2 and fig1 . the protection rate [ a ] of the granules stored at 4 ° c . was not much affected in the moisture content and was in the range of about 60 % to 70 %, while the protection rate [ a ] of the granules stored at 45 ° c . decreased in the case where the moisture content was smaller than 2 % by weight and in the case where the moisture content exceeded 6 % by weight . 1 ) composition raw materials which had been mixed in advance to a weight ratio of 54 . 9 % of l - lysine monohydrochloride ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc . ), 1 . 1 % of soybean lecithin ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc .) and 44 % of fully hydrogenated soybean oil ( melting point 67 ° c . ; manufactured by yokozeki oil & amp ; fat corp .) were charged into the hopper of a twin - screw extruder for laboratory use ( laboruder model name : mark - ii , manufactured by japan steel works , ltd . ), and the composition raw materials were continuously fed at 9 kg / h from the hopper into the feed inlet of the rotating ( 400 rpm ) screw which had been preliminarily heated ( preliminary heating temperature 60 ° c ., main heating temperature 85 ° c ., set temperature for outlet 70 ° c .). the molten mixture was conveyed into the screw to be heated , melted and mixed , and was discharged from the outlet of the extruder with its die plate removed , in the form of finely textured , uniform molten slurry . the discharged molten mixture in a slurry state was charged into a multi - hole shooter ( number of holes : 30 , size of hole : 2 mm in diameter ), which was set directly underneath . the molten mixture in a slurry state was temporarily stored in the multi - hole shooter , and was dispersed through the thirty holes . the molten mixture in a slurry state was discharged from a plurality of holes of the multi - hole shooter , and formed perfect liquid droplets . the liquid droplets fell into a water tank for granule cooling ( 10 ° c . ), which was placed directly below and was being stirred , and were cooled to instantaneously solidify . at this time , the distance from the bottom surface of the multi - hole shooter to the water surface of the water tank for granule cooling was 10 cm . the granules of the solidified mixture obtained in this manner were left to stand in the water for 30 minutes , then the water of adhesion at the surface was dehydrated , and thus a feed additive composition for ruminants was recovered . subsequently , 200 g of the feed additive composition for ruminants was placed in a fluidized bed drying machine ( flomini , manufactured by okawara manufacturing co ., ltd .) set at a temperature of 40 ° c . for 5 minutes , in a fluidized bed drying machine ( flomini , manufactured by okawara manufacturing co ., ltd .) set at a temperature of 50 ° c . for 5 minutes , and in a fluidized bed drying machine ( flomini , manufactured by okawara manufacturing co ., ltd .) set at a temperature of 60 ° c . for 3 minutes , to be subjected to a heating treatment . the results of measuring the moisture content and protection rate of the feed additive composition for ruminants obtained before and after the heating treatment are presented in table 3 . 2 ) composition raw materials which had been mixed in advance to a weight ratio of 54 . 9 % of l - lysine monohydrochloride ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc . ), 1 . 1 % of soybean lecithin ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc .) and 44 % of fully hydrogenated soybean oil ( melting point 67 ° c . ; manufactured by yokozeki oil & amp ; fat corp .) were charged into the hopper of a twin - screw extruder for laboratory use ( laboruder model name : mark - ii , manufactured by japan steel works , ltd . ), and the composition raw materials were continuously fed at 20 kg / h from the hopper into the feed inlet of the rotating ( 130 rpm ) screw which had been preliminarily heated ( preliminary heating temperature 65 ° c ., main heating temperature 85 ° c ., set temperature for outlet 70 ° c .). the molten mixture was conveyed into the screw to be heated , melted and mixed , and was discharged from the outlet of the extruder with its die plate removed , in the form of finely textured , uniform molten slurry . the discharged molten mixture in a slurry state was charged into a multi - hole shooter ( number of holes : 30 , size of hole : 2 mm in diameter ), which was set directly underneath . the molten mixture in a slurry state was temporarily retained in the multi - hole shooter , and was dispersed through the thirty holes . the molten mixture in a slurry state was discharged from a plurality of holes of the multi - hole shooter , and formed perfect liquid droplets . the liquid droplets fell into a water tank for granule cooling ( 10 ° c . ), which was placed directly below and was being stirred , and were cooled to instantaneously solidify . at this time , the distance from the bottom surface of the multi - hole shooter to the water surface of the water tank for granule cooling was 10 cm . the granules of the solidified mixture obtained in this manner were left to stand in the water for 40 minutes , then the water of adhesion at the surface was dehydrated , and thus a feed additive composition for ruminants was obtained . subsequently , 200 g of the feed additive composition for ruminants was placed in a fluidized bed drying machine ( flomini , manufactured by okawara manufacturing co ., ltd .) set at a temperature of 50 ° c . for 15 minutes , to be subjected to a heating treatment . the feed additive composition for ruminants which had not been subjected to the heating treatment , and the same composition which had been subjected to the heating treatment were respectively stored at 25 ° c . and 40 ° c . for one month , and then the protection rates were measured . these results are presented in table 4 . in regard to the feed additive composition for ruminants without heating treatment as shown in table 4 of example 3 ; the feed additive composition for ruminants heated at 50 ° c . for 15 minutes in the same table ; white granules recovered after sieving “ bypass supply milkan ( registered trademark ) plus lysine ” which is commercially available from bio science co ., ltd . ( the product is listed in the website of the same company : http :// www . bioscience . co . jp / proudct / chi — 05 . html , japanese patent registration no . 3728738 ); and the composition of comparative example 7 , the water repellencies of the respective compositions were measured . 20 ml of a 75 % water - containing ethanol solution in which 0 . 1 % by weight of food colorant no . 102 was dissolved was provided in a glass sample bottle , and after heating this to 40 ° c ., 1 . 2 g of each of the compositions was added to the sample bottle to be immersed at 45 ° c . for 40 minutes . after recovering each of the compositions , the solution at the surfaces was lightly wiped out , and then the degree of redness was measured with a color difference meter ( konica minolta holdings , inc .). the measurement results of n = 5 ( average ) are presented in table 5 . additionally , in regard to the comparative example 7 , a reduction in the composition weight was observed when comparing before staining and after staining , and elution of l - lysine monohydrochloride and the protective agent from the composition had occurred . from the above - described results , it was confirmed that the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention had a high water repellency at 40 ° c ., and the rumen bypass property of the feed additive composition for ruminants was superior to that of the white granules and comparative example 7 . furthermore , the water repellency of the feed additive composition for ruminants of the present invention could be further enhanced by a heating treatment , so that the rumen bypass property could be improved . according to the method described in example 1 , 100 g of three components including finely pulverized l - lysine monohydrochloride for feed ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc .) having an average particle size of 75 μm , soybean lecithin ( manufactured by ajinomoto co ., inc . ), and fully hydrogenated soybean oil ( melting point 67 ° c . ; manufactured by yokozeki oil & amp ; fat corp .) was weighed in a beaker at the ratio of percentage by weight shown in table 6 , and the mixture was heated to 80 ° c . while sufficiently mixing to obtain a molten slurry of l - lysine monohydrochloride . then , under the conditions described in example 1 , dispersion of the molten slurry by means of a multi - hole shooter , conversion into liquid droplets , and solidification by cooling in water were carried out to prepare feed additive compositions for ruminants 1 to 7 and a comparison composition 8 . in addition , since the heated molten product of the comparison composition 8 was highly viscous so that liquid droplets from the multi - hole shooter were not formed , a granulated composition was prepared by collecting the heated molten product in small amounts with a microspatula and immediately immersing them into water to solidify . 2 . 00 g of each of the compositions was weighed in a 50 - ml conical tube manufactured by falcon , inc ., and 10 . 0 g of an artificial rumen juice was added thereto . the tube was tightly stoppered and laid horizontally , and the tube was shaken in an oscillating shaker at 40 ° c . for 20 hours . the contents of l - lysine monohydrochloride in the aqueous solution before and after the shaking were analyzed , and thus the elution rate of l - lysine monohydrochloride per unit time was calculated . the results are presented in table 6 and fig2 . as shown in table 6 and fig2 , it was confirmed that elution of l - lysine monohydrochloride from the composition in the rumen juice can be suppressed by the addition of lecithin . the effect of suppressing the elution of l - lysine monohydrochloride was noticeable with an additional amount of lecithin of about 5 % by weight or less , and particularly 1 to 5 % by weight . in addition , when lecithin is contained in the raw materials in an amount of 6 % by weight or more , the elution rate of lysine can also be increased in comparison to the composition having no lecithin added . where a numerical limit or range is stated herein , the endpoints are included . also , all values and subranges within a numerical limit or range are specifically included as if explicitly written out . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . all patents and other references mentioned above are incorporated in full herein by this reference , the same as if set forth at length .
a food additive composition for ruminants of the dispersion type and a method of continuously producing the same . this food additive composition for ruminants , which contains 40 % by weight or more but less than 65 % by weight of a basic amino acid and has rumen bypass properties , is formulated into granules in an arbitrary shape which are scarcely classified when added to a silage or another feed . thus , attempts have been made to develop a method of producing granules by which the milk yield of a lactation cow can be increased . namely , it is intended to provide a food additive composition for ruminants which contains at least one protecting agent selected from among a hardened vegetable oil and a hardened animal oil having a melting point higher than 50 ° c . but lower than 90 ° c ., 0 . 05 to 6 % by weight of lecithin , water and 40 % by weight or more but less than 65 % by weight of a basic amino acid . it is also intended to provide a method of producing a food additive composition for ruminants characterized by comprising solidifying a molten mixture , which comprises at least one protecting agent selected from among a hardened vegetable oil and a hardened animal oil having a melting point higher than 50 ° c . but lower than 90 ° c ., lecithin and a basic amino acid , by dipping in water .