Use of ensymes for removing feedlot dags from the live animal

Summary

A patent search has been conducted and there does not seem to be any Australian patent or published patent application that appears to be relevant to the removal of dags from cattle using enzymes. This allows further development of the process of enzyme removal of dags from cattle in Australia without patent infringement. However, it is possible that the inventors in the United Kingdom who have a UK patent could have either already filed application in Australian or could have filed an International application that designates Australia.

To ensure that this project does not infringe an international patent legal advice recommends to repeat the patent search in 6 or 12 months time. In general, the composition of dags from feedlots in Australia is composed of more jignocellulosic material than the faeces from UK feedlots. This means that the strategies to remove faeces from cattle using enzymes are likely to require a different mix of enzymes to that used in the UK.

Laboratory results have demonstrated that decomposition of dags is achieved using concentrations of the enzymes Iaccase, cellulase and xylanase at around 10 units/inL glucose equivalent. Combinations of the enzymes Iaccase, xylanase and cellulase together with a dilute salt solution increased the efficiency of dag decomposition.

The results demonstrated that of the three enzymes used, cellulase was the most effective enzyme at decomposing feedlot dags. It was found that after 8-hrs of incubation with an enzyme mixture containing cellulase and Iaccase, dags became flakey and visible hairs were easily removed. These results indicate that dag decomposition is possible with enzyme solutions containing enzyme mixtures of cellulase and Iaccase in excess of I unit/inL and possible in the order of to units/inL,