SBIR-STTR Award

Snyder Seed Corporation (SSC) has developed red pepper (capsaicin) coated wild bird seed that is palatable to birds but unpalatable to certain rodents such as squirrels and mice (U.S. patent application Number 7-892484). SSC now wishes to expand its product development to include domestic poultry food products containing capsaicin for the purpose of decreasing rodent infestation in poultry production plants. In addition, capsaicin directly increases resistance of poultry to infection by Salmonella. SSC has formulated both chick starter and adult layer feeds with capsaicin in the form of red chili pepper and at a final heat strength of 5000 Scoville Heat Units (303 ppm capsaicin). Chickens raised on this feed for six months showed no preference vs. control feed, and grew at the same rate as birds raised on control feed. Mice offered this feed in a two-choice feeding study demonstrated complete avoidance. Research is now needed to produce a more cost-effective feed that will reproducibly discourage mice and rats from eating it, and to determine the effect of red cayenne pepper and/or decolorized oleoresin of capsicum on laying hen and broiler chicken performance and sensory qualities of eggs and broiler meat.Applications:It is anticipated that the development of a cost-effective, non-toxic nutritional supplement for domestic poultry food that renders such food unpalatable to rodents and reduces the susceptibility of poultry to infection by Salmonella will realize widespread acceptability by domestic poultry producers. Producers of poultry for human consumption may use this feed as a means of retarding or preventing 1) the spread of pathogenic organisms, and 2) depletion of food meant for poultry. SSC knows of no other products that can be added directly to chicken feed and repels rodents as well as directly reduces the potential for Salmonella infection.

Phase I revealed that the production of laying hens and broilers was not adversely affected by diets containing 700 ScovilleHeat Units (SHU's) of Capsicum oleresin (equivalent to 42 2 ppm capsaicin) and that panelists were unable to detect differences between eggs or meat of chickens receiving this feed and eggs or meat of chickens fed the basal layer or broiler diets. At a sign)ficantly higher level of Capsicum oleoresin (3500 SHU), egg production and feed efficiency was reduced during the last two 4week periods of the laying hen experiment and altered the sensory properties of eggs gathered at the end of the experiment. No effects of Capsicum oleoresin on oxidative stability of eggs or meat were detected. Studies of mice and rats showed that the 700 SHU feed repelled the animals in both 1-choice and 2-choice feeding trial, and that 1800 SHU markedly inhibited consumption of poultry feed by these rodents, approaching the repellent characteristics of 3,500 SHU feed. Studies in Phase II are designed to evaluate the rodent repellent effficacy of Capsicum treated feed under free-ranging conditions, and the chronic effects of 1,800 SHU feed on poultry performance and product qualities.Applications:Rodent infestation of poultry production facilities represents a sign)ficant cost to the multi-billion dollar U.S. poultry industry. Capsaicinoids may be the most acceptable and cost effective nutritional ingredient that can be added directly to poultry feeds for the purpose of decreasing feed consumption and transmission of infectious diseases by rodents. It is anticipated that a poultry feed produced at the 1,800 SHU level will repel rodents, will have no effect or a positive effect on poultry health and product quality, and will be cost effective, thereby capturing a sign)ficant component of the rodenticide market.