Bacillus Strains with Fast Germination and Antimicrobial Activity against Clostridium

A method for improving the performance of poultry or swine comprising feeding the poultry or swine with a Bacillus subtilis strain or a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain characterized in that

• (a) at least 60% of the Bacillus spores survive gastric stability;
• (b) at least 55% of the Bacillus spores germinate in less than 4 hours,
• (c) the Bacillus spores have antimicrobial activity against Clostridium perfringens and
• (d) the Bacillus strain has enzyme activity under aerobic conditions against one or more of the substrates selected from the group consisting of amylose, arabinan, arabinoxylan, casein and xylan.

A method for improving the performance of poultry or swine comprising feeding the poultry or swine with a Bacillus strain selected from the group consisting of

• the strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50136 or a strain having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus NRRL B-50136 or a mutant thereof;
• the strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50147 or a strain having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus NRRL B-50147 or a mutant thereof;
• the strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50141 or a strain having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus NRRL B-50141 or a mutant thereof;
• the strain having the deposit accession number PTA-7543 or a strain having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus PTA-7543 or a mutant thereof;
• the strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50888 or a strain having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus NRRL B-50888 or a mutant thereof;
• the strain having the deposit accession number PTA-7549 or a strain having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus PTA-7549 or a mutant thereof;
• the strain having the deposit accession number B-50349 or a strain having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus B-50349 or a mutant thereof;
• or any combination thereof.

A poultry or swine feed comprising a Bacillus subtilis strain or a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain characterized in that

• (a) at least 60% of the Bacillus spores survive gastric stability;
• (b) at least 55% of the Bacillus spores germinate in less than 4 hours,
• (c) the Bacillus spores have antimicrobial activity against Clostridium perfringens and
• (d) the Bacillus strain has enzyme activity under aerobic conditions against one or more of the substrates selected from the group consisting of amylose, arabinan, arabinoxylan, casein and xylan.