Abstract: Methods are provided for assaying whether a Bacillus composition comprising at least one Bacillus strain is capable of increasing the amount of sugar available from animal feed comprising non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in vivo when the Bacillus composition and animal feed are fed to an animal. Methods also are provided for increasing the amount of sugar available from animal feed comprising non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) when the animal feed is fed to an animal, comprising adding to the animal feed a Bacillus composition comprising at least one Bacillus strain, wherein the composition produces 120 hexose equivalents (?mol/ml) or more when measured by the method described herein.

Abstract: Described are methods for assaying whether a Bacillus composition comprising at least one Bacillus strain is capable of increasing the amount of available sugar from animal feed comprising non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). Also described are methods for increasing the amount of available sugar from animal feed comprising non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), comprising adding to the animal feed a Bacillus composition comprising at least one Bacillus strain, which compositions produces 120 hexose equivalents (?mol/ml) or more when measured by the method described herein. Also described are animal feeds comprising 14% (w/w) or more of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) if the animal feed is for a piglet, lactating sow, broiler or layer or 19% (w/w) or more of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) if the animal feed is for a grower-finisher pig or gestating sow, and a Bacillus composition comprising at least one Bacillus strain, as well as methods and uses relating thereto.