Method of increasing milk production of dairy cattle

• US 4,388,327 A
• Filed: 10/30/1981
• Issued: 06/14/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Novus International, Inc. (Nippon Soda Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cummins, Earl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, William F.
• Application Number:
  US06/316,935
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 426/2, 426/648, 426/807, 426/656, 562/581, 424/317
• US Class Current: 426/2
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/10 Organic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/105 Aliphatic or alicyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/10 for ruminants
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 15/14 for lactation disorders, e.g. galactorrhoea
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 323/00 Thiols, sulfides, hydropolysulfides or polysulfides substituted by halogen, oxygen or nitrogen atoms, or by sulfur atoms not being part of thio groups
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 426/807 Poultry or ruminant feed

Abstract

The weight of milk produced by dairy cattle can be increased by supplementing the diets of the cattle with γ-methylmercapto-α-hydroxybutyric acid and its oligomers.

Claims

1. A method of improving the milk production of dairy cows which comprises feeding to said cows as part of their diet a feed supplement containing an amount effective to improve milk production of γ

-methylmercapto-α

-hydroxybutyric acid and its oligomers, which oligomers are about 10 to 75% of the total equivalent free γ

-methylmercapto-α

-hydroxybutyric acid in said amount of the acid and its oligomers.

2. The method of claim 1 where the oligomers are about 20 to 60% of the total equivalent free -methylmercapto-α

-hydroxybutyric acid in said amount of the acid and its oligomers.

3. The method of either claims 1 or 2 where the effective amount of γ

-methylmercapto-α

-hydroxybutyric acid as free acid equivalent is about 20 to 40 grams per day per cow.