Chemically treating forage

• US 5,026,571 A
• Filed: 02/08/1990
• Issued: 06/25/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Her Majesty The Queen In Right of Canada As Represented By The Minister of National Defence
• Original Assignee: Her Majesty The Queen In Right of Canada As Represented By The Minister of National Defence
• Inventors: Halliday, Leslie J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Penland, R. B.
• Application Number:
  US07/476,775
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 426/69, 426/626, 426/636, 426/807, 127/37
• US Class Current: 426/636
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/32 from hydrolysates of wood or straw
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/105 Aliphatic or alicyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 30/15 using chemicals or microorganisms for ensilaging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/87 Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 426/807 Poultry or ruminant feed

Abstract

The effect of different chemical treatments applied to barley straws, timothy and alfalfa hays were determined. Treatments consisted of four concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (3%, 5%, 7% and 9%) in combination with 4% ethanolamine with or without the addition of sodium hydroxide, which was added to increase the pH. The ability of each treatment to improve the nutritive value of the forage and their effect on rumen function was ascertained.

Claims

1. A method of improving the nutritive value of forage comprising:

(a) mixing a composition comprising 0.3-9.0 g of hydrogen peroxide and 0.2-6.0 g of ethanolamine wherein the composition has a pH from 8 to 12, with 100 g of forage, and

(b) maintaining the composition in contact with the forage at atmospheric pressure for a period of from one to five days.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition further comprises 0.1 to 2.5 g of sodium hydroxide.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the composition is applied in an amount of 0.3-9 g of hydrogen peroxide, 0.4-4 g of ethanolamine and 0.15-1.5 g of sodium hydroxide per 100 g of the forage.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the forage is selected from the group consisting of hay and straw.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the forage is selected from the group consisting of timothy hay, alfalfa hay and barley straw.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition is applied in an amount of 0.3-9 g of hydrogen peroxide and 0.4-4 g of ethanolamine per 100 g of the forage.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the forage is barley straw.