Method and composition for enhancing milk production and milk component concentrations

• US 9,179,694 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Purina Animal Nutrition LLC (Land O'Lakes Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Purina Animal Nutrition LLC (Land O'Lakes Incorporated)
• Inventors: Porter, Paul A., Luhman, Cindie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wax, Robert A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERCIER, MELISSA S
• Application Number:
  US14/060,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20140127350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/105 Aliphatic or alicyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/163 Sugars; Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/10 for ruminants
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 426/807 Poultry or ruminant feed

Abstract

A method of feeding a ruminant that entails providing a feed that comprises sugar alcohol and at least one additional feed component, where the feed is free of rumen-protected fatty acid or comprises less than 10 weight percent rumen-protected fatty acid, based on the total weight of the feed and further entails orally supplying the feed to the ruminant during a pre-partum period when the ruminant is pregnant, where the ruminant ingests the feed and sugar alcohol during the pre-partum period.

Claims

1. A method of feeding a ruminant, the method comprising:

providing a feed that comprises sugar alcohol and at least one additional feed component, the sugar alcohol fully digestible in the rumen of the ruminant, the feed free of glycerol; and

orally supplying the feed to the ruminant during a pre-partum period when the ruminant is pregnant, the ruminant ingesting the feed with the sugar alcohol during the pre-partum period at least when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating;

wherein ingesting the sugar alcohol in the feed during the pre-partum period causes the ruminant to increase milk component concentration during milk production after the ruminant gives birth.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the increased milk component concentration comprises one or more of increased total fat concentration, increased protein concentration, increased lactose concentration or increased total solids concentration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the increased milk component concentration comprises increased protein concentration, and wherein the protein concentration comprises a measure of one or more of total protein or true protein.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests about 50 grams of the sugar alcohol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as much as about 200 grams of the sugar alcohol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-partum period starts about eight weeks before the ruminant gives birth.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-partum period starts about three weeks before the ruminant gives birth.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises sorbitol, adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabinitol, dulcitol, erythritol, galaxitol, glucitol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol, threitol, or xylitol, or any of these in any combination.

9. A method of feeding a ruminant, the method comprising:

providing a feed that comprises sorbitol and at least one additional feed component, the feed free of glycerol and the sorbitol fully digestible in the rumen of the ruminant; and

orally supplying the feed to the ruminant during a pre-partum period when the ruminant is pregnant, the ruminant ingesting the feed with the sorbitol during the pre-partum period at least when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating;

wherein ingesting the sorbitol in the feed during the pre-partum period causes the ruminant to increase milk component concentration during milk production after the ruminant gives birth.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the increased milk component concentration comprises one or more of increased total fat concentration, increased protein concentration, increased lactose concentration or increased total solids concentration.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the increased milk component concentration comprises increased protein concentration, and wherein the protein concentration comprises a measure of one or more of total protein or true protein.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests about 50 grams of the sorbitol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as much as about 200 grams of the sorbitol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the pre-partum period starts about eight weeks before the ruminant gives birth.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the pre-partum period starts about three weeks before the ruminant gives birth.

16. A method of feeding a ruminant, the method comprising:

providing a feed that comprises sugar alcohol and at least one additional feed component, the sugar alcohol fully digestible in the rumen of the ruminant and comprising sorbitol, adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabinitol, dulcitol, erythritol, galaxitol, glucitol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol, threitol, or xylitol, or any of these in any combination; and

orally supplying the feed to the ruminant during a pre-partum period, the ruminant ingesting the feed with the sugar alcohol during the pre-partum period at least when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating;

wherein ingesting the sugar alcohol in the feed during the pre-partum period causes the ruminant to increase milk component concentration during milk production after the ruminant gives birth.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the increased milk component concentration comprises one or more of increased total fat concentration, increased protein concentration, increased lactose concentration or increased total solids concentration.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the increased milk component concentration comprises increased protein concentration, and wherein the protein concentration comprises a measure of one or more of total protein or true protein.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as little as about 50 grams of the sugar alcohol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as much as about 200 grams of the sugar alcohol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-partum period starts about eight weeks before the ruminant gives birth.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-partum period starts about three weeks before the ruminant gives birth.