Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
63
This invention relates to ~ feed comprising at least one memb~r
selected from a first class ronsisting of proteins and at leas~ one member
. of a second class consisting o~ acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric
acid with the proviso that the acid concentration in at least one member of
the said first class is higher than the average acid concentration of ~he
feed and to a method of making the same, particularly when such feeds are
directed to ruminants.
The essential components in feeds are carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, minerals and vitamins. In order to achieve optimum growth and
productivity it is necessary that ~he tissues of an animal have available
an adequate supply of these essential tissue-building components. Amino
acids are examples of essential components. A proper supply of amino acids
can be achieved in simple-stomached animals by inclusion of appropriate
amounts and selection of amino acids, for instance in the form of a diet
containing proteins. A dietary proteinaceous material ingested by ruminants
is substantially modified before reaching the tissues of an animal, a sub-
stantial portion o~ the dietary proteinaceous and other nitrogen-co~taining
substances is degraded in the rumen to ammonia. The ammonia may, in turn,
be utilized by micro-organisms to synthesize microbial protein. If there
is excassive degradation of protein to ammonia by rumen micro-organisms, it
can result in substantial loss of potential protein forming material. After
passage from the rumen to lower parts of the digestive tract, the ruminant
animal digests the microbial protein which has formed within the rumen and
the animal obtains its amino acid supply indirectly in this manner. Thus,
in general, the quantity and quality of the amino acid supply to the rumi-
nant animal is dependent largely upon the extent of the microbiaL growth
within the rumen and is little influenced by the quantity and quaLity of the
amino acids in the diet. Ammonia formed in excess of that which can be
utilized by microbial growth is wasted rather than used to supply amino
acids to the animal. In addition, the value of the microbial protein is
not as high as that of good quality supplements. Therefore, the value of
the supplements can be decreased by rumen transformation. In a similar
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manner, other valuable components of the ration can be degraded or modified
by micro-organisms in the diges~ive tract of animals.
There are reports indicating that the supply of protein and other
nutrients from the rumen is not always adequate to optimally meet the needs
of the tissues of ruminant animalsO Extensive efforts have been made for
protecting valuable dietary components from the degradation in the rumen.
Proteinaceous ma~erials have been treated with tannins or with aldehydes to
chemically modify proteinaceous materials. 'Heat treatment of proteins has
also been suggested. Attempts have been made to coat materials with synthetic
polymers in order'to prevent contact of the materials with micro-organisms of
the rumen. Attempts have also been made to supply feedstuffs directly ~o
the lower digestive tract of ruminants by stimulation of the esophageal
reflex upon consumption of the material in a liquid media. However, the
prior art has suffered from limited applicability or high expense, resulting
in limited commercial applications. ~ith some methods, the protèctive treat-
ment has, in fact, decreased the overall value of the feedstuff. The present
invention is relatively inexpensive, simple and does not entail chemicals
or practices foreign to ruminant animals.
It is also known to treat silage with preservative such as acetic
acid, propionic acid and butyric acid as is disclosed in British Patent
1,149,314 dated April 23, 1969, British Patent 1,155,485 dated June 18~ 1969,
British Patent 1~160,430 dated August 6, 1969, and the corresponding'U.S.
Patent 3,595,665 dated July 27, 1971 as invented by Huitson et al However9-
to any one skilled in the art, these references teach the use of preservatives
on crops and animal ~eed, and to any person skilled in the art, the facts
are that preservatives are substances to be used in very small amount~
(i.e in the smallest amount to yield the preservative properties), generally
the amount used is less than 1~%. ~rn exceptional case of crop or feed con-
taining an unusual water content, 3% could be used. In practice, no one
will ever go further than the 3% level, and the references teach only the
use of these substances as preservative.
The present invention provides a method to supply feedstuffs of
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high quality to ruminant or like animals that can be fed to the animal in
the normal way and which, by avoidance of degradation or modification by
micro-organisms in the digestive trart would provide the tissues of the
animal wi~h increased quality and quantity of nutrients.
Broadly stated the invention comprises a feed comprising at least
one member selected from a first class consisting of proteins and at least
one member of a second class consisting7 of acetic acid, propionic acid and
butyric acid~ with the proviso that the acid concentration in at leas~ one
member of the said first class is higher than that of the average acid
concentration of the feed, and said acid is present in at least one membe~
of said first class in an amount of about 5% - 20% by said member o said
first class.
The invention also comprises a feed comprising at least one
member selected from a first class of feed consisting of proteins, the
improvement comprising selecting at least one member of said first class of
feed consisting of proteins and mixing said at least one member with at
least one acid of a second class consisting of acetic, propionic and bu~yric
acid, said acid representing an amount of about 5a/~ to 20% of said at least
one member, thereaiter adding other components, so that the acid concentra-
~20 tion in said at least one member of said first class is higher than that ofthe average acid concentration of the feed, and said acid is present in at
least one member of said first class in an amount of about 5% to 20% by
~eight of said member of said first class.
In accordance with this invention an increase in the productivity
of ruminant animals is obtained. High concentrations of the short-chained
organic acids in proximity to valuable proteins prevent microbial degrada
tion or modification of said protein in the rumen (where the residence time
is normally about 20 hours) and thus allow the material to pass from the
rumen to the lower levels of the digestive tract, where it can be digested
and made avallable to the animal more eEficiently by increasing the proba~
bility of the protein escaping from the rumen in an undegraded or unmodified
form. And yet this acid treatment does not reduce the effectiveness of t~e
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nor~al digestive processes that occur in the digestive tract after the
rumen.
The invention will now be more fully described by means of
illustrative exampies.
EXAMPLE 1
Six milking cows were managed as in a commercial herd and were
offered daily the normal rations of 2 kg hay/100 kg body weight and con-
centrate according to production. The experimental supplemen~s were added
for test periods of 28 days. The experiment was based on a latin square
10 design and three types of s~lpplement were offered. These were:
Example 1 Treated protein (soybean meaL 47~O; herring
meal 24~/o; ground wheat 15%; short-chain
organic acids 12%; lignosol 2%~.
Sample A. Untreated protein (soybean meal 53%;
herring meal 27%; ground wheat 17.6%;
lignosol 2 ~ 4%) ~ .
Sample B. Untreated protein, as A (above) plus
short-chain organic acids added to basal
ration at the rate of 12%-by weight oE
the protein supplement.
The 12% short-chain organic acids used above consisted in a
mixture of 60a/o by weight of acetic acid and 40% of propionic acid, the
total amount by weight of the acid being 12% of the treated protein. The
supplemental pellets, Example 1, Samples A and B (9~4 mm diameter~ were
offered as one-eighth of the total concentrate allo~ed.
~ABLE 1
MILK PRODUCTION AND EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTION OF DAIRY
COWS REGEIVING TREATED VERSUS UNTREATED PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS
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Sample B
Example 1 Sample ~ Protein
Treated Untreated supplement
Protein Protein and acids
~ Supplement Supplement separately
Milk yield (FCM'kg/day) 19.95 19.2D 19.03
Efficiency of production
(kg FCM'/Mcal ME intake) 0.485 0.463 0.469
'Fat corrected ~4%) milk
The results are summarized in Table 1 and show that the treatment
-10 of the protein supplement with acids did~ in fact, result in improved milk
yield and efficiency of production.
EXAMPLE 2
Mature-sheep receiving a basal daily ration of 600 g of alfalfa
hay were used. The basal ration was insufficient for mai~tenance o-body
weight. A latin square design was used in the experiment and each of the
following supplements were offered to each sheep for periods o~ six weeks:
Example 2 Acid treated protein supplement.
Sample A Untreated protein supplement, however
organic acids were added to the basal hay
ration.
Sample B Untreated protein supplement.
Sample C No protein supplement or organic acid
provided.
In Example 2 the treated protein supplement was the same as in
Example I and the untreated protein the same as in Sample A (see page 4,
lines 11 - 14~. In each of the above situa~ions wherein protein supplement
was provided, the same amount of protein was offered to all animals
(equivalent to 15 g N/day per sheep). Similarly, when the organic acid~
were included, the same amount of these organic acids was offered on each
occasion, namely 30 g of acids per day per shecp.
The wool growth rate and body weight change o,f the sheep during
periods of supplementation are shown in Table 2.
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TAB:[~E 2
BODY WEIGHT ~IN AND WOOL GROWTH RESPONSE
TO ORGANIC ACID TREATED PROT~IN SUPPLEME;NT
.
Wool *Daily weight gain
Supplement g/day ~/day
Example 2 Acid treated protein 4.96 179
Sample A Untreated protein plus
organic acid 4.52 77
Sample B Untreated protein 4.42 167
10 Sample C No supplement nor acid 2.94 -214
* From 2nd to 6th week of supplementation period.
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~ ool growth was measured from a sample area defined by tatooed lines
in the mid-side of each sheep. Total wool growth rates in grams per day
shown in Table 2 were obtained by multiplying the weight of clean, dry wool
on the sample area b~ a factor representing the ratio of sample to total
wool growth. Wool growth in the sheep receiving the treated protein was
69% above that of the control sheep and this was a 19% greater response than
when the sheep received the untreated supplement. Furthermore, body weights
increased most rapidly when the sheep received treated pro~ein. The
results shown in Table 2 illustrate that the effectiveness of the protein
supplement was optimized when the organic acids were used to treat the
protein prior to feeding. Example 2 shows that this result cannot be ob-
tained with a feed having the acid homogeneously distributed as sho~n in
'~ Sample A.
Similar results were obtained when various protein supplements
were treated with organic acids at levels ranging from 10 to 20%. At levels
` of acid treatment less than 10%, the effectiveness of preventing breakdown
of the protein by micro-organisms in the rumen was lessened.
Protection against degradation by microbes in the rumen was
equally effective for proteins containing fish meal, soybean meal, casien
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meal, promine and meat meal. The protective effect was observed with protein
supplements in various physical forms such as in pellets form (either 3.1 mm,
or 9.4 mm, mean diameter), crumbles form, or in the form of a Eine meal.
Protection from microbial degradation in the rumen was also assessed by the
rumen ammonia accumulation test when the supplements were consumed per os
(i.e. by mouth) in sheep and in cattle. In all cases, the trea~ment pro-
cedure was found to be effective when the levels of treatment were between
10 and 20% addition of the acids to the protein supplement offering thereby
a method of protecting dietary protein from rapid degradation in the rumen.
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