Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Compound feed and process for its preparation
The present invention is based on identifying the first limiting amino acid in
milk production and the use of this knowledge in designing feeds and in the
feeding of cows. More specifically, the object of the invention is the use of
histidine in a compound feed for dairy cows for increasing the protein-fat
ratio in the milk and to improve nitrogen utilization.
In most countries today milk protein is the most important ingredient in
1o milk, whereas the importance of the fat content has diminished as a result
of changes in consumer habits. The consumption of cheese has increased,
the consumption of milk fats, has, however, decreased. The change in
preferences is also reflected in the pricing of milk. Earlier the production
price paid for milk was positively affected by a high fat content. Nowadays
a high price is paid for the milk protein fraction.
Ten essential amino acids (arginine, phenyl alanine, histidine, isoleucine,
leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophane and valine) are needed
for the production of milk protein. All natural proteins, as well as the ru-
2o men-produced proteins contain alt these amino acids. Milk protein can be
produced only in such an amount for which the most limiting amino acid
suffices. In such a situation production is not increased even if the availabi-
lity of the other amino acids were to be increased. Instead the animal has
to excrete the excessive amino acids.
The purpose of feeding is to provide the cow with nutrients in optimal
ratios so that they are directed as effectively as possible to form milk pro-
tein rather than milk fat. in this manner, also nitrogen ufilization in
feeding
is improved, thus also providing for a less polluted environment. Nitrogen
3o burdens nature in two ways, as ammonia in the air and as nitrate in the
soil
or the ground water. In milk production, nitrogen losses can be reduced by
means of a proper diet so as to reduce the excretion of nitrogen in the
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manure and urine by directing the nitrogen containing nutrients more effec-
tively to form milk proteins.
The protein requirement of a ruminant is comprised of the amino acid re-
quirement of the animal itself as well as the requirement of the rumen mic-
robes for nitrogen containing compounds. It is known today that the micro-
bes need amino acids and peptides in addition to simple nitrogen com-
pounds. Central reactions of the rumen are the partial degradation of feed
proteins and the simultaneous synthesis of microbial protein, as wet! as
1o absorption of ammonia through the rumen wall into the blood circulation.
Part of the protein is transported undegraded to the small intestine wherein
it is absorbed in the form of amino acids into the blood circulation. The
nutritional value of this undegraded feed protein is dependant on its amino
acid composition and digestability in the small intestine. In the rumen, the
microbes form microbial protein from the nitrogen containing feed com-
pounds. Also the amino acids from the microbial protein are absorbed from
the small intestine. In a high-producing dairy cow, the amino acids from the
microbial protein are not sufficient to satisfy the need of the anima( but, in
addition, high-quality protein compound feed is needed from which the
2o small intestine is provided with the desired amino acids. The amino acids
absorbed from the small intestine are transported with the blood circulation
also for the needs of the mammary gland, wherein i.a. milk protein is pro-
duced.
The biological gross efficiency of a dairy cow in protein production can be
expressed as the nitrogen (or protein] contained in the milk as a fraction of
the nitrogen consumed by the animal. The nutrients consumed by the ani-
ma! are never utilized to one hundred percent in the end products, because
the vital functions are based on biological processes wherein always some
losses occur. However, by balancing the diet in the correct manner, the nit
rogen tosses can be decreased. For example, the balance and ratios of
amino acids in the feed and after digestion in the blood circulation affect
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milk yield, milk composition and nitrogen utilization. So far, sufficient
knowledge about amino acid feeding has not been available which could be
adapted to the conditions of our country.
The excretion of nitrogen from animals can be reduced by optimizing the
amino acid composition in the diet, and thus by improving the retention of
nitrogen in the animal product while maintaining the nitrogen level of the
diet. The goal is a more effective metabolism and lesser nitrogen losses in
the urine. Alternatively, by optimizing the amino acid composition of the
to diet, the use of nitrogen in the diet can be reduced without reducing the '
yield. This leads to lesser nitrogen losses in the gastrointestinal tract, whe-
reby the nitrogen losses in both the urine and manure are reduced.
In many countries the diet of cows consists to a large degree of the use of
grass silage. Grass silage is supplemented with compound or concentrate
feed. From the point of view of nitrogen utilization some problems are
associated with a silage diet. In addition to an excessive nitrogen content,
also the quality of the silage protein increases the dietary problems. By
shifting the harvesting of silage to take place one week earlier, the nitrogen
2o content of grass silage can be increased, but it still does not remove the
need for high quality supplementary protein. Positive results have been
obtained with an addition of protein compound feed despite the fact that
the protein content of the silage feed has been high. Thus, silage still needs
protein with a high-quality amino acid composition in the form of a feed
supplement.
During recent years, the optimal amino acid composition of feed supple-
ments has been the object of some study in various countries. In many
studies the starting point has been the replication of the milk amino acid
3o profile. In some studies, wherein the diet is based on the use of corn
silage,
positive results have been obtained with lysine and methionine supple-
ments. In some countries it is thus seriously believed that lysine and met-
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4
hionine are the first milk production limiting amino acids in dairy cows.
However, in a diet based on grass silage, lysine and methionine supple-
ments have not given an additional benefit.
When evaluating the optimal protein composition of the diet of cows the
starting point should, however, not only be the amino acid profile of milk,
because the amount of amino acids passing from the blood circulation into
the mammary gland to be excreted with the milk from the mammary gland
is not necessarily always the same. Some of the essential amino acids
(phenyl alanine, tyrosine, methionine and tryptophane? are, it is true, pas-
sed from the blood circulation into the mammary gland to the same degree
as they are secreted from the mammary gland. Other essential amino acids
(arginine, branched amino acids, threonine, lysine and histidine) pass from
the blood circulation into the mammary gland to a much higher degree than
are removed with the milk. Some of these essential amino acids are degra-
ded in the mammary gland and their amino groups are used for the pro-
duction of non-essential amino acids.
in this invention it has been shown for the first time that in a silage-based
2o diet for dairy cows, histidine is the first limiting amino acid in the milk
pro-
duction of cows.
According to the invention it has thus been observed that the protein-fat
ratio in the milk of dairy cows can be increased and nitrogen utilization
improved by giving to the cow supplementary histidine in the form of a
compound feed, when care is taken at the same time that the total crude
protein in the compound feed is kept below a specific limit value. Thus
according to the invention, the histidine content in the compound feed is
increased in relation to the other amino acids in the compound feed.
The object of the invention is thus a compound feed, which contains feed
components conventionally used in compound feeds, the crude protein
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content of which is not more than 14 % by weight, as calculated from the
whole weight of the compound feed, at feast 2.8 % by weight of the crude
protein being comprised of histidine.
5 According to a preferred embodiment, the histidine content is appr. 2.8 to
4.0, preferably 2.8 to 3.0 % by weight of the total crude protein. The
crude protein content is advantageously at least 9, more preferred 1 O to 12
by weight as calculated from the whole weight of the compound feed.
1o When, according to the invention, the protein diet of cows is supplemented
so as to increase the amount of histidine to be given with the compound
feed, as compared to a normal basic feed, from the normal level which,
depending on the feed components used, is appr. 2.0 to 2.5 % by weight
of the total crude protein, both milk production and milk protein production
increase. The fat content, on the other hand, decreases, wherefore the
ratio between milk protein and fat changes in the desired direction. At the
same time, the total crude protein content in the compound feed is limited
to values generally below the normal values for compound feed which are
usually above 14 %, whereby smaller nitrogen losses are obtained. It has
2o been shown in tests that by supplementing the diet to balance the histidine
therein, one can obtain 4 g of milk protein with one gram of histidine. Nit-
rogen utilization is thus improved substantially.
An object of the invention is also a process for the production of the above
defined compound feed, according to which
a) the compound feed components are combined with such a quantity
of histidine so as to obtain a compound feed mixture having a crude protein
content of not more than 14 % by weight and a histidine content of at
least 2.8 % by weight, preferably 2.8 to 4.0 % by weight of the crude
protein, or
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b) the components of the compound feed mixture are combined in a
qualitative and quantitative manner so that the crude protein content of the
feed mixture so obtained is not more than 14 % by weight and the histidi-
ne content is at least 2.8 % by weight, preferably 2.8 to 4.0 % by weight
of the crude protein.
The histidine level in the diet can thus be increased by adding supplementa-
ry histidine to the feed. The protein and especially the histidine of the mix-
ture is hereby preferably in a form which is protected from degradation in
1o the rumen. Such methods for protecting amino acids are weft known and
they can be either chemical or physical. The chemical methods include i.a.
protecting the amino or carboxy group of the amino acid with a suitable
protecting group, which is removed after the rumen, for example, through
hydrolysis, thus forming the free amino acid. The physical methods include
encapsulation of the amino acid in a suitable material which withstands the
conditions of the rumen but which is degraded after the rumen thus libera-
ting the amino acid. Such materials are, for example, various celluioses and
derivatives thereof, suitable pH-sensitive polymers, or fats (Buttery, P. J.
et
al., Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition, (1985J, p. 19-33; Block, S. M. et
2 o al., J. Dci Food Agric 7994, 65, 44 9-447; Ruiquin, H., Feed Mix Vol. 2,
No. 4 1994). Rumen degradation can also be reduced by treating the feed
chemically or physically, that is with wateristeam and heat, and optionally
under increased pressure. Using physical and chemical methods, rumen
degradation has been reduced typically appr. 10 to 70°!°.
It is also possible to obtain the desired histidine content in the compound
feed by optimizing the raw materials of the the feed mixture in a qualitative
and quantitative manner so that the histidine content in the final feed is
adjusted to the desired level. Optimal raw materials are those which have a
3o high histidine content, but which do not have a high total crude protein
content.
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In the following table the crude protein contents, and the content of histidi-
ne in the crude protein, for some typical feed raw materials used in Finland
are shown.
Histidine Crude protein
of crude g/kg
protein
Barley 2.3 108
io Oat 2.2 1 15
Molasses 2.7 49
Barley fiber 1 .9 162
Wheat bran 2.6 148
Wheat middlings 2.5 173
Sugarbeet pulp 2.5 107
Rapeseed meal 2.8 344
Soybean meal 2.fi 458
in the compound feed according to the invention alt conventional com-
2o pound feed components or raw materials can be used, for example the raw
materials mentioned below in the indicated amounts. The amounts men-
tioned in parenthesis are preferable amounts. The feed components to be
used according to the invention are preferably al! of plant origin, but, in
addition, milk-based products, such as casein products can be used. Inde-
pendentiy of the composition of the recipe, the histidine content can be
adjusted to the desired level by adjusting the amount of added histidine.
The crude protein level of the recipe should, however, be at the most 140
g/kg.
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°~ by weight
grain (barley, oat) 0-85 (30-40)
bran (wheat, oat) 0-60 ( 15-20)
wheat middlings 0-30 (5-10) ,
sugarbeet pulp 0-60 ( 1 O-20)
oilseed meal
(rapeseed, soya) O-30 (10-20)
molasses O-10 (4-6)
1o minerals 0-10 (3-4)
vegetable oil 0-5 (O-1 )
histidine 0.01-0.2
In the recipe, also other raw materials can be added, if desired (0-30%)
such as malt teed, brewers' grains, haymeal, grassmeal, distillers' grains,
etc. Normally the silage diet of a cow is supplemented with the compound
feed of the invention in an amount of 1 to 20 kg/cow/day.
In the following tests are described in which the effect of a protein supp-
lement on the milk protein level has been studied in dairy cows using a
grain compound feed-silage diet.
As the control feed, a grain compound feed + silage was used. In the
tests, the protein supplement in the diet was obtained by adding rapeseed,
in the amounts indicated in the table (tests 1-10).
Also a further test (test 11 ) was carried out wherein histidine (6.5 g) was
given with the control instead of rapeseed. Test 12 was carried out simi-
larly as test 1 1 by giving histidine (6.5 g) and, in addition, 250 g of
glucose
3 o to prevent the use of glucogenic amino acids as glucose precursors. Test
13 was carried similarly by giving histidine (6 g) and 250 g of glucose.
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Test Rape seed Increase in Increase in Histidine as
milk crude % of
protein vs controlprotein vs crude protein/crude
control
(g/d) (g/d} protein of
compound
feed
1 1.9 +43 +518 2.51/150
2 0.944 +53 +305 2.41/150
r
3 0.584 +Z +84 2.351122
4 1.157 +32 +218 2.44/135
5 1.75 +25 +319 2.50/ 150
6 0.87 + 17 + 163 2.41/145
7 1.8 +70 +415 2.52/170
8 1.0 +47 +265 2.05/160
9 2.0 +71 +443 2.2/180
10 3.0 +118 +705 2.33/200
Average 1.5 +48 +344 2.371154
l I +26 +37 2.97/110
i2 +57 +74.2 2.97/139
. 2 0 13 +58 +47.5 3.1/112
From the table it can be seen that when supplementing a grain compound
feed silage diet with rapeseed protein, on an average 31.4 g of rapeseed
meal was needed for producing one additional gram of of milk protein.
When the supplement was made with histidine, an addition of 6.5 g of
histidine gave an additional 26 g of milk protein, that is 0.25 g of histidine
was needed for one additional gram of milk protein.
3o The invention is illustrated with the following examples.
Example 1.
A feed was made by mixing the following components:
a
by weight
Oat 20.0
Barley 20.0
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Wheat bran 18.0
Wheat middlings 7.7
Sugarbeet pulp 20.0
Wheat molasses 5.0
5 Vegetable oil 0.6
Rapeseed meal 5.65
Minerals and vitamins 3.0
Histidine 0.05
10 In the feed obtained, the crude protein content was 120 g/kg and the crude
protein contained 3.0 % by weight of histidine.
Example 2.
A feed was made using the following components:
by weight
Oat 1 O.O
Barley 20.0
2o Wheat middlings 7.0
Wheat bran 13.6
Sugarbeet pulp 25.0
Rapeseed meat 15.7
Wheat molasses 8.0
Vegetable oil 0.6
Histidine 0.06
In the feed obtained, the crude protein content was 140 g/kg and the crude
protein contained 3.0 % by weight of histidine.
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Example 3.
A feed was made using the following components:
% by weight
Oat 5.0
Barley 26.0
Wheat middlings 10.0
Wheat bran 19.3
1o Sugarbeet pulp 25.0
Rapeseed meal 5.7
Wheat molasses 8.0
Vegetable oil 0.6
Histidine 0.06
In the feed obtained, the crude protein content was 120 g/kg and the crude
protein contained 3.0 % by weight of histidine.
