Purina Mills, Inc.

Ralston Purina Company

Dean E Hodge

Danny L Williams

Ted C Jackson, Jr

Leroy V Skoch

Ruminant animals, as herbivores, survive and produce while feeding chiefly on grass or other roughage consisting of large amounts of cellulose. Ruminants which have been consuming primarily diets high in cellulose must gradually be adjusted to high grain rations. When the attempt is made to adapt and feed ruminants diets containing no roughage, metabolic problems surface. The increase in lactic acid and accompanying fall in rumen .sub.p H resulting from roughage or cellulose withdrawal leads not only to the destruction of cellulolytic bacteria which digest cellulose), but to the destruction of lactate utilizing organisms, resulting in acidosis and its attendant adverse effects, which results in less than optimal cattle performance. Herein roughage can be eliminated allowing ruminants to consume an all grain, properly balanced diet without these adverse reactions. A roughage free diet for ruminants is provided which alters the eating behavior of cattle. The diet incorporates ingredients which modify feed consumption patterns of cattle consuming a roughage free diet.

Method of feeding a consumption modifying supplement to ruminants

Ruminant animals, as herbivores, survive and produce while feeding chiefly on grass or other roughage consisting of large amounts of cellulose. Ruminants which have been consuming primarily diets high in cellulose must gradually be adjusted to high grain rations. When the attempt is made to adapt and feed ruminants diets containing no roughage, metabolic problems surface. The increase in lactic acid and accompanying fall in rumen .sub.p H resulting from roughage or cellulose withdrawal leads not only to the destruction of cellulolytic bacteria which digest cellulose), but to the destruction of lactate utilizing organisms, resulting in acidosis and its attendant adverse effects, which results in less than optimal cattle performance. Herein roughage can be eliminated allowing ruminants to consume an all grain, properly balanced due without these adverse reactions. A roughage free diet for ruminants is provided which alters the eating behavior of cattle. The die incorporates ingredients which modify feed consumption patterns of cattle consuming a roughage free diet.

Efficient feeding frequency

An animal feed supplement in a solid, weather resistant block form and method of making is disclosed. The molasses based feed supplement block, intended for consumption primarily by ruminant animals, although not limited thereto, contains magnesium oxide as a blocking agent. The feed supplement also comprises a water absorbent clay, a phosphorous source and an edible fat or oil in sufficient quantities to set into a solid block in a relatively short period of time at ambient temperatures. A preferred block composition is prepared by a method which comprises admixing the molasses, water, phosphorous source and water absorbing clay under high speed shearing action for an effective amount of time to disperse the clay, admixing edible fat and dispersing it in the mixture and then admixing magnesium oxide to obtain a viscous nutrient mixture that thickens quickly. The mixture is then poured into molds or packages and solidifies to form a hard depackagable block.

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Dean E Hodge