Purina Animal Nutrition LLC

Purina Mills, Inc.

Michael S Burr

Ronald Ray Scott

Benjamin R Danenberg

Michael J Gabriel

J Christopher Forcherio

Bill L Miller

Brenda De Rodas

Gordon Ballam

Mikel Roeder

Erin Venable

Jill A Davidson

James Christopher Forcherio

Catherine M K Bradley

Jodi Joy Eineichner Moore

Jodi Moore

Ronald R Scott

Substitute fiber materials include at least one starch, at least one acid, and at least one plasticizer. The starch may be ground whole grain, the acid may be citric acid, and the plasticizer may be glycerin. The substitute materials are biodegradable and compostable. Methods involve feeding animals the substitute fiber materials as a substitute for or a supplement to natural fiber. The substitute fiber materials are at least partially digested in the animal.

Manufacture and use of a starch-based substitute fiber material

Methods form high fat feed blocks having a total fat content of about 7 wt % to 33 wt %. The blocks are formed by blending a pourable composition having a viscosity of at least 1000 cP at 57° C. with high fat pellets having total fat content of at least 40 wt % based on pellet weight, where the pellets include at least one fat having a melt temperature of greater than 60° C. Also disclosed are feed blocks formed by the methods.

High fat poured feed block

Methods form high fat feed blocks having a total fat content of about 7 wt % to 33 wt %. The blocks are formed by blending a pourable composition having a viscosity of at least 1000 cP at 57&#xb0; C. with high fat pellets having total fat content of at least 40 wt % based on pellet weight, where the pellets include at least one fat having a melt temperature of greater than 60&#xb0; C. Also disclosed are feed blocks formed by the methods.

Methods of feeding ruminants involve positioning the feed blocks in a pasture accessible to the ruminants. The feed block may have a total fat content of about 7 wt % to 33 wt % and an intake modifier to control intake of the feed blocks. High fat pellets having a high total fat content provide at least a portion of the fat in the high fat feed blocks. The methods control a rate of ingestion of high fat feed blocks by ruminants while not negatively affecting performance, and in some instances, ingestion of the blocks results in improved performance.

Methods of feeding high fat poured feed blocks

Low moisture feed blocks deliver supplemental nutrients to animals and are free or substantially free of molasses by using concentrated separator by-product as a molasses replacement. A premixture of concentrated separator by-product and added sugar may be pH-adjusted and concentrated to a high solids content. The premixture may be combined with dry components to form an admixture that is poured into a vessel and allowed to naturally cool and harden into the supplemental feed block.

Animal feed blocks and methods and systems for their production

Consumable feed products and vegetation are delivered to animals using a single container in which the container holds the feed product and is used to deliver the feed and which includes ungerminated seeds embedded in the container body. The seeds are caused to germinate and produce vegetation from the container body, and the germinated seeds and/or vegetation is fed to the animal. Multiple containers may be used simultaneously so that while the consumable feed product from one container is used to feed an animal, another container may be used to grow vegetation or deliver vegetation to the animal. Confined birds such as poultry and chicks may benefit from ingesting feed and vegetation produced from such containers.

Method and system for feeding an animal a consumable feed product and vegetation from a container

Animal feed tub cover

Methods of covering an animal feed product involve depositing in an open end of a container an animal feed. Placing a cover on an exposed surface of the feed at the open end of the container, where the cover includes a flowable coating arranged on one side of a flexible film and a rigid or semi-rigid layer bound to an opposite side of the film. The exposed surface of the feed comprises irregular surface structures due to feed components positioned at the exposed surface. A central portion of the flexible film of the placed cover conforms to the irregular surface structures at the exposed surface of the feed upon the flowable coating reaching a temperature of at least about 125&#xb0; F.

Animal feed covers and systems and methods for their production and use

Animal feed tub and cover

Animal feed blocks composed of feed pellets are formed by conditioning a meal of a particulated animal feed mixture through heating the meal using steam to cause at least one of the feed components in the feed mixture to bind the meal. The heated meal is mechanically forced through a die to compress the meal into heated pellets. The heated pellets are collected in a pre-formed mold and are compressed in their heated state resulting in the pellets combining to form the animal feed block in the shape of the mold. Systems may use a pellet mill and a hydraulic press where conditioning and pellet formation takes place in the pellet mill and formation of the animal feed block is through compressing a collection of heated pellets using the hydraulic press.

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Marthasville, MO, United States of America

Michael S Burr