Systems and methods for feeding sugar alcohol to ruminants during periods of heat stress
AssigneePurina Animal Nutrition LLC
InventorsBill L. Miller, Jill A. Davidson, Cindie M. Luhman
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Abstract
Systems and methods provide sugar alcohol to heat stressed ruminants to improve performance. During periods of high temperature or humidity, heat stressed ruminants may exhibit decreased dry matter intake, and in response, an effective amount of sugar alcohol such as sorbitol may be provided in the ruminant diet to cause performance to increase, which may include increased milk yield, improved feed efficiency or both compared to heat stressed dairy cattle without sugar alcohol in the diet.
Claims15
A method of feeding a transition or lactating ruminant, the transition ruminant in a transition phase defined by a period during which the ruminant is pregnant and extending through calving by the ruminant, the method comprising:
- during a period of ambient temperature conditions of at least 70° F., observing heat stress in the ruminant;
- and
- feeding the heat stressed ruminant sugar alcohol in an amount effective to improve performance,
- wherein the sugar alcohol comprises at least one of sorbitol, xylitol, adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabitol, dulcitol, erythritol, galactitol, glucitol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol or threitol.
A method of feeding a lactating ruminant, the method comprising:
- during a period of ambient temperature conditions of at least 70° F., determining the lactating ruminant is experiencing heat stress;
- feeding the heat stressed ruminant sugar alcohol in an amount effective to improve performance,
- wherein the sugar alcohol comprises at least one of sorbitol, xylitol, adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabitol, dulcitol, erythritol, galactitol, glucitol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol or threitol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.