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.
Claims20
A method of feeding a lactating ruminant sugar alcohol for improving performance during periods of heat stress comprising:
- feeding a lactating ruminant experiencing heat stress an amount of sugar alcohol 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, and
- wherein the amount of sugar alcohol effective to improve performance is from about 50 grams to about 150 grams of sugar alcohol per ruminant per day.
A method of feeding sugar alcohol to a transition ruminant in a transition phase during periods of heat stress to improve milk production after calving, the method comprising:
- feeding a transition ruminant experiencing heat stress a daily feed ration comprising an amount of sugar alcohol effective to improve milk production after calving,
- 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, and
- wherein the transition phase is defined by a period during which the ruminant is pregnant and extending through calving by the ruminant.
A method of feeding a lactating ruminant or a transition ruminant in a transition phase sugar alcohol for improving performance during periods of heat stress comprising:
- feeding a heat stressed lactating ruminant or a heat stressed transition ruminant an amount of sugar alcohol effective to improve performance, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises sorbitol,
- wherein the transition phase is defined by a period during which the ruminant is pregnant and extending through calving by the ruminant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.