# US 9,433,232 B2 · Methods for feeding sows and for improving the health of young piglets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,433,232 B2 - Document ID: US9433232B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/788,922 - Filed: 2015-07-01 - Published: 2015-10-22 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2003-01-22 - Assignees: Purina Animal Nutrition LLC - Applicants: Purina Animal Nutrition LLC - Inventors: Brenda de Rodas; Cindie M. Luhman; Bill L. Miller; Paul A. Porter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9433232B2 ## CPC - A23K 20/10: Organic substances - A01K 9/00: Sucking apparatus for young stock {; Devices for mixing solid food with liquids} - A23K 10/30: from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms (obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10) - A23K 50/30: for swines - A61K 9/0056: {Mouth soluble or dispersible forms; Suckable, eatable, chewable coherent forms; Forms rapidly disintegrating in the mouth; Lozenges; Lollipops; Bite capsules; Baked products; Baits or other oral forms for animals} - A61K 31/047: having two or more hydroxy groups, e.g. sorbitol - A61K 47/46: Ingredients of undetermined constitution or reaction products thereof, e.g. skin, bone, milk, cotton fibre, eggshell, oxgall or plant extracts - A23K: FODDER - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS - A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D) ## Abstract A method of improving the health of a first group of young monogastric mammals, the first group of young monogastric mammals nursing from a first lactating monogastric mammal during a pre-weaning period, the method including feeding the first lactating monogastric mammal an effective amount of an animal feed during the pre-weaning period, and feeding the first lactating monogastric mammal an effective amount of sugar alcohol during the pre-weaning period. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of feeding a lactating sow, the method comprising: feeding the lactating sow a feed composition comprising animal feed and sugar alcohol during a period extending at least from farrowing to weaning, the sow ingesting an effective amount of the sugar alcohol during the period to cause the sow to experience improved milk production efficiency, wherein the effective amount of the sugar alcohol is from at least 5 grams and up to 200 grams per day. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises one or more of adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabinitol, dulcitol, erythritol, glycerol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol, sorbitol, threitol or xylitol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the effective amount of the sugar alcohol averages at least 25 grams of sugar alcohol per day over the period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol is within at least one of a grain-based product or an extruded feed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises sorbitol. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein performance of the lactating sow is not negatively affected with respect to a change in backfat thickness. ### Claim 7 A method of feeding a lactating sow, the method comprising: feeding the lactating sow a feed composition comprising animal feed and sugar alcohol during a period extending at least from farrowing to weaning, the sow ingesting an effective amount of the sugar alcohol during the period to cause at least one piglet from a group of piglets nursing from the lactating sow to experience improved performance, wherein the effective amount of the sugar alcohol is from at least 5 grams and up to 200 grams per day. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises one or more of adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabinitol, dulcitol, erythritol, glycerol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol, sorbitol, threitol or xylitol. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the effective amount of the sugar alcohol averages at least 25 grams of sugar alcohol per day over the period. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the sugar alcohol is within at least one of a grain-based product or an extruded feed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises sorbitol. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the improved performance is an increased live weight at weaning of the at least one piglet. ### Claim 13 A method of feeding a lactating sow, the method comprising: feeding the lactating sow a feed composition comprising animal feed and sugar alcohol during a period extending at least from farrowing to weaning, the sow ingesting an effective amount of the sugar alcohol during the period to decrease a mortality rate of a group of piglets nursing from the lactating sow, wherein the effective amount of the sugar alcohol is from at least 5 grams and up to 200 grams per day. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises one or more of adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabinitol, dulcitol, erythritol, glycerol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol, sorbitol, threitol or xylitol. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the effective amount of the sugar alcohol averages at least 25 grams of sugar alcohol per day over the period. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the sugar alcohol is within at least one of a grain-based product or an extruded feed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises sorbitol. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein performance of the lactating sow is not negatively affected with respect to a change in backfat thickness.