WO1992016114A1

WO1992016114A1 - Animal feed containing molasses, bentonite and zeolite

Info

Publication number: WO1992016114A1
Application number: PCT/AU1992/000104
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philip William Kemp; Thomas Hall Nougher
Original assignee: KEMP HEATH SUSAN; NOUGHER MARJORIE JEAN
Current assignee: KEMP HEATH SUSAN; NOUGHER MARJORIE JEAN
Priority date: 1991-03-12
Filing date: 1992-03-10
Publication date: 1992-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 1993-09-12
Also published as: JPH06500473A

Abstract

An animal feed, in granular or solid form, comprising molasses (or by-products thereof) mixed with sorptive materials, including bentonite and zeolite. Hydrated lime may be added as a source of calcium, to improve pellet quality, for moisture absorbency and for pH control. Cereal grains, trace elements, bypass proteins and other additives may be included in the mix to tailor the animal feed to the user's requirements.

Description

Title: ANIMAL FEED CONTAINING MOLASSES, BENTONITEANDZEOLITE. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

THIS INVENTION relates to an animal feed. The animal feed may be fed directly to animals, preferably ruminants, in granular or solid block form; or may be mixed with feed supplements, trace elements, protein meals, cereals, hay and/or the like.

(2) Prior Art For many years, the benefits of molasses in stock feeding have been well recognised. These include increased palatabilit , improved aroma, dust suppression, higher feed intake and extra energy. However, with few exceptions, the practical limitations of molasses inclusion in diets have been difficult to surmount. The major exceptions have been the feed lot industry and selected feed mills with spray line equipment for molasses inclusion to a maximum of 3% by weight. Recognising these advantages and disadvantages of handling the product, numerous attempts have been made to present the product in a free-flowing form. These systems have been based on the following techniques: (1) Microwave treatment of dehydrated molasses in a well-presented form - this suffers from hygroscopic absorption and is a costly addition to normal feed rations;

(2) Molasses mixed with copra meal - this is not suitable for mono-gastries due to the high fibre percentage of the mixture; and

(3) Molasses blended with diatomite - the silica level is disadvantageous to nutrition.

A solid animal feed supplement, comprising chiefly of molasses, whey, or a lignin sulfonate, in solid block form, is disclosed in AU-B-19119/76 (505607)

(PACIFIC KENYON CORPORATION). This patent discloses a feed supplement where the carbohydrate content is present at a concentration of from 45-93% by weight, and one potential source of the carbohydrate is molasses.

The patent describes a supplement which requires the addition of solidifying ingredients (including a soluble phosphate or phosphoric acid) sufficient to solidify the supplement into solid block form. The method is not suitable for the production of animal feed in granular form.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an animal feed based on molasses (or molasses sourced products, or by-products) which is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a preferred object to provide a feed which is highly palatable, does not take up atmospheric moisture, can be handled through normal conveying systems and can be bagged without lumps being formed. It is a further preferred object to provide a feed which is suitable for bulk-bag filling or silo storage.

It is a further preferred object to provide a method of coating cereal grains.

Other preferred objects will become apparent from the following description.

In one aspect, the present invention resides in an animal feed, which may be in granular or solid form, comprising molasses (or by-products thereof), bentonite and zeolite.

Preferably, the bentonite and zeolite act as sorptive materials for the moisture in the molasses as the materials are mixed and bound together. In the granular form, hydrated lime may be added to the ingredients as a source of calcium, to improve pellet quality, for moisture absorbency and for pH control.

Magnesium oxide, trace elements, sulphur, calcium, potassium, elementary phosphorus and bypass proteins, cereal grains (eg. wheat, barley, oats, rye, sorghum) and other additives may be added to the basic ingredients to enable the feed to be tailored to the end-user's requirements.

The molasses may be molasses obtained from a sugar mill (or be a by-product of molasses fermentation) . The molasses can be any sugar-containing molasses such as cane or blackstrap molasses, beet molasses, converted molasses, wood sugar molasses, hydrosyrup, citrus molasses or the like. Dunder may be used - as this is normally a mill-waste product with no commercial value. It may be obtained from the mills at little, if any, cost.

In a preferred embodiment, the properties of the ingredients, expressed in percent by weight, may be: (a) Molasses: 10-60%

(b) Bentonite: 10-80%

(c) Zeolite: 10-80%

If hydrated lime is added, it may be added in the range of 0-15%, while magnesium oxide may be added in the range of 0-25% for the treatment of grass tetany.

When dunder is used as the molasses source, it is a natural source of potassium and nitrogen is available in the protein from yeast cells as a mineral fortification to organic fertilizers. (The feed may be mixed in soils as a nutrient therefor.)

Preferably, the bentonite, zeolite, hydrated lime, trace elements, and other additives are mixed dry in a mixture before the molasses is added and the moisture therein is absorbed by the bentonite and zeolite. The mixture is pumped out and may be allowed to cure. If hydrated lime is added to the mix, the curing time may be in the range of 6-8 hours. Preferably, the curing time for the mix is 0-12 hours, dependent, inter alia, on the temperature, humidity, percentage of molasses, percentage of lime, and other factors. If the mixture is fed from the mixer in granular form, the granules are preferably spread out on a surface to dry.

In an alternative embodiment, bentonite, zeolite, cereal grain(s) and/or bypass proteins may be mixed together dry and passed through and extruded, and the extruded pelletized material is then mixed with molasses and hydrated lime in a mixer.

The bypass protein, ie. solvent extracted and extruded protein meals may be selected from, inter alia, meat meal, cottonseed meal, copra meal, linseed meal, fish meal, lupin meal, safflower meal, sunflower meal and/or the like.

Various trace nutrients, antibiotics, amino acids and vitamins can also be incorporated in the feed composition, including vitamins A, C and E, tocopherols, as well as antioxidants for these materials such as ethoxyquin (1, 2-dihydro-6-ethoxy-2, 2, 4-trimethyl quinoline) . Other additives that can also be included in the composition are promazine hydrochloride, chloromadionone acetate, oxytetracycline, etc. Rumensin can also be added; this is a drug used to control appetite and increase feed efficiency in ruminents. Bloat inhibitors such as poloxaline can also be employed. The quantity and concentration of these materials which can be employed is preferably in accordance with established custom and usage.

In a second aspect, the present invention resides in an animal feed, which may be in granular or solid form, wherein molasses (or by-products thereof) is used in, or mixed with, a base material with sorptive properties and dehydrated.

The sorptive materials used in the dehydration process may include a heat treated or extruded material. These materials are preferably heated to a temperature in the range of 90°C to 180°C and may or may not be effected under pressure. This process effectively alters the chemical structure of the materials for a beneficial effect on animal nutrition and may increase the sorptive properties of the materials.

The materials used in this process may include singularly or mixtures of wheat, barley, rye, oats, sorghum, corn, triticale, rice, lupins, peas, beans, canola (rape), peanuts, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, linseed, vetch and other grains and by¬ product meals such as copra meal, palm kernel meal, meat meal, feather meal, fish meal, cottonseed meal, linseed meal, sunflower meal, canola meal, safflower meal and sunflower meal. The mixtures may contain other by- product materials such as pollard, bran, millrun, cottonseed hulls, gin trash or sunflower hulls.

To these materials or mixtures (pre-heating) may also be added either singularly or mixtures of: Bentonite 0-50% Zeolite 0-50%

Molasses (or Dunder) 0-50% Dolomite 0-50%

Gypsum 0-50%

Urea and other now protein nitrogen (NPN) sources (eg. sulphate of ammonia) 0-30%

Diatomite 0-30%

The resultant material (post heat treatment) may then be used directly in animal feed or may be used as a sorptive material, either by itself or in conjunction with other sorptive materials (eg. bentonite, zeolite and CaO/MgO) to which molasses or Dunder is then added. Other products may also be used as sorptive materials, including gypsum, dolomite, and diatomite.

In a third aspect, the present invention resides in a method(s) of manufacture for an animal feed as hereinbefore described. In fourth and fifth aspects, the present invention relates to a fertilizer having the constituents of the product of the first and second aspects; while in a sixth aspect, the present invention resides in a method of manufacture of a fertilizer in accordance with the methods described.

In a seventh aspect the present invention provides cereal grains or oil seeds coated by the method(s) hereinbefore described.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a number of examples will now be described. A. Molasses/bentonite/zeolite mixes FORMULA (percentage by weight)

All of the ingredients, with the exception of the molasses, are placed in a mixer in a dry state and are mixed until evenly distributed. The molasses (or dunder) is then added to the mixer so that the moisture is absorbed by the bentonite, zeolite and/or hydrated lime.

When the mixture is completely mixed, it is discharged from the mixer in either granular or flowable solid form and is allowed to cure for 4-12 hours before it is bagged or conveyed for storage. The granular form is preferably spread over a surface and the granules allowed to dry.

In an alternative embodiment, bentonite, zeolite, cereal grain(s) and/or bypass proteins may be mixed together dry and passed through and extruded, and the extruded pelletized material is then mixed with molasses and hydrated lime in a mixer. The granules or pellets now containing the molasses are discharged from the mixer and may be allowed to cure as hereinbefore described.

B. Molasses so rtive base material mixes

CaO/MgO 10

SECONDARY DEHYDRATION

10 - 10

5 5

30 50 60

CaO/MgO - 5 10 -

By the addition of cereal grains or oil seeds to the mixes described above, the grains seeds may be coated to between 2-80% total mass of product by the methods described above.

The feed may be fed directly to the animals or be mixed with other feed supplements. When passed by the animals, it will become mixed with the soil as a source of nutrients and fertilizer therefor. The advantages of bentonite, zeolite and the hydrated lime in the feed are as follows:

(a) Sodium bentonite:

(i) Elimination of acidosis; (ii) Prevention of scours; (iii) Increased salivation; (iv) Improved wool growth;

(v) Faster weight gains.

(b) Zeolite:

(i) Ammonia retention; (ii) High cationic exchange;

(iii) Reduced odour; (iv) Better feed efficiency.

(c) Lime (or magnesium) based products:

(i) A source of calcium (or magnesium) in grain based diets;

(ii) Moisture absorbency; (iii) pH control. As stated above, the resultant product is highly palatable for animals, does not take up atmospheric moisture and is easily handled and fed. Potential usage areas include:

(a) Magnesium supplementation of cattle for beef and dairy cattle in Australia and New Zealand, through free choice dry mixes, lucerne cube incorporation and lick blocks.

(b) Phosphorus supplementation of cattle in northern Australia;

(c) Small feed mills without liquid molasses facilities; (d) Dust suppression in opportunity cattle feed lot rations;

(e) Protein feeding to breeder cattle throughout Australia;

(f) On farm feed milling (pigs and poultry); (g) Sheep feeding for fertility, lamb birth weights and myco-toxin absorption;

(h) Stock block manufacture;

(i) Angora and Mohair productio ;

(j) Urea fortified mix. The embodiments described are by way of example only and various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An animal feed, in granular or solid form, comprising molasses (or by-products thereof), bentonite and zeolite.

2. A feed according to Claim 1 wherein: the molasses is any one or more of the following? molasses from a sugar mill; a by-product of molasses fermentation; cane or blackstrap molasses; beet molasses; converted molasses; wood sugar molasses; hydrosyrup; citrus molasses and Dunder.

3. A feed according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein: the proportions of the mix are: (a) molasses : 10-60% (b) bentonite : 10-80%

(c) zeolite : 10-80%, all percentages expressed by weight.

4. A feed, according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in granular form, further including hydrated lime in the range of 0-15% by weight as a source of calcium, improved pellet quality, for moisture absorbency and for pH control.

5. A feed according to Claim 4 and further including: magnesium oxide in the range of 0-25% by weight for the treatment of grass tetany.

6. A feed according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 and further including any one or more of the following as additives: trace elements; sulphur; calcium; potassium; elementary phosphorus; bypass proteins; and cereal grains.

7. A feed according to Claim 6 wherein: the bypass proteins includes any one or more the following: meat meal; cotton seed meal; copra meal; linseed meal; fish meal; lupin meal; safflower meal; and sunflower meal.

8. A feed according to Claim 6 wherein: the cereal grains includes any one or more of the following: wheat; barley; oats; rye and sorghum.

9. A feed according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 and further including any one or more of the following additives: trace nutrients; antibiotics; amino acids; vitamins; anti-oxidants; Rumensin and bloat inhibitors.

10. A method of manufacturing the animal feed as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, including the steps of:

(a) mixing all the ingredients, exclusive of the molasses, in a dry state until evenly distributed;

(b) adding the molasses to the mixture so that the moisture in the molasses is absorbed by the bentonite, zeolite, and the hydrated lime if present;

(c) discharging the mixture from the mixer in either granular or flowable solid form; and

(d) allowing the mixture granules or solids to cure for 4-12 hours.

11. A method according to Claim 10 wherein: the granular form of the mixture is spread over a surface and allowed to dry.

12. A method of manufacturing the animal feed as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, including the steps of:

(a) mixing all of the ingredients, exclusive of molasses and hydrated lime, in a mixer in a dry state until evenly distributed;

(b) extruding the mixture into pellets; (c) mixing the pellets with molasses and hydrated lime in a mixer;

(d) discharging the pellets, now containing molasses, from the mixer; and

(e) allowing the pellets to cure for 4-12 hours.

13. An animal feed, in granular or solid form, comprising molasses (or by-products thereof) mixed with a base material with sorptive properties, the mixture being dehydrated.

14. An animal feed according to Claim 13 wherein: the molasses is any one or more of the following? molasses from a sugar mill; a by-product of molasses fermentation; cane or blackstrap molasses; beet molasses; converted molasses; wood sugar molasses; hydrosyrup; citrus molasses and Dunder.

15. An animal feed according to Claim 13 or Claim 14 wherein: the base material includes any one or more of the following: cereal grains; oil seeds; by-product meal; pollard; bran; millrun; cotton seed hulls; gin trash and sunflower hulls.

16. An animal feed according to Claim 15 wherein: the cereal grains and oil seeds include: wheat; barley; rye; oats; sorghum; corn; triticale; rice; lupins; peas; beans; canola (rape) ; peanuts; cotton seed; sunflower; safflower; linseed; and vetch.

17. An animal feed according to Claim 15 wherein: the by-product meal includes: copra meal; palm kernel meal; meat meal; feather meal; fish meal; cotton seed meal; linseed meal; sunflower meal; canola meal; safflower meal and sunflower meal.

18. An animal feed according to any one of Claims 13 to 17 wherein to the mixture of molasses and base material, one or more of the following ingredients are added before dehydration:

(a) bentonite 0-50% (b) zeolite 0-50%

(c) molasses 0-50%

(d) dolomite 0-50%

(e) gypsum 0-50%

(f) urea 0-30% (g) sulphate ammonia 0-30%

(h) diatemite 0-30%, all percentages being expressed by weight.

19. An animal feed according to any one of Claims 13 to 18 wherein: the proportion of molasses in the mixture is

10-50% by weight.

20. An animal feed according to any one of Claims 13 to 19 wherein: the dehydrated mixture is mixed with bentonite, zeolite, hydrated lime and/or magnesium oxide, to which molasses is added.

21. A method of manufacturing an animal feed as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 20 including the steps of: (a) mixing molasses with a base material with sorptive properties in a mixer; and

(b) dehydrating the mixture at a temperature of 90-180°C.

22. A method according to Claim 21 wherein: the dehydration is carried out at above atmospheric pressure.

23. A method according to Claim 21 or Claim 22 wherein: after the dehydration step, the mixture is mixed with sorptive materials, to which molasses is then added.

23. A method of coating cereal grains or oil seeds wherein the method of Claim 10 is effected with cereal grains or oil sees included in the mixture. 24. A method of coating cereal grains or oil seed wherein the method of Claim 12 is effected with cereal grains or oil seeds included in the mixture.

25. A method of coating cereal grains wherein the method of Claim 21 is effected with cereal grains or oil seeds included in the base material.

26. A fertilizer incorporating the animal feed is claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9 or 13 to 20.

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 10 August 1992 (10.08.92) ; original claims 1,2,4-10,13-15 ,17-23 ,27-33 amended; new claims 3,11,12,24-26, added; other claims unchanged but renumbered (5 pages) ]

1. ( Amended) An animal feed , in granular or solid form, comprising Dunder and/or molasses ( or by-products thereof ) ; at least one chemical dehydrating agent; and

5 bentonite and/or zeolite .

2. ( Amended) A feed according to Claim 1 wherein : the molasses is any one or more of the following molasses from a sugar mill ; a by-product of molasses fermentation; cane or blackstrap molasses ; beet

10 molasses ; converted molasses ; wood sugar molasses ; hydrosyrup and citrus molasses .

3 . ( New) A feed according to Claim 1 wherein : the chemical dehydrating agent is one or more of the following : calcium oxide , hydrated lime , 15 magnesium oxide , calcium sulphate ( gypsum) and diatomite .

4. ( Amended) A feed according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein: the proportions of the mix are : 20 ( a ) Dunder and/ or molasses : 10-60%

( b) bentonite : 10-80%

( c ) zeolite : 10-80% ,

(d) chemical dehydrating agent: 0-30%. all percentages expressed by weight.

25 5. (Amended) A feed, according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in granular form, further including hydrated lime in the range of 0-15% by weight as a source of calcium, improved pellet quality, for moisture absorbency and for pH control.

30 6. (Amended) A feed according to Claim 5 and further including: magnesium oxide in the range of 0-25% by weight for the treatment of grass tetany. 7. (Amended) A feed according to any one of

35 Claims 1 to 6 and further including any one or more of the following as additives: trace elements; sulphur; calcium; potassium; elementary phosphorus; bypass proteins; and cereal grains.

8. (Amended) A feed according to Claim 7 wherein: the bypass proteins includes any one or more the following: meat meal; copra meal; linseed meal; fish meal; lupin meal; safflower meal; and sunflower meal.

9. (Amended) A feed according to Cl m 7 wherein: the cereal grains includes any one or more of the following: wheat; barley; oats; rye and sorghum.

10. (Amended) A feed according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and further including any one or more of the following additives: trace nutrients; antibiotics; amino acids; vitamins; anti-oxidants; Rumensin and bloat inhibitors.

11. (New) An animal feed, in granular or solid form, comprising Dunder and bentonite and/or zeolite. 12. (New) A feed according to Claim 11 and further including: cotton seed. 13. (Amended) A method of manufacturing the animal feed as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12, including the steps of:

(a) mixing all the ingredients, exclusive of the Dunder and/or molasses, in a dry state until evenly distributed;

(b) adding the Dunder and/or molasses to the mixture so that the moisture in the Dunder and/or molasses is absorbed by the bentonite, zeolite, and the chemical dehydration agent.

(c) discharging the mixture from the mixer in either granular or flowable solid form; and (d) allowing the mixture granules or solids to cure for 4-12 hours. 14. (Amended) A method according to Claim 11 wherein: the granular form of the mixture is spread over a surface and allowed to dry. 15. (Amended) A method of manufacturing the animal feed as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, including the steps of:

(a) mixing all of the ingredients, exclusive of Dunder and/or molasses and the chemical dehydrating agent, in a mixer in a dry state until evenly distributed;

(b) extruding the mixture into pellets;

(c) mixing the pellets with Dunder and/or molasses and the chemical dehydrating agent in a mixer; (d) discharging the pellets, now containing

Dunder and/or molasses, from the mixer; and

(e) allowing the pellets to cure for 4-12 hours.

16. An animal feed, in granular or solid form, comprising Dunder and/or molasses (or by-products thereof) mixed with a base material with sorptive properties and at least one chemical dehydrating agent, the mixture being dehydrated.

17. (Amended) An animal feed according to Claim 16 wherein: the molasses is any one or more of the following: molasses from a sugar mill; a by-product of molasses fermentation; cane or blackstrap molasses; beet molasses; converted molasses; wood sugar molasses; hydrosyrup and citrus molasses.

18. (Amended) An animal feed according to Claim 16 or Claim 15 wherein: the base material includes any one or more of the following: cereal grains; oil seeds; by-product meal; pollard; bran; millrun; gin trash and sunflower hulls. 19. (Amended) An animal feed according to Claim 18 wherein: the cereal grains and oil seeds include: wheat; barley; rye; oats; sorghum; corn; triticale; rice; lupins; peas; beans; canola (rape); peanuts; sunflower; safflower; linseed; and vetch.

20. (Amended) An animal feed according to Claim 18 wherein: the by-product meal includes: copra meal; palm kernel meal; meat meal; feather meal; fish meal; linseed meal; sunflower meal; canola meal; safflower meal and sunflower meal.

21. (Amended) An animal feed according to any one of Claims 16 to 20 wherein to the mixture of Dunder and/or molasses and base material, one or more of the following ingredients are added before dehydration:

(a) bentonite 0-50%

(b) zeolite 0-50%

(c) molasses 0-50% (d) dolomite 0-50%

(e) gypsum 0-50%

(f) urea 0-30%

(g) sulphate ammonia 0-30% (h) diatomite 0-30%, all percentages being expressed by weight.

22. (Amended) An animal feed according to any one of Claims 16 to 21 wherein: the proportion of Dunder and/or molasses in the mixture is 10-50% by weight. 23. (Amended) An animal feed according to any one of Claims 16 to 22 wherein: the dehydrated mixture is mixed with bentonite, zeolite, hydrated lime and/or magnesium oxide, to which Dunder and/or molasses is added.

24. (New) An animal feed, in granular or solid form, comprising Dunder mixed with a base material with sorptive properties, the mixture being dehydrated.

25. (New) A feed according to Claim 24, wherein the base material includes any one or more of the following: cereal grains; oil seeds; by-product meal; pollard; bran; millrun; gin trash and sunflower hulls.

26. (New) A feed according to Claim 25 wherein: the oil seeds are cotton seed.

27. (Amended) A method of manufacturing an animal feed as claimed in any one of Claims 16 to 26 including the steps of:

(a) mixing Dunder and/or molasses with a base material with sorptive properties in a mixer; and

(b) dehydrating the mixture at a temperature of 90-180°C.

28. (Amended) A method according to Claim 27 wherein: the dehydration is carried out at above atmospheric pressure.

29. (Amended) A method according to Claim 27 or

Claim 28 wherein: after the dehydration step, the mixture is mixed with sorptive materials, to which Dunder and/or molasses is then added.

30. (Amended) A method of coating cereal grains or oil seeds wherein the method of Claim 13 is effected with cereal grains or oil seeds included in the mixture.

31. (Amended) A method of coating cereal grains or oil seed wherein the method of Claim 15 is effected with cereal grains or oil seeds included in the mixture.

32. (Amended) A method of coating cereal grains wherein the method of Claim 28 is effected with cereal grains or oil seeds included in the base material.

33. (Amended) A fertilizer incorporating the animal feed is claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12 or

16 to 26.