GB2066043A - Animal feed - Google Patents

Abstract

Prior to weaning calves are fed a solid feed containing 15 to 20% of dried milk products and 25 to 35% of predigested cereals. The solid feed may be fed with an acidified liquid milk substitute before weaning and may continue to be fed in admixture with other solid feed after weaning. The solid feed and the acidified liquid milk substitute may be matched in protein, energy and oil or fat content and may contain similar flavourings. The cereal may be predigested by micronising followed by steaming to gelatinise the starch, and extrusion to form flakes.

Description

SPECIFICATION Animal feed This invention relates to the feeding of animals and in particular to the feeding of calves.

In modern methods of rearing calves, the calves are initially fed on a liquid diet of a milk substitute which is normally supplied to the farmer as a dried powder which is mixed with water priorto use. In recent times acidified milk substitutes have increased in popularity because the acidity of the milk inhibits bacteria development so that the milk substitute stays fresh for two to three days and does not settle out, making the substitute suitable for preparation in bulk and for feeding by teat from a central supply tank. The acidity of the milk substitute also helps to prevent fluctuations in the acidity of the contents of the abomasum of the calves and helps to prevent any increase in the natural population of scour-causing bacteria in the small intestine of the calves.In normal calf rearing practice calves are fed on the liquid milk substitute for a period of time and are then abruptly weaned and are then fed solid food which may be in the form of pellets which have been formulated for feeding ruminants. It is common for calves not to put on weight as quickly as would be preferred or even to lose weight for a period after weaning. This post-weaning check is undesirable.

The present invention relates to the feeding of calves in such a way that the post-weaning check is minimised.

According to a first aspect of the invention a method of feed ing calves prior to weaning includes the step of replacing part of their diet with a solid feed comprising 15 to 20% of dried milk products and 25 to 35% of predigested cereal.

The dried milk products may be dried skimmed milk, dried whey or a mixture of these dried products. The predigested cereals may be maize, barley, wheat or a mixture of these which may be micronised, cooked in steam to gelatinise the starch and extruded to form flakes.

In addition to the above-mentioned ingredients the solid feed may include up to 10% of an animal fat or vegetable oil, up to 30% of soya flour to replace milk proteins content and up to 12% of sugars, e.g.

dextrose and lactose to increase the total energy content. Further energy may be supplied by the inclusion of up to 5% molasses which, along with the dried milk products also acts as a binder and dampproofing agent for the solid feed if the feed is in the form of pellets.

It is particularly advantageous if the liquid diet on which the calves are fed before weaning comprises an acidified liquid milk substitute and thatthe solid teed has a similar oil or fat content, a similar protein content and a similar energy content to the milk substitute.

According to a second aspect of the presentinven- tion a method of feeding calves prior to weaning includes the steps of feeding the calves a diet which includes an acidified liquid milk substitute and a solid feed comprising 15 to 26% dried milk products and 25 to 35% of predigested grain. The intake of the acidified liquid milk product is preferably restricted, for example to six litres per calf per day up until weaning. After weaning the calves are preferably fed on a diet which still contains at least a portion of the above-mentioned solid feed until they are about four months old. During the post-weaning period other solid food materials such as cereals may be introduced into the calves diet.

A suitable acidified liquid milk substitute for use prior to weaning would be one which is prepared from a dried liquid milk powder containing 70 to 80% of dried milk products which rnay be skimmed milk or whey or a mixture of these and contains from 10 to 20% of animal fats, vegetable oils or a mixture of these. A particularly preferred mixture would be one containing substantially equal amounts of a vegetable oil, e.g. coconut oil and animal fat, e.g. beef dripping or iard. Up to 5% of soya flour may be included to increase the protein content of the milk product and up to 7% of sugars, e.g. dextrose and lactose may be included to increase the total energy content of the acidified milk substitute.The preferred pH of the reconstituted acidified milk substitute lies within the range 4.5 to 5.6 but preferably lies in the range 5.4 to 5.6 which corresponds closely to the acidity level in the abomasum (the first functioning stomach) of young cattle. The desired acidity may be achieved by the inclusion of the appropriate amount of an aliphatic carboxylic acid possibly in admixture with a salt thereof of other acid generating components such as ammonium tetraformate. Preferably the acidified liquid milk substitute is formulated as a dried powder which is readily dispersible in cold water to prepare a liquid product which may be fed to the calves by means of a teat fed from a bucket or other bulk container.

If the method of rearing calves which forms part of this invention is to be used most efficiently the liquid milk substitute and the solid feed should have a similar oil or fat content, similar protein content and a similar energy content. It is also preferable that the liquid milk substitute and the pelleted feed have the same taste and smell and therefore the same flavouring may be used in both products. One suitable flavour is vanilla.

The invention will now be described by the following Examples which describe an acidified liquid milk substitute, pelleted solid feeds and a method of rearing calves in which the calves are fed on a diet which includes the milk substitute and the pelleted solid feed Example 1 An acidified dried milk powder was prepared having the following components:: dried skimmed milk ........................... 62% dried whey ...................... 16% coconut oil ....................................... 6.5% beefdripping ...................................... 6.5% dextrose .......................................... 4.0% soyaflour ......................................... 1% preservatives (citric acid and calcium proprionate) ........................... 1% vanilla flavoured antioxidant/ emulsifler ....................................... 0.2% mineral/vitamin supplement 0.5% anti-scour agents (pregelatinised starch/pectin).................................... 2.3% The powder may be prepared by the mixing of the solid ingredients or the skimmed milk, the whey and the oil and fats may be mixed in liquid form and then spray-dried to provide a powder which is mixed with the other components.Either method provides an acidified dried milk powder which is readily dispersible in cold water to provide a liquid milk substitute which can be fed to calves. The dried milk product (10 Kg) may be dispersed in water (90 Kg) to give 100 litres of the liquid milk substitute which will meet the daily requirement of 16 calves when the in-take is restricted to six litres per calf per day.

Asolid pelleted feed was prepared having the following composition:dried skimmed mill ............................... 13% dried whey ............................. 5% lard ............................................. 8.5% predigested maize ......................... 10% predigested barley ................. 12% predigested wheat .......................... 12% soya flour 27.5% vanilla flavoured dextrose/ saccharin/antioxident 2.25% molasses ......................................... 5.0% mineral/vitamin supplement, dicalcium phosphate/bicarbonate of soda .................... 4.75% The food product was prepared by mixing the dry ingredients and cooking them together with pressurized steam.The molasses were then sprayed on to the solid ingredients and the resulting mixture extruded through a die to give pellets which had a diameter of 5 mm and a length of8to 10 mm.

In one experiment utilising the present invention the calves were individually penned for the first week and thereafter kept in groups which did not exceed ten calves. The amount of liquid milk substitute was restricted to 6 litres per calf per day. Drinking water and clean barley straw were freely available to the calves at all times. The solid feed was available to the calves from the first day but was restricted to a maximum of 2Kg per calf per day prior to weaning. After five weeks the calves were weaned from the liquid milk substitute and from six weeks the solid feed was diluted by mixing one part of pellet by weight with one part of flaked maize and one part of rolled barley. This mixture was limited to 3 Kg per calf per day.From twelve weeks of age one part of pellets was mixed with three parts of rolled barley and the amount available was limited to 4 Kg per calf per day. After weaning, the calves had free access to drinking water.

In experiments conducted at an experimental farm, it was found that calves reared as described above reached the maximum available intake (6 litres) of acidified milk substitute within one week and reached the maximum available preweaning intake of the solid pellet feed (2: Kg) before they were weaned and did not experience the postweaning check which occurs with other methods of calf rearing.

Example 2 A solid pelleted feed was prepared having the following composition.

skim milk powder ...................... 10% whey powder ............................ 7.5% lard ............................................ 7.5% predigested maize ............................ 10% predigested wheat 15% soya meal ; 10% fish meal .................................. 1% molasses ......................................... 4.2% sugars ........................................... 2% bicarbonate of soda 1.5% dicalcium phosphate 1.0% maize meal ....................................... 2.8% flavouring, minerals, vitamins, etc. ............. to 100% When used with the acidified milk substitute described in Example 1 this pelleted feed gave similar results to those described above.

Example 3 A solid pelleted feed was prepared having the following composition skim milk powder ................... 12.5% whey powder .............. 7.5% maize oil 4% predigested maize .............. 25% predigested wheat 10% soya meal ................... 20% fish meal ................. 1% sugars ......................................... 12% bicarbonate of soda 1.5% dried yeast ............................. 1.5% flavouring, mineral, vitamins, etc. ......... to 100% When used with the acidified milk substitute as described in Example 1 this pelleted feed gave similar results to those described above.

The use of the present invention in calf rearing ensures that the calves gain body weight more rapidly than calves reared by the methods used to date. The use of a balanced diet and the acidified milk and the solid feed results in trouble-free rearing because of the improved digestability of these products, the more efficient food conversion and a reduction in the incidence of scour.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a solid feed for feeding calves which comprises 15 to 20% of dried milk products and 25 to 35% of predigested cereals.

Claims (14)

1. A method of feeding calves prior to weaning includes the step of replacing part of their diet with a solid feed comprising 15 to 20% of dried milk products and 25 to 35% of predigested cereal.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dried milk product is dried skimmed milk, dried whey or a mixture thereof.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the predigested cereal is maize, barley, wheat or a mixture thereof.

4. A method of feeding calves prior to weaning includes the steps of feeding the claves a diet which includes the steps of feeding the calves a diet which solid feed comprising 15 to 20% dried milk products and 25 to 35% of predigested grain.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 in intake of liquid milk substitute is restricted to six litres per calf per day.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 in which the liquid milk substitute is prepared from a dried milk powder containing 70 to 80% of dried milk products and 10 to 20% of animal fats, vegetable oils or a mixture thereof.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the dried milk products are dried skimmed milk, dried whey or a mixture thereof.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein a mixture of substantially equal amounts of vegetable oil and animal fats are included in the dried liquid milk powder.

9. A solid feed for feeding calves comprises 15 to 20% of dried milk products and 25 to 35% of predigested cereals.

10. A solid feed as claimed in claim 9 wherein the dried milk product is dried skimmed milk, dried whey or a mixture thereof.

11. A solid feed as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the predigested cereal is maize, barley, wheat or a mixture thereof.

12. A method of feeding calves prior to weaning as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described.

13. A method of feeding claves priorto weaning as claimed in claim 4 substantially as hereinbefore described.

14. A solid feed for calves as claimed in claim 9 substantially as hereinbefore described.