IE61131B1

IE61131B1 - An animal foodstuff

Info

Publication number: IE61131B1
Application number: IE333488A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Timothy O'riordan; Daniel O'riordan
Original assignee: Lectec Limited
Priority date: 1988-11-04
Filing date: 1988-11-04
Publication date: 1994-10-05
Also published as: IE883334L; BE1002967A3

Abstract

Animal feed which can be given to animals as is or which can be used as aningredient for an animal feed. The feed according to the invention comprisesmolasses, a highly nutritious substance, mixed with ground peat absorbed bysaid molasses, the moisture content of the mixture being reduced to 6-18%moisture such that the feed is in a roughly dry form and can be shaped intopellets or nodules.

Description

The invention relates to an animal feedstuff. By the term feedstuff is meant a substance which may be fed to animals as a food in its own right or which may be used as an ingredient in an animal food.

It is known to use molasses as a component in the manufacture of animal feedstuffs. Molasses is a highly nutritious substance but because it is available in liquid form the amount which can be used in animal feedstuffs is limited. Because of its viscous sticky nature molasses is difficult to dry and solidify.

It is an object of the invention to provide a molasses-based foodstuff which is substantially dry and which can be used as an animal foodstuff or as an additive for use in compounding animal foodstuffs.

Accordingly, the invention provides an animal foodstuff comprising molasses mixed with and absorbed by a comminuted peat characterised in that the molasses is present in the mixture in an amount of from 1 part molasses to 1 part peat, by weight, to up to 2 parts molasses to 1 part peat, by weight, and that the moisture content of the mixture has been reduced to 6 to 18% moisture such that the feedstuff is in a substantially dry form.

The invention also relates to a process for preparing an animal foodstuff comprising admixing molasses with a comminuted peat characterised in that the molasses is mixed with the peat in an amount of from 1 part molasses to 1 part peat, by weight, to up to 2 parts f> molasses to 1 part peat, by weight, and the resultant mixture is dried ( to a moisture content in the range 6 to 18% to provide a substance which is in a substantially dry form. 2032R Z1 - 2 The peat is preferably a moss peat, such as sphagnum moss peat and typically has a moisture content of about 50%. preferably a pre-dried peat of a moisture content of about 8 to 12% is used. The molasses may « be sugar beet molasses or sugar cane molasses, for example.

Suitably, the mixture of molasses and peat is dried such that the moisture content is reduced to approximately 6-18%, preferably 10-14% moisture. The drying may take place in an oven dryer or an air dryer. The resultant product is a substantially dry granulated friable substance which can be fed to animals as a foodstuff in its own right (either in particulate form or in compressed pellet/nut form) or can be admixed with other materials in the preparation of a compounded foodstuff. Because all of the molasses has been soaked up by the peat the foodstuff of the invention is relatively dry, friable, and non-viscous and has a pleasant taste and smell.

The invention also provides a process for the preparation of an animal feedstuff in the form of pellets or nuts, wherein molasses of a moisture content of about 25% is admixed with comminuted peat of a moisture content in the range of 8 to 12% in the proportion of from 1 part molasses to 1 part peat, by weight, up to 2 parts molasses to 1 part peat by weight, the mixture is heated by steam, extruded through a pelleting apparatus to form pellets or nuts, which are cooled and dried to a moisture content in the range 6 to 18%.

The feedstuff of the invention can be used as a straight animal feed material and can be used in the preparation of cattle feeds, pig feeds, sheep feeds, poultry feeds and pet foods.

For example, in the preparation of cattle feeds the feedstuff of the invention may be mixed with barley, soya bean meal, cotton meal, ground nut meal, pollard wheat, corn gluten, sugar beet pulp, brewer's grains, rapeseed meal, grain screenings, sunflower meal, meat and bone meal, v fish meal, rice bran, poultry offal meal and the like. It may be added to one or more of the above in amounts of up to 50%, typically in amounts in the range of 20 - 25%. It may also be used as a silage additive in which case it may be added in amounts of up to 25 Kg per ton of silage. - 3 A process for the production of an animal feedstuff according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a flow-diagram for said process.

» Referring to the drawing there is described a process for making an animal feedstuff of the invention in which a comminuted sphagnum moss peat, preferably pre-dried to 8 to 12% moisture, is fed to a conical intake chute 1. The moss peat is conveyed in an upwards direction through a pipe 3 by means of an auger 2. The peat exits from an opening 4 into a peat holding bin 5.

The peat holding bin 5 allows large quantities of peat moss to be stored within the system before mixing with molasses. The peat holding bin 5 comprises a conical bin chute 6 which opens onto a floor 7. The peat is carried through further piping 8, containing an auger 9, diagonally upwards and exits through a pipe 10 into a trough weigher 11.

The trough weigher 11 controls the amount of peat entering a mixer 13 via a passage 12. Molasses enters the mixer 13 from a molasses tank 14 via a passage 15, the molasses tank 14 having means to control the amount of molasses entering the mixer 13. The desired ratios of moss peat and molasses are then mixed in the mixer 13.

Following mixing the animal feedstuff exits from the mixer 13 through an opening 16 at the end of a V-shaped floor 17 of the mixer 13. The mixed animal feedstuff enters a funnel-shaped chute 18 which descends into piping 19 containing auger 20. The animal feedstuff is heated by means of steam unit 21 to a temperature greater than 60°C whereby the particulate animal feedstuff is heated and moistened to facilitate a subsequent pelleting or cubing process. The heated animal feedstuff is then conveyed into a pelleting plant 22 by means of the auger 20. The animal feedstuff is formed into a pellet or nut form using standard pelleting apparatus. Pelleting is effected by extruding the feedstuff Γ through a multiple series of holes of the sizes required, typically 4 ; mm, 6 mm or 8 mm. Pellet length may be controlled by setting knives within the pelleting plant to the required length.

Following pelleting of the animal feedstuff the warm pellets are - 4 conveyed to a cooler 23 wherein the pellets are cooled and the moisture content is reduced in order to ensure ease of handling and preservation of the pelletized feedstuff. A suitable cooler is a double deck horizontal cooler although various cooler types may be used.

An auger 24 within piping 25 then conveys the moisture reduced pelletized animal feedstuff upwards towards an opening 26 which opens into a finished product bin 27 having a funnel shaped floor 28 comprising an opening 29 which can be used, when open, to discharge the pelletized animal feedstuff into suitable receptacles, e.g. bags etc.

The invention is further exemplified in the following examples, which are given by way of illustration only and are not intended to limit the invention: Example 1 Analysis of the constituents used in the preparation of the feedstuff of the invention: a) Sphagnum Moss Peat The peat is suitably sphagnum moss peat which contains digestible fibre, crude protein and.ash. b) Molasses A typical sugar beet molasses Water 25% Crude protein 3% Ash 9.3% - 13.5% Sugar 50% Energy value lOmj/Kg on an as fed basis used has the following analysis: Calcium 0.7 - 1.1% Phosphorus 0.1 - 0.2% Potassium 3-4% Chloride 2.0% Example 2 35 A feedstuff of the invention was manufactured by taking 100 kg of spaghnum moss peat of moisture content of about 50%. To the moss peat was added 200 kg of sugar beet molasses. The ingredients were mixed in - 5 a mixer and the molasses was absorbed by the moss peat particles. When thoroughly mixed, the mixture was conveyed to an oven dryer where it was dried at a temperature in the range of 70°C to 100°C, to reduce the moisture content to about 10% moisture. The resultant product was t a free-flowing foodstuff having a pleasant taste and odour. The product was analysed as follows: $ Component % Notes DM 90 DM = Dry matter Oil 0.8 NFE = Nitrogen free extract Protein 7.8 ME = Metabolisable energy Fibre 6.9 DMS = Digestible dry matter Ash 6.2 DOMD = Digestible organic matter NFE 68.3 in the dry matter ME as fed 11.00 ME on DM basis 12.20 DMD 76.8 DOMD 70 Example 3 An animal feed according to the invention was made in the same manner as described in Example 2 except that one part of molasses, by weight, was added to one part of peat moss (of moisture content of about 10%), by weight. The product had the following analysis: Component % DM 91.2 Protein 9.5 Oil 0.3 Fibre 5.0 Ash 9.2 DMD 76.0 DOMD 66.4 pH 5.1 DMD, DOMD are percentage of dry matter.

DM, Protein, Oil, Fibre, Ash are percentage of sample analysed. - 6 Example 4 An animal feed sample according to the invention was made by mixing • equal weight quantities of milled peat at 10% moisture level and molasses at 25% moisture level. The mixture was mixed in a mixer and then pelleted in a pelleting plant. The product was then dried to 12% moisture. Pellets were made in 3 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm sizes. The product was then analysed using the Neutral Cellulase Digestibility technique. The following results were obtained: Component Value Crude protein (%) 9.7 Oil (%) 0.6 Crude fibre (%) 4.3 Ash (%) 9.0 Cellulase digestibility (%) 63.8 ME.MJ/Kg calculated from cellulase digestibility 9.08 ME.MJ/Kg computed 10.00 Example 5: Field Trial A The animal feedstuff of the invention was incorporated into the diet of calves, dairy cows poultry and pigs. The feedstuff was included in an amount of approximately 20% and fed to the animals in a balanced diet. It was found, for example, that the animal feedstuff of the invention increased the daily intake of calves by 20% and consequently the liveweight gain of the calves was increased by 23%.

Example 6: Field Trial B ή The animal feedstuff of the invention was used to replace the barley ι component in the compound feed portion of the diet of a dairy cow. The animal feedstuff was included at a level 40% of the compound feed. The production results obtained for the diet comprising the feedstuff of the invention and a standard diet were similar. The animal feedstuff of the invention is 50% cheaper than barley.

Claims

1. An animal foodstuff comprising molasses mixed with and absorbed by a comminuted peat characterised in that the molasses is present in · 5 the mixture in an amount of from 1 part molasses to 1 part peat, by z weight, to up to

2. Parts molasses to 1 part peat, by weight, and that «·· the moisture content of the mixture has been reduced to 6 to 18% moisture such that the feedstuff is in a substantially dry form. 10 2. An animal feedstuff as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the moisture content of the mixture is in the range 10 to 14% moisture.

3. An animal feedstuff as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the feedstuff is in the form of pellets or nuts.

4. An animal feedstuff as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the feedstuff is in particulate form.

5. An animal feedstuff as claimed in any of the preceding Claims 20 characterised in that the mixture is admixed with other components selected from the following: barley, soya bean meal, cotton meal, ground nut meal, pollard wheat, corn gluten, sugar beet pulp, brewer's grains, rapeseed meal, grain screenings, sunflower meal, meat and bone meal, fish meal, rice bran, poultry offal meal.

6. A process for preparing an animal feedstuff which comprises admixing molasses with a comminuted peat characterised in that the molasses is mixed with the peat in an amount of from 1 part molasses to 1 part peat, by weight, to up to 2 parts molasses to 1 part peat, by 30 weight, and the resultant mixture is dried to a moisture content i,n the range 6 to 18% to provide a substance which is in a substantially dry form. r

7. A process as claimed in Claim 6 characterised in that the mixture , 35 is dried by a moisture content in the range 10 to 14%. **

8. A process as claimed in any of Claims 6 to 8, characterised in that the mixture is compressed into pellets or nuts. - 8

9. A process as claimed in Claim 9, characterised in that the mixture is admixed with other feed components before being compressed into pellets or nuts. A. ·* 5 10. A process for preparing an animal feedstuff wherein molasses of a moisture content of about 25% is admixed with comminuted peat of a moisture content in the range of 8 to 12% in the proportion of from 1 part molasses to 1 part peat, by weight, up to 2 parts molasses to 1 part peat by weight, the mixture is heated by steam, extruded through a

10. Pelleting apparatus to form pellets or nuts, which are cooled and dried to a moisture content in the range 6 to 18%.

11. A process as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the pellets or nuts are dried to a moisture content in the range 10 to 14%.

12. A process for preparing an animal feedstuff wherein molasses of a moisture content of about 25% is admixed with peat of a moisture content of about 50% in the ratio of about 2 parts by weight of molasses to 1 part by weight of peat, and the mixture is dried at a 20 temperature in the range of 70°C to 100°C to reduce the moisture content of the mixture to the range 6 to 18% to form a free-flowing particulated feedstuff.

13. A process as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the moisture content of 25 the mixture is reduced to the range 10 to 14%.

14. A process for preparing an animal feedstuff substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing. -

15. A process for preparing an animal feedstuff substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of Examples 1 to 4. ,

16. An animal feedstuff whenever prepared by a process as claimed in 35 any of claims

17. An animal feedstuff as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 having an analysis as follows: