GB2038159A

GB2038159A - Animal feed supplements

Info

Publication number: GB2038159A
Application number: GB7926986A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-12-27
Filing date: 1979-08-02
Publication date: 1980-07-23
Also published as: ES484044A0; PT70210A; ES8103936A1; BE878821A; DE2939337A1; NL7907024A

Abstract

An animal feed stuff supplement is bound together in cake form by a self-setting chemical binding agent, such as aqueous urea-formaldehyde. Feed stuffs such as molasses and cereals, together with additional vitamins and trace elements, salt, and medicinal treatment agents, such as worming compounds, are fed to animals in the form of a bound cake which the animal licks. The binding agent holds the cake together in adverse weather conditions which would cause known supplement cakes to break up. This enables a more controlled dose to be given to the animals without supervision.

Description

SPECIFICATION Animal feed supplements This invention relates to animal feed supplements and is particularly concerned with providing an improved form of presentation of feed supplements to animals, particularly domestic animals, such as pigs, horses, sheep and cattle.

It is known in agriculture to provide domestic animals with vitamin and other nutrient supplements in addition to the conventional food stuffs which are fed to such animals. The nutrient supplements may be proprietary food stuffs which may be formed with vitamins, trace elements, cereal matter, molasses, salt, medicinal products such as worming preparations and other necessary feeding stuffs for the animal.

It is known to compress such materials in a dry or semi-dry state and extrude the compressed material, which is then sliced to form a round or square cake.

A cake of appropriate nutrient supplement may be left in a field where cattle will lick it over a period of time.

Problems arise when a conventional nutrient material becomes damp due to rain or frost or the like; it tends then to disintegrate, enabling the animal to eat it rather than to lick it, and this causes unnecessarily rapid consumption by the animal of the feed stuff nutrients. It is an object of the present invention to provide a nutrient supplement in the form of a hard cake, which will not easily disintegrate, for example under adverse weather conditions.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, comprising an animal feed stuff and a self-setting chemical binding agent.

In a particular example, the cake is hardened in an open container, such as a bucket, which may be left in the animal pen or field. The container protects the cake on at least three sides, leaving only an open side for the animal to lick.

The invention also provides a method of making an animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, which comprises mixing an animal feed stuff and a self-setting chemical binding agent, and allowing said agent to set.

Preferably the binding agent is an aqueous ureaformaldehyde mixture. Urea is commonly used as an animal feed stuff additive, and thus an excess of urea in the mixture may be beneficial. Typically 5% to 35% by weight of binding agent may be used, and the agent may be prepared by mixing 6.5 to 11 molar aqueous urea solution with formalin, the urea solution forming from 35% to 50% of the agent. An acid catalyst is preferably added in an amount equal to 2% to 5% by weight of the cake. Strong acids such as sulphuric acid and orthophosphoric acid are suitable. Alternatively, ammonium chloride may be used as catalyst.

The feed stuff may be cereal or molasses or a mixture of these, and trace elements, vitamins, salt, and medicinal treatment agents such as worming compounds may be included.

The invention is illustrated by the following Examples.

Example 1 A paste of molasses, salt, dibasic ammonium phosphate and 'URAMEL' (Registered Trade Mark) feed base was made. A binding agent was prepared containing, by weight, 44.5% urea and 34.5% formaldehyde, with the balance water, and added to the paste in the weight ratio of 4 parts paste to one part binding agent. 0.2 parts orthophosphoric acid were then added as hardener catalyst and the stirred mixture poured into a polypropylene bucket and allowed to harden.

The hardened cake was left, in the bucket, in an animal pen for the animal to lick. The cake remained whole even after rain.

Example 2 The preparation of the cake of Example 1 was repeated, but using a binding agent comprising by weight 20.4% urea, 34.1% formaldehyde, and the balance water. The cake hardened satisfactorily and was similarly weather-resistant.

It is thought that the present invention provides a useful addition to the agriculture industry particularly for the rearing of domestic animals. It will, however, be appreciated that the invention is applicable to other than domestic agricultural animals of the kind specifically mentioned herein. Smaller cake may be used for other domestic animals such as dogs and cats, and nutrient supplements of the hardened cake kind may also be used in zoos or other places to supplement conventional diets of wild or semi-wild animals.

1. An animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, comprising an animal feed stuff and a selfsetting chemical binding agent.

2. A feed supplement according to Claim 1, wherein the binding agent is an aqueous ureaformaldehyde mixture.

3. Afeed supplement according to Claim 2, comprising 5% to 35% by weight of binding agent.

4. A feed supplement according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the binding agent comprises a mixture containing, by volume, 35% to 50% of a 6.5 to 11 molar aqueous urea solution and 50% to 65% of formalin.

5. A feed supplement according to Claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the binding agent contains an acid catalyst in an amount equal to 2% to 5% by weight of the cake.

6. A feed supplement according to Claim 5, wherein the acid catalyst is sulphuric acid or orthophosphoric acid.

7. A feed supplement according to any preceding claim, wherein the animal feed stuff comprises a cereal andlor molasses and one or more of trace elements, vitamins, salt, and medicinal treatment agents.

8. A method of making an animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, which comprises mixing an animal feed stuff and a self-setting chemical binding agent, and allowing said agent to set.

9. A method according to Claim 8, wherein the binding agent is an aqueous urea-formaldehyde mixture.

10. A method according to Claim 9, wherein the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Animal feed supplements This invention relates to animal feed supplements and is particularly concerned with providing an improved form of presentation of feed supplements to animals, particularly domestic animals, such as pigs, horses, sheep and cattle. It is known in agriculture to provide domestic animals with vitamin and other nutrient supplements in addition to the conventional food stuffs which are fed to such animals. The nutrient supplements may be proprietary food stuffs which may be formed with vitamins, trace elements, cereal matter, molasses, salt, medicinal products such as worming preparations and other necessary feeding stuffs for the animal. It is known to compress such materials in a dry or semi-dry state and extrude the compressed material, which is then sliced to form a round or square cake. A cake of appropriate nutrient supplement may be left in a field where cattle will lick it over a period of time. Problems arise when a conventional nutrient material becomes damp due to rain or frost or the like; it tends then to disintegrate, enabling the animal to eat it rather than to lick it, and this causes unnecessarily rapid consumption by the animal of the feed stuff nutrients. It is an object of the present invention to provide a nutrient supplement in the form of a hard cake, which will not easily disintegrate, for example under adverse weather conditions. Accordingly, the present invention provides an animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, comprising an animal feed stuff and a self-setting chemical binding agent. In a particular example, the cake is hardened in an open container, such as a bucket, which may be left in the animal pen or field. The container protects the cake on at least three sides, leaving only an open side for the animal to lick. The invention also provides a method of making an animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, which comprises mixing an animal feed stuff and a self-setting chemical binding agent, and allowing said agent to set. Preferably the binding agent is an aqueous ureaformaldehyde mixture. Urea is commonly used as an animal feed stuff additive, and thus an excess of urea in the mixture may be beneficial. Typically 5% to 35% by weight of binding agent may be used, and the agent may be prepared by mixing 6.5 to 11 molar aqueous urea solution with formalin, the urea solution forming from 35% to 50% of the agent. An acid catalyst is preferably added in an amount equal to 2% to 5% by weight of the cake. Strong acids such as sulphuric acid and orthophosphoric acid are suitable. Alternatively, ammonium chloride may be used as catalyst. The feed stuff may be cereal or molasses or a mixture of these, and trace elements, vitamins, salt, and medicinal treatment agents such as worming compounds may be included. The invention is illustrated by the following Examples. Example 1 A paste of molasses, salt, dibasic ammonium phosphate and 'URAMEL' (Registered Trade Mark) feed base was made. A binding agent was prepared containing, by weight, 44.5% urea and 34.5% formaldehyde, with the balance water, and added to the paste in the weight ratio of 4 parts paste to one part binding agent. 0.2 parts orthophosphoric acid were then added as hardener catalyst and the stirred mixture poured into a polypropylene bucket and allowed to harden. The hardened cake was left, in the bucket, in an animal pen for the animal to lick. The cake remained whole even after rain. Example 2 The preparation of the cake of Example 1 was repeated, but using a binding agent comprising by weight 20.4% urea, 34.1% formaldehyde, and the balance water. The cake hardened satisfactorily and was similarly weather-resistant. It is thought that the present invention provides a useful addition to the agriculture industry particularly for the rearing of domestic animals. It will, however, be appreciated that the invention is applicable to other than domestic agricultural animals of the kind specifically mentioned herein. Smaller cake may be used for other domestic animals such as dogs and cats, and nutrient supplements of the hardened cake kind may also be used in zoos or other places to supplement conventional diets of wild or semi-wild animals. CLAIMS

10. A method according to Claim 9, wherein the mixture comprises 5% to 35% by weight of the bind ing agent.

11. A method according to Claim 9 or 10, wherein the binding agent comprises a mixture containing, by volume, 35% to 50% of a 6.5 to 11 molar aqueous urea solution and 50% to 65% offormalin.

12. A method according to Claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein the binding agent contains an acid catalyst in an amount equal to 2% to 5% by weight of the cake.

13. A method according to Claim 12, wherein the acid catalyst is sulphuric acid or orthophosphoric acid.

14. An animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, substantially as described.

14. A method according to any of Claims 8 to 13, wherein the animal feed stuff comprises a cereal and/or molasses and one or more of trace elements, vitamins, salt, and medicinal treatment agents.

15. A method of making an animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, substantially as described.

16. An animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, substantially as described.

17. An animal feed supplement, when made by a method according to any of Claims 8 to

15.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 29 Jan 1980.

Superseded claims 1 to 17.

New or amended claims:

1. An animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, comprising an animal feed stuff and an aqueous urea-formaldehyde binding agent, in which the urea is present in excess.

2. A feed supplement according to Claim 1, comprising 5% to 35% by weight of binding agent.

3. A feed supplement according to Claim 1 or2, wherein the binding agent comprises a mixture containing, by volume, 35% to 50% of a 6.5 to 11 molar aqueous urea solution and 50% to 65% of formalin.

4. A feed supplement according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the binding agent contains an acid catalyst in an amount equal to 2% to 5% by weight of the cake.

5. A feed supplement according to Claim 4, wherein the acid catalyst is sulphuric acid or orthophosphoric acid.

6. Afeed supplement according to any preceding claim, wherein the animal feed stuff comprises a cereal and/or molasses and one or more of trace elements, vitamins, salt, and medicinal treatment agents.

7. A method of making an animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, which comprises mixing an animal feed stuff and an aqueous ureaformaldehyde binding agent in which the urea is present in excess, and allowing said agent to set.

8. A method according to Claim 7, wherein the mixture comprises 5% to 35% by weight of the binding agent.

9. A method according to Claim 7 or 8, wherein the binding agent comprises a mixture containing, by volume, 35% to 50% of a 6.5 to 11 molar aqueous urea solution and 50% to 65% of formalin.

10. A method according to Claim 7,8 or 9, wherein the binding agent contains an acid catalyst in an amount equal to 2% to 5% by weight of the cake.

11. A method according to Claim 10, wherein the acid catalyst is sulphuric acid or orthophosphoric acid.

12. A method according to any of Claims 7 to 11, wherein the animal feed stuff comprises a cereal and/or molasses and one or more of trace elements, vitamins, salt, and medicinal treatment agents.

13. A method of making an animal feed supplement in the form of a cake, substantially as described.