NZ545648A - Concentrate for providing essential minerals to animals - Google Patents

Abstract

A stable liquid concentrate for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, wherein at least one of said essential minerals is iodine, said concentrate comprising the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate comprises at least part of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal. The concentrate additionally comprising at least one essential mineral, wherein the additional essential mineral may be selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, zinc and selenium.

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number 545648 * 10050837 620* 4 5 6 4 8 PATENTS FORM 5 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Our Ref: 752279NZ Dated: 28 February 2006 Concentrate for providing essential minerals We, Parnell Laboratories (Aust) Pty Limited, an Australian company, ACN 003 087 367, of Unit 6, Century Estate, 476 Gardeners Road, Alexandria, New South Wales, 2015, Australia, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: IPONZ 0 2 MAR 2006 [R:\LIBU]61464.doc:irg la Concentrate for Providing Essential Minerals Technical Field The present invention relates a concentrate for providing essential minerals to an animal in order to combat or prevent mineral deficiencies in the animal.

Background of the Invention Mineral deficiencies in domestic animals, particularly farm animals, are responsible for considerable productivity losses throughout the world. Although there are minerals present in the soil and water that animals ingest, this material is often not in a form that is readily absorbed by the animal and incorporated into the growing tissues of the animal. Furthermore, minerals within the soil must first be absorbed by plants prior to being grazed by the animals in order for the animals to effectively incorporate the minerals into their tissues.

Severe mineral deficiencies occur in some areas of the world and are responsible for extreme losses in productivity and in some cases animal deaths. Some areas of the world suffer from specific mineral deficiencies. New Zealand is such a country. It is often necessary to provide trace element supplements to the diet of livestock as pasture does not fully meet the animals needs. Some of the most spectacular examples of severe mineral deficiency seen in the world occur in New Zealand. Historically cobalt and copper deficiency on recently established farming land was so severe that sheep and cattle became sick and died. When the cause of these severe disease syndromes was identified as a deficiency of cobalt or copper, the animals were treated and the disease was stopped.

The impact of marginal deficiencies is more insidious - they are characterised by animals of normal appearance, but the stock do not perform to full capability. These impacts on production can include reduced milk yield, growth rates, reproduction, resistance to other disease and increased mortality etc. These reductions may be less visual than a severe deficiency but they dramatically impact upon farm profitability. These marginal deficiencies produce normal looking animals but production losses occur because modern farming animals have been developed to outperform in the production field. They are like elite sportspeople and unless they are managed correctly, they will not perform to full potential. So, when a marginal deficiency pertains, elite athletes still look good and can run, but they only return slow times. Modern farming throughout the world including such areas in New Zealand requires attainment of full potential from the stock to in order to remain competitive in the international trade of agricultural products.

Unfortunately, marginal mineral deficiencies rarely produce obvious disease signs and therefore early diagnosis is problematic. Clearly a disease with no or very limited |R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 2 outward signs is much harder to diagnose and control than a disease that produces a range of signs in affected animals. Often the mineral deficiencies on grazing properties cause considerable productivity losses to the producer before they are identified and considerable expense and effort is invested into investigating the situation before the 5 reason for the poor performance of the animals is identified and means found to rectify it.

The critical minerals required by farm animals include copper, cobalt, iodine, selenium and zinc.

Copper is used in many enzymes and connective tissues. Thus deficiencies result in impairment to energy metabolism, growth and organ function. Severe copper deficiency 10 signs include loss of hair pigment, scouring, anaemia and bone fractures. Marginal deficiencies may be associated with production losses such as poor growth rate, stunting, reproductive failure (silent heats) and increased disease due to depressed immunity. Clearly copper is a very important mineral to provide to farm animals in order to maintain optimal productivity.

Cobalt is a vital component of the vitamin B12 molecule. B12 is used in the process that converts the various forms of dietary energy into glucose; the energy form that is most readily used by body tissues. Gross deficiency in Cobalt in ruminants results in a failure to thrive (despite adequate feed), weight loss and anaemia. Marginal deficiency signs include failure to thrive, milk loss, acetonaemia, increased parasite burdens and 20 increased susceptibility to infections (from a reduction in immunity). Younger animals are more sensitive to cobalt deficiency than adults because they carry less cobalt reserves within the liver. Maintaining adequate levels of cobalt in a bioavailable form is critical in order to establish and maintain optimal productivity and performance of animals.

The thyroid gland uses dietary iodine to make the hormone thyroxine. Thyroxine is 25 used to control body metabolism and it also influences growth. In situations of marginal Iodine deficiency there can be stunting, reduced growth rates and reproductive failure characterised by increased foetal mortality, reduced twinning in sheep and increased mortality of lambs and calves. Newborn animals tend to be more affected than the dams in areas with marginal deficiencies because the dam's thyroid gland becomes more 30 efficient in taking up the available Iodine than normal and removes most of the Iodine from the blood. This leaves very little available for the foetus's thyroid. Providing adequate levels of Iodine to intensively produced animals is critical for optimal productivity. Deficiencies are often difficult to identify and to diagnose.

[R:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG Selenium is incorporated into glutathione peroxidase (an enzyme that protects tissues from oxidation damage) and is also involved in the conversion of the less active thyroid hormone, T4, into the more active form T3. Severe deficiency of Selenium relates to tissue damage due to oxidation (especially muscle). Signs of such damage include white muscle disease, weakness, stiffness, muscle tremors and heart failure. Marginal deficiencies are characterised by poor growth, failure to thrive, increased susceptibility to infections and can also include retention of membranes, mastitis, metritis, and occasionally scouring. Adequate selenium levels are vital to optimal productivity in modern farm animals.

Zinc is incorporated into many enzymes including those involved in energy metabolism and connective tissue. Signs of zinc deficiency include a reduction in appetite, reduced growth rate, decreased reproductive efficiency, increased levels of hoof lameness and skin lesions. Again, deficiencies of zinc are often difficult to diagnose and identify and often persist for many years undiagnosed resulting in considerable productivity loss to the producer over extended periods of time.

In summary, most marginal mineral deficiencies present as production losses such as decreased milk production, reduced reproduction, increased mortalities and reduced growth rate which are difficult to identify and therefore go unnoticed often for many years. The situation is further confused and difficult to identify as a range of non-mineral factors can also cause these production losses. This highlights the problem for the producer of how to economically control trace element deficiencies within the stock. The issues that must be addressed include: 1. Determining the mineral status of the stock - diagnosis 2. Estimating the mineral supplement requirements for deficient stock 3. Identifying the most suitable and economical mineral delivery system for the stock 4. Monitoring status of the animals with time.

Diagnosis of mineral deficiency is a long-term and often subjective process. In many cases it is necessary to measure parameters which, although vital for efficient modern animal productivity and for the survival of the business, require long-term measurements and comparisons with past records. As there are many other factors such as weather conditions, particularly rainfall, that also contribute to these very same parameters, these measurements and comparisons with past records must often be conducted for many years in order to identify the particular minerals that are deficient, \R:\Libxx RDG\Parnell .Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 4 and to ensure that the measures taken to rectify the deficiency are functional and providing a cost-benefit to the producer. In many cases, these comparisons need to be taken over a small segment of the overall property such as one or a small number of paddocks where the deficiency is particularly prevalent. In many cases, the required 5 records for several years in the past are either not available or are not satisfactory for the purposes of identifying mineral deficiencies of this nature. An effective alternative is clearly warranted.

Minerals within the soil must first be absorbed by plants prior to being grazed by the animals. Once in the gut of the animal the mineral then must be absorbed across the 10 gut wall. Because there are so many 'weak' links in this chain, measuring the mineral levels of the soil is often a poor guide to the mineral levels of the grazing animals.

The only reliable form of diagnosis of marginal mineral deficiency involves animal testing. Animal testing can be in one of two forms - testing tissues from animals for actual mineral levels and/or measuring productivity of the animals following is supplementation. Productivity response trials are expensive and time consuming - but are the best method to determine if supplementation will be economical. Some animal tissue tests are more expensive than the cost of supplementation or do not have sufficient accuracy. In these cases, supplementation can proceed in the absence of a confirmed diagnosis if mineral toxicity is not an issue.

Soil and forage copper levels are very poor indicators of animal copper status due to variable rates of absorption of copper by plants and then by the animals. Interference from molybdenum, sulphur, iron, and zinc is great and can result in less than 1 % of gut copper being absorbed into the blood. This means that copper levels within the animal cannot be accurately predicted from intake levels.

Copper within the body is mostly stored within the liver. The liver store is used to maintain the blood copper concentration. Thus, the best indication of animal copper status is obtained from a liver sample test. A low blood copper level certainly indicates that copper deficiency is present but a normal blood copper level will occur if the liver contains a 12-month store or a 1-day store of copper remaining. The liver copper levels 30 provide information about the immediate future copper status of animals. Liver samples can be obtained at slaughter or by biopsy. Liver biopsies of dairy cattle are fast procedures; easily performed by an experienced veterinarian. They do not affect milk production and are cost effective. Biopsies are best obtained in autumn when animals are f R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG pregnant and about to enter a period of low dry matter (and therefore copper) intake over the winter.

The improvement in pastures, increased use of sulphur-containing fertilisers, use of brassica crops, and strip grazing systems (resulting in soil ingestion) within many areas such as New Zealand is resulting in a reduction in copper supply and/or absorption by stock. The reduction in copper levels can be greatest in the spring joining period.

Cobalt is required by the body to make vitamin B12 and B12 reserves are stored in the liver. Blood B12 levels in sheep respond rapidly (increase) when dietary cobalt intake is increased in deficient stock. However, this is not the case for cattle. Liver B12 levels thus provide the best estimate of the size of the body reserve for cattle and sheep. Recent studies have found that the rumen microbes also require cobalt and that addition of cobalt at levels above that required to maintain animal B12 levels can improve digestion of roughages. This means that there may be production responses from supplying more cobalt in the diet than the animals need to avoid deficiency. Cobalt levels can be assessed at any stage of the season. Brassica crops have low levels of cobalt.

Iodine deficiency is difficult to diagnose. Thyroid glands can be weighed at abattoirs, but the process is time consuming and inconvenient. Blood levels of T4 (an iodine containing hormone) can assist in diagnosis of deficiencies, however the test is not sensitive. Other (non iodine) related factors can influence the level of T4 in the blood and include parasitism, selenium deficiency and weather. Unfortunately, the blood levels of T4 in dams do not reflect the T4 levels within the foetus. Often lambs can be born with goitre from ewes with normal levels of circulating T4.

Brassica crops have high levels of thiocyanate glycosides. These chemicals interfere with the production of thyroxine.

Selenium deficiency can be diagnosed from blood or liver samples. Blood selenium levels are the preferred test - the level of blood glutathione peroxidase (an enzyme containing selenium) is not an accurate indicator of current selenium intake. The levels that indicate deficiency for selenium in grazing animals vary throughout the world. The diet has significant influence upon the bodies demand for selenium and thus the blood level that indicates deficiency. Grazing animals require much less selenium than heavily supplemented animals. However the feeding of hay and silage when green feed intake is low can result in an increase in the requirement for selenium. Testing for selenium is thus best in autumn - prior to the period of greatest demand. rR:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\OrdJ CUE]OraI NZ final.doc;RDG 6 Zinc deficiency can be diagnosed by blood or liver test. Normal blood zinc levels indicate sufficient zinc is in the diet. Stress can result in (transient) low blood zinc levels in animals with normal zinc intake. Thus liver zinc testing provides the most accurate and reliable form of zinc assessment.

There is therefore a need for a safe, convenient and inexpensive means to overcome these problems that could be applied to all the animals in a region. Such a means would be of considerable advantage to modern animal productivity throughout the world, particularly in such extreme areas of New Zealand cited above where deficiency of particular minerals is extreme and the animal productivity is very extensive. 10 Many minerals such as copper are provided to cattle by subcutaneous injection, in the form of licks or slow release intra-ruminal boluses. However it is difficult to confidently, accurately and safely deliver these products to all animals. For example, in the case of licks, different animals will spend variable amounts of time at the stations and thereby obtain different levels of supplementation. Injections are often difficult to 15 administer to animals such as cattle and different cattle will respond differently to the injections. Consequently, some animals may not receive sufficient of the supplement whereas others may receive higher doses than anticipated which in some cases may be detrimental to the health of the animal and in some cases may be toxic. Furthermore it is not possible to deliver all of the required minerals by these approaches. A method of 20 delivery in which all of the major mineral requirements are conveniently dispensed together would be desirable.

There is therefore a need for a stable concentrate for providing essential minerals to an animal in order to combat or prevent mineral deficiencies in the animal Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages. It is a further objective to at least partially satisfy the above need.

Summary of the Invention In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a stable concentrate for delivering 30 a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, said concentrate comprising the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate comprises at least part of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal.

The single dose may be between about 0.5 and 50 ml. The single dose may comprise a substantial proportion of the daily requirement of each mineral. The single [R:\Libxx\RDG\ParneII\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 7 dose may comprise between about 10 and 150% (or more e.g. 170, 190, or 200% or more) of the daily requirement of each mineral. The concentrate may be highly concentrated. It may have a solids content of between about 10 and 50% on a w/w or w/v basis. The concentrate may be miscible or dilutable with water and may be an aqueous solution. The 5 concentrate is such that on dilution in water the essential minerals dissolve, or remain dissolved, in the water. The dilution may be such that the single dose is diluted in an amount of water consumed by the animal in one day. The concentrate may be a solution, a dispersion, a suspension, a sol, a colloidal solution, an emulsion or a microemulsion. If the concentrate is a solution, the concentrate may, over the storage period under the 10 storage conditions, not form a precipitate that can not readily be redissolved, or any precipitate that forms, when resuspended, may provide only slight turbidity. The storage period may be at least one month, and the storage conditions may comprise temperatures between about 0 and 40°C.

The concentrate may be capable of being administered to the animal by addition to 15 its drinking water. After dilution in water, and optionally also before dilution in water, the concentrate may be safe and/or non-toxic to the animal, and/or to a foetus carried by the animal. At least one of the essential minerals may be selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, iodine, zinc and selenium. In particular, one of the essential minerals may be iodine. At least one other of the essential minerals may be selected from the group 20 consisting of copper, cobalt, zinc and selenium. The concentrate may comprise zinc, optionally in an ionic form such as zinc sulphate. The concentrate may comprise copper, cobalt, iodine, zinc and selenium. If the concentrate is a solution, one or more of the pH of the solution and the form, concentration and purity of the essential minerals may be such that no precipitate forms in the solution, or such that any precipitate that forms, 25 when resuspended, provides only slight turbidity. The essential minerals may be in a bioavailable form, and may be present in the form of salts. The salts may be soluble in water. The pH of the solution may be between about 1 and 6. The concentrations of the essential minerals may be sufficient that 20, 10, 5, 2 or 1 ml of the solution provides at least 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 140 or 150% of the daily 30 requirements of each mineral for the animal.

The concentrate may comprise no preservatives other than the essential minerals.

In one embodiment, the concentrations of the essential minerals are sufficient that between about 1 and about 4 ml of the concentrate provides at least 50% of the daily requirements of each mineral for the animal. fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 8 In another embodiment, there is provided a stable concentrate for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, wherein at least one of said essential minerals is iodine, said concentrate comprising the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate comprises at least part of the daily requirement of 5 each mineral for the animal.

In another embondiment there is provided a stable concentrate for delivering iodine and zinc to an animal, said concentrate comprising the an iodate salt, e.g. potassium iodate and a zinc salt, e.g. zinc sulphate, in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate comprises at least part of the daily requirement of zinc and iodine for the 10 animal In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a solution for delivering a plurality of minerals to an animal, said solution comprising a plurality of minerals selected from the group consisting of iodine, copper, cobalt, selenium and zinc wherein the solution is stable for at least one month at room temperature. The solution may be an is aqueous solution. The solution may be highly concentrated. It may have a solids content of between about 10 and 50% on a w/w or w/v basis. One of the minerals may be iodine. The minerals may be essential minerals.

In an embodiment there is provided a solution for delivering a plurality of minerals to an animal, said solution comprising a plurality of minerals, said solution comprising 20 iodine and a mineral selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, selenium and zinc wherein the solution is stable for at least one month at room temperature.

In another embodiment there is provided an aqueous solution for delivering a plurality of minerals to an animal, said minerals being selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, iodine, selenium and zinc, wherein a volume of the solution between 25 about 0.5 and 50ml comprises between about 10 and 150% of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal. The solution may be stable for at least one month at room temperature.

In another embodiment there is provided an aqueous solution for delivering a plurality of minerals to an animal, wherein one of said minerals is iodine, and at least one 30 other mineral is selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, selenium and zinc, and wherein a volume of the solution between about 0.5 and 50ml comprises between about 10 and 150% of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal. The solution may be stable for at least one month at room temperature. fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 9 In another embodiment there is provided an aqueous solution for delivering copper, cobalt, iodine, selenium and zinc to an animal, said solution comprising zinc (245mg), copper (80mg), iodine (20mg), cobalt (2.6mg) and selenium (0.45mg) per 2 ml solution, said solution being stable for at least one month at room temperature. The solution may 5 have a pH between about 2 and 4.5.

In another embodiment there is provided an aqueous solution for delivering copper, cobalt, iodine, selenium and zinc to an animal, said solution comprising zinc (245mg), copper (56mg), copper (24mg), iodine (20mg), cobalt (2.6mg) and selenium (0.45mg) per 2 ml solution, wherein the zinc is present as zinc sulphate, the copper is present as copper 10 sulphate (representing 56mg copper) and as copper glycinate (representing 24mg copper), the iodine is present as potassium iodate, the cobalt is present as cobalt chloride and the selenium is present as sodium selenate, said solution being stable for at least one month at room temperature. The solution may have a pH between about 2 and 4.5.

In a third aspect of the invention there is provided a process for preparing a stable 15 concentrate or solution for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, said process comprising dissolving and/or suspending salts comprising the minerals in a liquid in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate or solution provides a substantial proportion of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal. The concentrate may be a solution, a dispersion, a suspension, a sol, a colloidal solution, an 20 emulsion or a microemulsion. If the process comprises preparing a stable solution, one or more of the pH of the solution and the form, concentration and purity of the essential minerals may be such that no precipitate forms in the solution, or such that any precipitate that forms, when resuspended, provides only slight turbidity. The liquid may be miscible with water, and may be an aqueous liquid, for example water. At least one of the essential 25 minerals may be iodine.

In an embodiment there is provided a process for preparing a stable concentrate or solution for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, wherein at least one of said essential minerals is iodine, said process comprising dissolving and/or suspending salts comprising the minerals in a liquid in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of 30 the solution provides a substantial proportion of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal.

In another embodiment the process comprises dissolving a plurality of minerals in water, wherein one of said minerals is iodine, and at least one other mineral is selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, selenium and zinc, and wherein a volume of f R:\Libx.x\RDG\Pamell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc.RDG the solution between about 0.5 and 50ml comprises between about 10 and 150% of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal. The iodine may be in an ionic form, for example potassium iodate. The at least one other mineral may be zinc, optionally in an ionic form such as zinc sulphate. The iodine may be added with or after the zinc, and may 5 be added as the last mineral added. This may be advantageous since zinc ion is capable of forming a very soluble complex with iodate. The solution may be stable for at least one month at room temperature.

In another embodiment the process comprises dissolving zinc (245mg), copper (80mg), iodine (20mg), cobalt (2.6mg) and selenium (0.45mg) in between 2 and 6 ml 10 water at pH between about 2 and 3. The pH may be about 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8 or 3.0. The amount of water may be between about 2 and 4ml, or between about 3 and 6, 4 and 6 or 3 and 5 ml, and may be about 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6ml. The zinc may be in the form of zinc sulphate, the copper may be in the form of copper sulphate and copper glycinate, the iodine may be in the form of potassium iodate, the cobalt may be in the form of cobalt 15 chloride and the selenium may be in the form of sodium selenate. The copper glycinate and copper sulphate may be in a weight ratio of 3 to 7 based on weight of copper. The process may comprise adjusting the pH to between 2 and 6, and the adjusting may be performed before or after the dissolving. The adjusting may comprise adding an acid or a base. The acid may be for example hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, acetic acid, 20 phosphoric acid, periodic acid or hydriodic acid, or a mixture of any two or more of these, and the base may be a hydroxide such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide or a mixture of these. The acid or base may be aqueous. It may be concentrated or dilute, and may be between about 0.1 and 36M, or between about 0.1 and 20, 0.1 and 10, 0.1 and 5, 0.1 and 1, 0.1 and 0.5, 1 and 10, 5 and 10, 0.5 and 5 or 0.1 and 1M, and may be about 0.1, 25 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 ,17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 ,2,4 25, 2,6 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 or 36M, depending on the acid or alkali,, or it may be less than 0.1M.

If the process comprises preparing a stable solution, the process may additionally comprise the step of filtering the solution. The filtering may be through a filter paper, a 30 glass filter paper, a frit, a sintered glass filter, a filter bed or some other suitable filter means. The filter may have a mean pore size of between about 0.1 and 10 microns. The step of filtering may be conducted after all of the essential minerals have been dissolved, or it may be conducted before at least one of the essential minerals has been added. The process may also comprise allowing the solution to stand for a period of time after the f R:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 11 step of dissolving and before the step of filtering. The period may be between about 1 minute and 1 day, and the solution during the waiting may be at between 0 and 30°C.

The present invention also provides a concentrate or solution for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, when made by the process of the invention.

In a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method for preventing or alleviating deficiency of a plurality of essential minerals in an animal, or in a plurality of animals in a herd, comprising adding to the drinking water of said animal or animals a concentrate or a solution according to the present invention. The concentrate may be added in sufficient quantity to provide at least 10% of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal or animals. The concentrate may be added to the drinking water daily for a period of at least one day, or at least 2, 3, 4, 5,6 or 1 days. It may be added daily on an ongoing basis.

In a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a concentrate or a solution according to the present invention when used for preventing or alleviating deficiency of a plurality of essential minerals in an animal. There is also provided a concentrate according to the present invention when diluted in water to provide a drinking preparation for an animal. The dilution may be such that the drinking preparation provides a substantial proportion of the requirement of the animal for each essential mineral.

In a sixth aspect of the invention there is provided a system for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, or to a herd of animals, comprising: a drinking trough for containing water; - a filling system for providing water to the trough, said filling system optionally comprising a level determining system for determining a level of water in the trough; and - a dosing system for providing to the trough a concentrate according to the invention, such that the concentration of minerals in the water in the trough is sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of each mineral for the animal or herd.

The dosing system may be capable of receiving a signal from level determining system and using said signal to control a dosage of the concentrate. The trough may be fitted with an agitator for agitating the water in the trough. The agitator may be for example a circulating pump, a stirrer or some other type of agitator. The trough may be capable of containing sufficient drinking water for the animal or animals for at least one day, and may contain sufficient drinking water for at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 days, or more fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 12 than 7 days. The filling system may be an automatic filling system or may be a manual filling system. The filling system may comprise a pipe or a hose for providing water to the trough, and may comprise a pump for pumping water to the trough, and/or a valve for controlling the flow of water to the trough. The level determining system may comprise at least one of an upper level sensing device, a lower level sensing device and a level measuring device. The level measuring device may comprise a float, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, an electronic sensor or some other device. The dosing system may comprise at least one of a concentrate reservoir, a concentrate dispensing device such as a dosing pump, a calculating device for determining the quantity of concentrate to be added to the trough and a metering device for ensuring that the correct quantity of concentrate is provided to the drinking trough. The dosing system may comprise a device for mixing a preselected volume of a concentrate according to the present invention into a predetermined volume of water. The device may be a proportional liquid dispenser, for example a non-electric proportional liquid dispenser. The device may be capable of adding the concentrate to water at a predetermined ratio. The device may be for example a Dosatron®. The concentrate reservoir may be supplied with an agitator, for example a stirrer, for maintaining the homogeneity of the concentrate. This may be useful if the concentrate is not resistant to separating, for example if it is not a solution or a microemulsion. The calculating device may be capable of determining the quantity of concentrate to be added, or the rate of addition of concentrate, to the trough in response to a signal from the water meter. The concentrate dispensing device maybe capable of providing concentrate to the trough in response to a signal from the calculating device or the metering device.

In one embodiment of this aspect, the filling system comprises: - an inlet pipe for providing water to the trough; - a timer for determining when to provide water to the trough; - an upper level sensing device for determining when the water has reached an upper level in the trough; and a water meter for determining an amount of water added to the trough.

In another embodiment, the filling system comprises: an inlet pipe for providing water to the trough; - an upper level sensing device for determining when the water has reached an upper level in the trough; and fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 13 a lower level sensing device for determining when the water has dropped to a lower level in the trough.

In another embodiment, the filling system comprises: - an inlet pipe for providing water to the trough; and a level measuring device for determining a level of water in the trough. In another embodiment the dosing system comprises a device capable of adding a fixed proportion of the concentrate to the water provided to the trough by the filling system.

In a seventh aspect of the invention there is provided a method for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, or to a herd of animals, comprising: - providing a system according to the sixth aspect of the invention; using the filling system to provide water to the trough; providing to the trough a concentrate according to the invention, such that the concentration of minerals in the water in the trough is sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of each mineral for the animal or herd; and allowing the animal or animals to drink from the trough The filling system may be used to provide water to replace water lost from the trough, for example by the animal(s) drinking or by evaporation.

In one embodiment of this aspect the method comprises: providing to the trough a quantity of water sufficient for a single animal; - adding the concentrate to the water such that the concentration of minerals in the water in the trough is sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of each mineral for the animal; and allowing the animal to drink the water.

The concentrate may be added to the water before, during or after the providing. In another embodiment of this aspect the method comprises: determining when to fill the trough using the timing device; - providing water to the trough using the filling system; determining when the water has reached an upper level in the trough using the upper level sensing device; stopping the provision of water to the trough when the water has reached the upper level, in response to a signal from the upper level sensing device; - determining the amount of water provided to the trough using the water meter; fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parncll\Oral CUElOral NZ finaI.doc:RDG 14 determining the quantity of concentrate to be added using the calculating device; and - adding the determined quantity of concentrate to the trough.

The timing device may control the system to fill the trough on a regular basis, and may for example control the system to fill the trough once per hour, or once per 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 or 18 hours, or once per 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days.

In another embodiment, the method comprises: - determining when the water has dropped below a lower level in the trough using the lower level sensing device; providing water to the trough using the filling system once the water has dropped to the lower level; - determining when the water has reached an upper level in the trough using the upper level sensing device; - stopping the provision of water to the trough when the water has reached the upper level, in response to a signal from the upper level sensing device; and - adding the quantity of concentrate to the trough sufficient to provide the required level of essential minerals, based on a known volume of the trough between the upper and lower levels and a known concentration of the essential minerals in the concentrate.

In another embodiment, the method comprises: determining when the water has dropped to a lower level in the trough using the level measuring device; - providing water to the trough using the filling system once the water has dropped to the lower level; - determining when the water has reached an upper level in the trough using the level measuring device; stopping the provision of water to the trough when the water has reached the upper level in response to a signal from the level measuring device; and adding the quantity to the trough sufficient to provide the required level of essential minerals, based on the known volume of the trough between the upper and lower levels and a known concentration of the essential minerals in the concentrate.

In another embodiment, the method comprises: determining a level of water in the trough; [ R:\Libxx\RDG\Pamcll\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc: RDG providing water to the trough using the filling system, wherein the rate of provision of water to the trough depends on the difference between an actual water level and a target water level; - measuring a rate of provision of water; determining a rate of addition of concentrate from the rate of provision of water, said rate of addition being sufficient to provide the required level of essential minerals in the water in the trough, and - providing the concentrate at the determined rate of addition.

The rate of provision of water may be proportional to the difference between the actual water level and the target water level, or it may be set to a fixed value when the actual water level is below the target water level and to zero when the actual water level is at or above the target water level.

In an eighth aspect of the invention there is provided a stable drinking preparation for an animal comprising a plurality of essential minerals in water, said drinking preparation comprising the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of the animal for each essential mineral. The essential minerals may be dissolved, suspended or dispersed in the water. Alternatively at least one of the essential minerals may be dissolved and at least one may be suspended or dispersed. The drinking preparation may be a solution, a suspension or a dispersion. The concentration of each of the essential minerals in the drinking preparation may be between about 10 and 150% of the daily requirement of the animal for the essential mineral in a volume of water sufficient commonly consumed by the animal in one day. The drinking preparation may be sufficiently stable that, over the storage period under the storage conditions, no precipitate comprising one or more of the essential minerals forms in the preparation that can not readily be redissolved, or any precipitate that forms, when resuspended, may provide only slight turbidity. The storage period may be at least one month, and the storage conditions may comprise temperatures between about 0 and 40°C.

The drinking preparation may be prepared by dilution of a concentrate or a solution according to the present invention.

In a ninth aspect of the invention there is provided a process for preparing a stable drinking preparation for an animal comprising dissolving and/or suspending a plurality of essential minerals in water, said drinking preparation comprising the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of the animal for each essential mineral. The dissolving and/or suspending is such that the [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG concentration of each of the essential minerals in the drinking preparation is between about 10 and 150% of the daily requirement of the animal for the essential mineral in a volume of water commonly consumed by the animal in one day. The process may be such that the drinking preparation is stable for at least one day, or at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 days.

The invention also provides a process for preparing a stable drinking preparation for an animal comprising diluting a concentrate according to the invention in water. The diluting may be such that the concentration of each of the essential minerals in the drinking preparation is between 10 and 150% of the daily requirement of the animal for the essential mineral in a volume of water commonly consumed by the animal in one day.

The invention further provides a stable drinking preparation for an animal when prepared according to the present invention.

In a tenth aspect of the invention there is provided a method for preventing or alleviating deficiency of a plurality of essential minerals in an animal, or in a plurality of animals in a herd, comprising providing to the animal or animals a drinking preparation according to the present invention. The drinking preparation may be provided in sufficient quantity to provide at least 10% of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal or animals per day.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments The present invention encompasses a concentrated solution containing 50% of the daily dose of the major essential minerals required by an intensively raised animal such as a dairy cow or required by individual cattle raised in feed lots, dissolved in a volume of between 1 and 20mL, preferably between 1 and 2mL, such that all the minerals are soluble and remain so when stored for periods of several months and in a form that can be readily dispensed by a metered water system into the drinking water of the animals. In particular, the invention provides a solution containing 50% of the daily requirement of iodine, together with at least one other essential mineral, for such cattle in a soluble, stable and bioavailable form in such a small volume solution.

It is very difficult to form highly concentrated solutions containing a stable form of ionic iodine. Moreover, solutions containing ionic iodine present the challenge that gaseous iodine, if formed by chemical reaction in the solution, is volatile and may escape from the solution into the atmosphere, thereby depleting the solution of iodine, which, thereafter, is no longer available for uptake by an animal. The delivery of iodine in a water based delivery system is highly problematic unless a stable form of ionic iodine that does not volatilise and/or react with other metal salts is used. A feature of the present [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 17 invention is the provision of iodine in an ionic solution in a form such that it retains solubility and does not become volatile. Another feature of the invention is the provision of essential minerals in a small volume of solution. Thus the invention provides an extremely concentrated solution which may be readily diluted (i.e. reconstituted), thereby 5 allowing for small dosage volume and saving transport costs. Smaller volumes of solution are easier to handle and easier to reconstitute, and reduce occupational health and safety issues associated with handling and transporting larger volumes of solution.

In the process of the invention, a stable concentrate is prepared, a single dose of which provides a substantial proportion of an animal's daily requirement of essential 10 minerals contained in the solution. The single dose may be about 0.5 and 50 ml, or between about 0.5 and 20, 0.5 and 10, 0.5 and 5, 0.5 and 2, 0.5 and 1, 1 and 50, 1 and 20, 1 and 10, 1 and 5, 1 and 2, 10 and 50 or 10 and 20ml, and may be about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 ml. The substantial proportion may be between about 10 and 150%, or between 25 and 100, 30 and 100, 40 15 and 100, 50 and 100, 75 and 100, 100 and 150, 25 and 75 or 25 and 50%, and may be about 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 or 150%. The animal may be a domestic animal. It may be a non-human animal. It may be a vertebrate and may be a mammal. The mammal may be selected from the group consisting of primate, equine, murine, bovine, leporine, ovine, caprine, feline and canine. The mammal 20 may be selected from a horse, cattle, cow, ox, buffalo, sheep, dog, cat, goat, llama, rabbit, ape, monkey and a camel, for example. The pH of the concentrate may be between about 1 and 6, or between about 2 and 6, 3 and 6, 4 and 6, 1 and 5, 1 and 4, 1 and 3, 2 and 4, 2 and 4.5 or 2 and 5, and maybe about 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 or 6.

The concentrate may be highly concentrated. It may have a solids content of 25 between about 10 and 50% on a w/w or w/v basis. The solids content may be between about 10 and 40%, 10 and 30%, 10 and 20%, 20 and 50%, 30 and 50%, 40 and 50% or 20 and 40% on a w/w or w/v basis, and may be about 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50% on a w/w or w/v basis.

The concentrate may be stable for at least 1 month, or at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 18, 30 24, 30 or 36 months when stored at a suitable temperature. The suitable temperature may be between about 0 and 40°Cor between about 0 and 30, 0 and 20, 0 and 10, 5 and 40, 10 and 40, 20 and 40, 5 and 20 or 10 and 20°C, and may be about 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 or 40°C, or may be room temperature. In this context, the concentrate is considered stable if, over the storage period under the storage conditions, it does not form a precipitate that [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 18 can not readily be redissolved, or any precipitate that forms, when resuspended, may provide only slight turbidity. Over the storage period under the storage conditions, the concentrate may retain a substantial amount of the original (i.e. before said storage) concentration and/or bioactivity of any or all of the minerals therein, e.g. at least about 5 90%, or at least about 91, 92, 93, 94 or 95% of the original bioactivity.

In preparing a concentrate according to the present invention, the essential minerals, in a suitable form, are dispersed or dissolved in a liquid. The essential minerals may be in the form of salts, and the salts may be unreactive towards each other, and may be soluble in the liquid. The liquid may be a solvent, and may be any suitable solvent that dissolves 10 the essential minerals. It may be miscible with water and may be aqueous. It may be for example water, methanol or ethanol or a mixture of these. If the concentrate is a solution, the process for preparing the solution may also comprise filtering the solution. The filtering may be through a filter paper, a glass filter paper, a frit, a sintered glass filter, a filter bed or some other suitable filter means. The filter may have a mean pore size of is between about 0.1 and 10 microns, or between 0.1 and 1, 0.1 and 0.5, 0.1 and 0.2, 0.2 and 10, 1 and 10, 5 and 10, 0.2 and 1 or 0.2 and 0.5 microns, and may be about 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 microns. The step of filtering may be conducted after at least one of the essential minerals has been dissolved, and may be conducted after all of the essential minerals have been dissolved. It may be conducted 20 before all of the essential minerals have been added. The process may also comprise allowing the solution to stand for a period of time after the step of dissolving and before the step of filtering. The period may be between about 1 minute and 1 day, and may be between 1 minute and 1 hour, 1 and 30 minutes, 1 hour and 1 day, 12 hours and 1 day, 30 minutes and 12 hours or 1 and 6 hours, and the solution during the period may be at 25 between 0 and 30°C, or between about 0 and 20, 0 and 10, 5 and 30, 20 and 30, 5 and 25 or 10 and 20°C, and may be at about 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30°C. Additionally or alternatively a precipitate may be removed from the solution by centrifugation or ultracentrifugation. The solution may be passed through a column, for example an adsorption column, in order to remove a precipitate or to remove components that may 30 form a precipitate.

In general, products that provide the daily requirement of minerals to the animals over a sustained period (especially during high requirement periods) in an inexpensive and easily administered form are required. Many mineral deficiencies can be exacerbated by pregnancy or occur within the newborn calf. The ability of a supplement system to [R:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc.RDG 19 restore dam levels and provide a source of minerals to the foetus can be a critical issue for some minerals.

These criteria can be met by providing a proportion of daily mineral requirements to the grazing stock through supplementing the drinking water of the herd. This technique 5 allows maximum benefit to accrue from minerals. The daily demand for minerals by the animal can be met and storage of extra minerals as reserves within various organs such as the liver is promoted. The growing foetus can access minerals provided daily and the risk of toxicity is reduced because low dose concentrations are provided each day. Daily dosing prevents wastage of minerals when used in combination with a monitoring 10 program because minerals can be added to or removed from the system depending upon the body storage levels of the mineral and the future requirements of the stock.

Thus the concentrate of the present invention may be provided to the animal or animals by addition to drinking water or by some other means. It may be provided daily, or 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 times daily, or every 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 days, and may be provided over a is period of at least a week, or at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 weeks or over an extended period of greater than 10 weeks. Alternatively the concentrate may be provided continuously at a dosage rate of between about 0.5 and 50 ml per day, or between about 0.5 and 20, 0.5 and 10, 0.5 and 5, 0.5 and 2, 0.5 and 1, 1 and 50, 1 and 20, 1 and 10, 1 and 5, 1 and 2, 10 and 50 or 10 and 20 ml per day, and maybe about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 20 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 ml per day. In a further alternative the concentrate may be provided as required by the consumption and replenishment of the drinking water.

The concentrate of the present invention may be provided to a drinking trough or a dam or some other water source which is available to the animal or animals while 25 grazing. In this case, sufficient water should be available for the needs of the animal or animals, and the concentrate should be provided in such a manner as to maintain the essential minerals in the concentrate at an appropriate level in the water. A convenient means to achieve this uses a Dosatron or similar device for adding the concentrate at a fixed proportion to the water added to the trough, dam or other source. 30 Alternatively, for dairy cattle, the water may be provided to the cow in a trough at the time of milking. In this case the trough has a fixed volume (for example about 40 litres) which may be consumed by the cow during a single milking session. In this case, an appropriate amount of concentrate may be added to the trough before, during or after refilling the trough, such that the essential minerals in the concentrate are present at an [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\0ral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG appropriate level in the water. In this case, a Dosatron or similar device may also be used. Alternatively, a fixed volume of concentrate may be added to the trough. The fixed volume may be measured immediately before addition, or it may be premeasured and prepackaged.

The present invention therefore provides an inexpensive and convenient means to deliver the required minerals to animals in their drinking water such that it is feasible to treat all animals on a property, particularly in an intensive raising situation such as a dairy or a feedlot, whether they were diagnosed as mineral deficient or not. As all of the identified minerals may be present in the solution of the invention, it is not necessary to 10 define which minerals are deficient in a particular property or paddock or dairy; rather the solution is sufficiently inexpensive and convenient to administer that it is feasible for a producer to treat all animals and to thereby overcome any mineral deficiencies that may pertain on a property or paddock or dairy without prior diagnosis. The solution may be safe to all animals, even those that are not suffering from mineral deficiency or are 15 suffering from partial deficiency to only one or a small number of the identified essential minerals. Therefore there may be no safety reason not to treat all animals within a herd or mob.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a concentrated solution containing each of the identified essential minerals such that 2mL of the solution will 20 provide 50% of the daily mineral requirement for an average high productivity animal such as a lactating cow. It is anticipated that the solution could be dispensed into the drinking water for the animals by any one of a number of convenient means including by using a proportional liquid dispenser. For example a non-electric proportional liquid dispenser may be used in the water line. A non-electric proportional liquid dispenser such 25 as Dosatron® (from Dosatron International, Rue Pascal - B.P. 6 - 33370, Tresses (Bordeaux) France) is particularly suitable. Other examples of currently available proportional liquid dispensers which are suitable for use in dispensing a concentrate according to the present invention are those available from DSA Liquid Proportioning Technology - B.P. 7 - 3370, Tresses (Bordeaux) France. See also, for example, US 30 patents numbers 5,746,241, 5,261,311, 5,050,781 and 5,000,804, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by cross reference.

The solutions of the present invention may be capable of providing about 50% of the daily requirements of the minerals in a small and conveniently transported form. In the ideal situation, a concentrated solution could be provided such that between lmL and [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 21 20mL would contain 50% of the daily requirements of the important minerals. This could be conveniently dispensed into the drinking water of a cow, for example.

The amount of water that a dairy cow requires can be described by the formula 51/ kg DM (dry matter) and 1 litre per kg of milk produced. Thus a cow eating 15 kg DM and 5 producing 20 litres of milk will require 95 litres of water per day. Grazing studies in New Zealand have shown that dairy cows will obtain between 35% to 80% of daily water requirement from moisture in pasture. Thus a cow requiring 95 L of water per day will drink from the trough between 20 and 60 litres a day. The average daily water intake from drinking can be assumed to be 40 litres per cow per day.

Therefore an objective of the invention is to produce a concentrated solution of the required minerals such that 50% of the daily mineral requirement of dairy cattle is dissolved within a volume of 1 and 2mL which can readily be dispensed into 40 litres of water for each cow to consume per day.

The daily requirements of each of the key minerals can be estimated as follows:-15 Copper The daily requirement is estimated at 8 mg of copper. It is further estimated that the absorption coefficient of copper is 5% with a requirement for 70% inorganic copper and 30% organic. Therefore a solution according to the present invention which comprises copper may provide about 80mg of copper, (with, for example 30% as Cu-lysine and 70% 20 copper as CU-SO4) per dose, or per day.

Cobalt The daily requirement of cobalt for optimal rumen health is estimated at 5.3 mg per cow per day. Therefore a solution according to the present invention which comprises cobalt may provide about 2.6 mg of cobalt (as the inorganic salt cobalt chloride) per dose or per 25 day.

Iodine The daily requirement for iodine is 40mg per animal. Therefore a solution according to the present invention which comprises iodine may provide about 20mg of iodine per dose. Selenium The daily requirement is estimated at 0.45 mg selenium so the objective is to provide 0.22 mg Se in an available form. It has been estimated that the absorption coefficient for selenium is 50%. Therefore it would be necessary for a solution according to the present invention which comprises selenium to provide about 0.45 mg Se (as sodium selenate) per dose or per day in order to provide 50% of requirements. f R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 22 Zinc The daily requirement is 75 mg zinc per day. The absorption coefficient for zinc is 15% so it would be necessary for a solution according to the present invention which comprises zinc to provide about 245 mg zinc (as zinc sulphate) per dose or per day in 5 order to provide 50% of requirements.

In one embodiment the present invention provides an aqueous solution for delivering at least two essential minerals selected from copper, cobalt, iodine, selenium and zinc to an animal, said solution comprising zinc (245mg), copper (80mg), iodine (20mg), cobalt (2.6mg) and selenium (0.45mg) per 2 ml solution. The amount of zinc (if 10 present) per 2ml may be between about 200 and about 300mg, and may be between about 200 and about 275, about 200 and about 250, about 200 and about 225, about 225 and about 250, about 225 and about 275, about 225 and about 300, about 250 and about 300, about 250 and about 275 or about 275 and about 300, and may be about 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290 295 or 15 300mg. The amount of copper, if present, per 2ml may be between about 60 and about lOOmg, or between about 60 and about 90, about 60 and about 80, about 60 and about 70, about 70 and about 100, about 70 and about 90, about 70 and about 80, about 80 and about 100, about 80 and about 90 or about 90 and about lOOmg, and may be about 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or lOOmg. The amount of iodine, if present, per 2ml may be 20 between about 10 and about 30mg, and may be between about 10 and about 25, about 10 and about 20, about 10 and about 15, about 15 and about 30, about 15 and about 25, about 15 and about 20, about 20 and about 30, about 20 and about 25 or about 25 and about 30mg, and maybe about 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30mg. The amount of cobalt, if present, per 2ml may be between about 2 and about 3mg, and may be between about 2 and about 2.5 or 25 between about 2.5 and about 3mg, and may be about 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9 or 3mg. The amount of selenium, if present, per 2ml solution may be between about 0.3 and about 0.6mg, or between about 0.3 and about 0.5, about 0.3 and about 0.4, about 0.4 and about 0.6, about 0.4 and about 0.5 or about 0.5 and about 0.6mg, and may be about 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.55 or 0.6mg.

The zinc may be added in the form of a zinc salt, for example zinc sulphate, zinc chloride, zinc iodide, zinc glycinate, zinc lysine, zinc acetate or a combination of two or more of these. The copper may be present as a copper salt, for example a Cu(II) salt such as copper sulphate, copper chloride, copper iodide glycinate, copper lysine, copper acetate or some combination of two or more of these. The iodine may be present as an iodine salt, fR:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\Oral CUElOral NZ fmal.doc.RDG 23 for example an iodide, amine hydroiodide, iodate or periodate salt such as potassium iodate, sodium iodate, ammonium iodate, potassium periodate, sodium periodate, ammonium periodate, potassium iodide, sodium iodide, ammonium iodide, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide or a combination of two or more of these. The cobalt may 5 be present as a cobalt salt, for example cobalt chloride, cobalt sulphate, cobalt iodide, cobalt lysine, cobalt glycinate, cobalt acetate or a combination of two or more of these. The selenium may be present as a selenate salt, for example sodium selenate, potassium selenate, ammonium selenate, sodium selenite, potassium selenite, ammonium selenite or a combination of two or more of these.

A method of delivery in which more than one, and optionally all, of the major mineral requirements are conveniently dispensed together would be desirable. One such possibility is to deliver the minerals as a solution in the drinking water of the animals. This is particularly appropriate in the case of dairy cows which are regularly and frequently mustered and has applicability in other intensive cattle raising situations such as feedlots. In order for such a product to be developed, it would be necessary to develop a highly concentrated mineral solution in order to be in a position to conveniently transport the solution throughout the world and conveniently dispense the concentrate into the water of the animal. Such highly concentrated salt solutions are inherently difficult to prepare.

It is a challenge to select the appropriate salt form for the mineral supplement that is required. Mineral salts exist in many different salt forms such as phosphates, sulphates, sulphides, chlorates, iodates, glycinates, oxides etc. each of which has very different solubility and stability properties. Furthermore, once two or more such salts are combined, it is possible that chemical reactions occur to form salt forms which themselves have particular solubility and stability properties. These stability and solubility properties may vary with the degree of acidity of the solution, the temperature of the solution and the length of time that the materials have been in contact with each other. Careful consideration must be given to the choice of particular mineral salts for the combined concentrate.

It is also important to carefully consider and to optimise the order in which the particular salts are added to the solution during the preparation or manufacturing process. In some cases during the development of the present solution, precipitates of particular salts occurred which were very difficult or near impossible in some cases to subsequently dissolve again. One was described as "a treacle-brown mass". A great deal of fR:\Libxx\RDG\Pamcll\Oral CUElOral NZ fmal.doc.RDG experimentation was necessary in order to discover the ultimate order of addition of the various components of the final product in order to develop a manufacturing process that has utility. It may be important to separately solubilise the different components of the final product under different concentrations and conditions of temperature and acidity and only combine these intermediate solutions when thoroughly dissolved. There are several additional variables that may be investigated and optimised in order to determine a suitable process for the production of the required solution. These include the degree of acidity of the various intermediates in the manufacturing process, the temperature of the various intermediates of the manufacturing process and the concentration of the salt forms intermediates of the manufacturing process.

Furthermore the degree of purity of the starting materials may be critical to success. Many commercially available chemicals, although specified to be in excess of 90% pure and in some cases more than 99% pure, contain low or very low levels of impurities that may interfere with the preparation and storage of highly concentrated solutions according to the present invention. The presence and the levels of these impurities can alter with the length of time that the chemicals have been stored and the conditions under which they have been stored. Increases in time, temperature and humidity, for example, can result in chemical reactions occurring within the stored salts to form unexpected chemicals that may interfere with the manufacture of and the storage of the final concentrated product of this invention. Utmost care must be taken to discover how to produce the concentrated solution and to then develop means by which the solution can be constantly and regularly produced.

These problems are particularly severe with iodine salts, as most are highly insoluble. It is very difficult to form highly concentrated solutions containing a stable form of ionic iodine. Moreover, solutions containing ionised iodine present the additional challenge that gaseous iodine, if formed by chemical reaction, is volatile and may escape from the solution into the atmosphere, thereby depleting the solution of iodine, which is no longer available for uptake by the animals. At first examination, it would appear that the delivery of iodine in a water based delivery system may not be possible unless a stable form that does not volatilise and/or react with other metal salts can be found. Therefore one aspect of the present invention is such a stable solution containing high concentrations of soluble ionised iodine. The process should for making the solution should be such that iodine or an iodine containing species does not precipitate or volatilise during or after making the solution. Neither iodine nor an iodine containing fR:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG species may precipitate or volatilise during making the solution. Neither iodine nor an iodine containing species may precipitate or volatilise after making the solution. The order of addition of components may be such that iodine does not precipitate or volatilise during or after making the solution. It was surprisingly found that if zinc were one of the minerals present in the formulation, addition of a zinc salt before addition of an iodate salt provided a solution with improved stability. It was hypothesised that this may be due to the formation of a soluble complex between zinc and iodate. It was therefore found to be suitable to add the iodine containing salt as the last mineral containing component when making a concentrate according to the present invention.

The present inventors have developed a product formulation designed to be specific for New Zealand conditions, meeting requirements for Zinc, Copper, Cobalt, Selenium and Iodine. Certain elements can inhibit absorption of other elements, establishing a requirement for supplementation even where the normal daily requirement may be provided in the diet. An example of this is copper deficiency when treating animals for facial eczema with zinc.

A further challenge in this instance is that the process for the manufacture of the concentrated solution must be suitable for large-scale manufacture. Many experimental, small-scale processes cannot be conveniently scaled up to form the basis of an industrial process. Key to the success of the present invention is that it is amenable to form the basis of a large-scale manufacturing process. Each of the essential minerals may be in an orally acceptable form. The essential minerals may be in the form of orally acceptable salts. The essential minerals may be in the form of orally acceptable chelates. The essential minerals may be in the form of orally acceptable complexes. The essential minerals may be in the form of a mixture of orally acceptable salts, chelates and/or complexes. The minerals in their orally acceptable form may alone and in combination with each other be non toxic to humans and/or animals (especially cattle). The minerals in their orally acceptable form may be present in the concentrate at a concentration which is non toxic to humans and/or animals (especially cattle). The minerals in their orally acceptable form are present in the solution for delivering a plurality of minerals are at concentrations in the solution which are non toxic to humans and/or animals (especially cattle). The orally acceptable form may be a pharmaceutical^ acceptable form (for humans and animals) or a veterinarily acceptable form (for animals). In particular, extremes of temperature and pH should be minimised, components should ideally have a high degree of safety (i.e. have minimal toxicity to humans and/or to animals), salts with [R:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 26 poor solubility should be avoided and excessively viscous formulations should not be used.

Various systems may be provided in order to ensure that the concentrate of the invention is provided at a constant concentration in sufficient drinking water for the animals to which it is to be provided.

The invention is described by reference to the following examples.

Example 1 Development of a suitable concentrate Hydraplex, a concentrate according to the present invention, is a liquid mineral supplement for dairy cows. A recommended dosage is 2mL to 40L of drinking water per head, daily, for example administered via a Dosatron system. In an example of a delivery protocol, 10L of the concentrate is diluted with 90L of water in a header tank and the Dosatron metering system draws from this header tank in a selected proportion to the feed water. The daily dose is added to the cow's drinking water.

If an inappropriate order of addition is used, Copper (I) Iodide may be formed. Copper (I) Iodide is very insoluble and will precipitate. This precipitate may reduce the levels of free Iodine in the product. A more appropriate order of raw material addition may be used to this problem. In a more satisfactory process, Potassium Iodate is added last.

Hydraplex is a liquid, which ensures rapid, uniform mixing in the Dosatron.

In looking for a soluble copper amino acid the inventors selected Copper Glycinate. It is water soluble and provides a high ratio of Copper (30%). It was not readily soluble at the required concentration, however by acidifying the solution the inventors were able to bring substantial amounts into solution.

It was at first considered that if the more soluble Sodium or Potassium Iodide were used, loss might occur due to volatility. Consequently the inventors selected Potassium Iodate. It is slightly less soluble than Sodium Iodate but is more readily available and is 4% cheaper on an Iodine basis. There are risks associated with the use of both Iodide and Iodates with metal ions, particularly Copper as Copper (II) ions react with Iodide to form the very insoluble Copper (I) Iodide (solubility product constant at 25°C = 1.27 x 10~12) and Iodine: 2Cu2+ 41 -♦ 2CuI + h fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 27 Copper (II) ions can also form the insoluble Copper (II) Iodate monohydrate (solubility product constant at 25°C = 6.94 x 10"8).

Cu2+ 2I03 -♦ Cu(I03)2 The salts of remaining Copper, Zinc and Cobalt were chosen on availability and price. Sodium Selenate provided the Selenium. Thus the product composition is as shown in the following table.

Material name Amount g/mL Function Copper Sulfate 5H2O 0.11 Active Copper Glycinate 0.04 Active Cobalt Chloride 6H2O 0.0052 Active Potassium Iodate 0.0169 Active Sodium Selenate Anhydrous 0.00054 Active Zinc Sulfate 7H2O 0.5388 Active Purified Water To 1.0 mL Vehicle Sodium Hydroxide & Sulfuric Acid for pH adjustment pH = 2.5 - 3.5 These quantities represent 50% of the required daily intake of cattle. The other 50% is commonly supplied by the feed. The mineral supplement is designed to be added to 40L of drinking water Product Ingredients Copper sulfate was added as a source of elemental copper. A preferred grade is BP or USP. Copper Glycinate was added as a source of elemental copper and as a buffering agent. Preferred grade is BP or USP. Cobalt Chloride was added as a source of elemental cobalt. Preferred grade is Analytical Reagent grade or better. Potassium Iodate was added as a source of elemental Iodine. Preferred grade is BP or USP. Sodium Selenate was added as a source of elemental Selenium. Preferred grade is Analytical Reagent grade or better. Zinc Sulfate was added as a source of elemental Zinc. Preferred grade is BP or USP. Water was BP grade Purified water or better. This was preferred in order to minimise potential risk of precipitation formation, due to impurities in the water. Packaging f R:\Libxx\RDG\Parncll\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 28 Some of the iodate is coverted to iodine. Minor amounts of iodine react with the packaging: after two months the natural coloured HDPE and fluorinated HDPE containers turned a light purple colour. The laser printed labels turned purple on the natural HDPE containers. No discolouration was observed on the Black plastic HDPE containers or the laser printed labels attached to them after 3 months.

Process Development anul acturing Process for 100L Pilot Batches Production Addition Sequence Instructions 1 Transfer Hot (Temp ~80°C) 50 L of Purified water into the 200 L drum 2 Add Copper Sulfate 5H2O Mix until dissolved. 3 Add Copper Glycinate Mix until dissolved. 4 Add Zinc Sulfate 7H20 Mix until dissolved.

Add Cobalt Chloride 6H2O Mix until dissolved. 6 Add Sodium Selenate Anhydrous Mix until dissolved. 7 Add Potassium Iodate Mix until dissolved. 8 Adjust pH with 1M Sulfuric Acid or Sodium Hydroxide Solution. (pH = 2.5 -3.5) □ Dissolve Sodium Hydroxide 40g in 1L purified water □ Dilute Sulfuric Acid 1 Og in 200 mL purified water Maintain mixing during pH adjustment. 9 Add Purified water to 100 L.

Mix for 2 minutes.

In earlier work Iodide stability was a problem. The main reason for this was that Copper (I) Iodide is very insoluble.

The Iodine levels of a laboratory batch after 6months were as follows: 2-8°C -12.3mg/mL, Ambient temp - 6.01 mg/mL, 30°C - 5.61mg/mL, 40°C - 7.09mg/mL and 50°C - 2.07mg/mL. These samples where stored in glass.

To overcome this problem and improve the stability of the iodine the order of raw material addition was changed. The potassium Iodate was added last, or after the Zinc Sulfate was added and dissolved, as the Zinc ion forms a very soluble complex with Iodate.

The Iodine levels of another laboratory batch after 6 months on stability are as follows: 2-8°C - 17.3mg/mL, 25°C/60%RH - 15.6 mg/mL and at 40°/75%RH - 15.5 mg/mL. These samples were stored in natural HDPE.

All elements were assayed with an ICP. pH was measured using a calibrated pH meter.

[R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 29 Because of the high copper and other metal ion concentration no antimicrobial preservatives are required; at these concentrations they are lethal to all organisms.

Detailed shelf life data is shown below.

Product Name and Strength: Study Number: Batch Number: Batch Type: Date on Stability Manufacturer Container: Cue Hydraplex SP0503 477045 Pilot -Jun-05 Parnell Laboratories 125ml plastic bottle Storage Conditions: 2-8°C LAB 180 Date Tested: 7-Jun-05 21-Sep-05 13-Dec-05 Attribute & Method Reference Specification Initial 1 Month 3 Months 6 Months Appearance (Parnell L200) Clear deep blue solution Complies Complies Complies Complies PH 3.1 3.0 2.9 Zn 229 234 222 Cu 75 74 72 Co 2.6 2.1 2.44 Se 0.39 0.47 0.56 Iodine 22 .7 17.3 Storage Conditions: °C/60%RH LAB 109 Date Tested: 7-Jun-05 l-Jul-05 21-Sep-05 13-Dec-05 Attribute & Method Reference Specification Initial 1 Month 3 Months 6 Months Appearance (Parnell L200) Clear deep blue solution Complies Complies Complies Complies PH 3.1 3 3.1 2.9 Zn 229 244 236 228 Cu 75 83 78 70 Co 2.6 2.3 2.0 2.40 Se 0.39 0.4 0.53 0.54 Iodine 22 19 16.5 .6 Storage Conditions: 40°C/75%RH LAB 162 fR:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\Oral CUE]Oral NZ final.doc:RDG Date Tested: 7-Jun-05 21-Sep-05 13-Dec-05 Attribute & Method Reference Specification Initial 1 Month 3 Months 6 Months Appearance (Parnell L200) Clear deep blue solution Complies Complies Complies PH 3.1 3.1 2.9 Zn 229 234 232 Cu 75 78 68 Co 2.6 2.0 2.48 Se 0.39 0.51 0.56 Iodine 22 18.2 .5 Product Name and Strength: Study Number: Batch Number: Batch Type: Date on Stability Manufacturer Container: Cue Hydraplex SP0503 #4 Pilot 26-C)ct-05 Parnell Laboratories 125ml plastic bottle Storage Conditions: 2-8°C LAB 180 Date Tested: 1-Nov-05 23-Nov-05 24-Jan-06 Attribute & Method Reference Specification Initial 1 Month 3 Months Appearance (Parnell L200) Clear deep blue solution Complies Complies Complies pH (Parnell X707) 3.1 2.9 Zn 249 227 Cu 84 78 Co 2.44 2.43 Se 0.59 0.53 Iodine 18.8 17.7 Storage Conditions: °C/60%RH LAB 109 Date Tested: 1-Nov-05 23-Nov-05 24-Jan-06 Attribute & Method Reference Specification Initial 1 Month 3 Months Appearance (Parnell L200) Clear deep blue solution Complies Complies Complies (R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 31 pH (Parnell X707) 3.1 2.9 2.9 Zn 249 227 236 Cu 84 77 76.4 Co 2.44 2.44 2.42 Se 0.59 0.52 0.54 Iodine 18.8 17.2 18.3 40°C/75%RH LAB Storage Conditions: 162 1-Nov- 23-Nov- 24-Jan- Date Tested: 05 05 06 Attribute & Method Reference Specification Initial 1 Month 3 Months Appearance (Parnell L200) Clear deep blue solution Complies Complies Complies pH (Parnell X707) 3.1 2.9 2.9 Zn 249 226 224 Cu 84 76 72.5 Co 2.44 2.45 2.40 Se 0.59 0.52 0.53 Iodine 18.8 17.4 17.6 Example 2 The objective of this experiment was a concentrated solution in which each 2mL dose contains: Zinc 245 mg Copper 80 mg Iodine 20 mg Cobalt 2.6 mg Selenium 0.45 mg in a form that would be available to the animal following oral ingestion in drinking water. This has been calculated as half of the average daily requirements for a lactating cow.

In order to achieve this objective, it was proposed that a suitable salt form of the minerals for incorporation into the final product would be Zinc (as Sulphate) 245 mg Copper (as Sulphate) 56 mg Copper (as Glycinate) 24 mg Iodine (as Potassium Iodate) mg Cobalt (as Chloride) 2.6 mg fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 32 Selenium (as Sodium Selenate) 0.45 mg In order to determine the solubility of the reagents and determine whether it would be possible to form the required solutions, the following formulations were made and tested by storing at ambient temperature and under refrigeration to determine whether the 5 combinations were soluble. The salts were dissolved in a small volume of water and adjusted to the stated pH using hydrochloric acid. The volume of solution was then made up to the required dose volume using water.

Dose Vol mL pH Performance Ambient (Room temperature) Refrigerated (0-4° C) A 6.0 3.0 After 6 weeks, clear blue solution with slight fine precipitate.

After 6 weeks, clear blue solution with slight fine precipitate, twice as much as ambient.

B .0 3.0 After 6 weeks, clear blue solution with slight fine precipitate.

After 6 weeks, clear blue solution, more precipitate than ambient. Vial slightly turbid when shaken.

C 4.0 3.0 After 6 weeks, clear blue solution with slight fine precipitate.

After 6 weeks, clear blue solution with more precipitate than ambient. Vial slightly turbid when shaken.

D 3.0 4.5 After 5 weeks, clear deep blue solution with an aqua precipitate partially covering the base of vials. The ppt is flocculent and resuspends readily to form a barely turbid solution.

After 5 weeks, the refrigerated vial is slightly more turbid than the ambient vial E 3.0 3.5 After 5 weeks, clear deep blue solution. Ambient vial has a flocculent light coloured ppt, partially covering the base The refrigerated vial has a fine ppt and is slightly more turbid when resuspended.

[R:\Libxx\RDG\Parncll\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 33 which resuspends readily to a slightly turbid solution.

F 3.0 3.0 After 5 weeks, clear deep blue solution. Ambient vial has a flocculent light coloured ppt, partially covering the base which resuspends readily to a slightly turbid solution.

The refrigerated vial has a fine ppt and is slightly more turbid when resuspended. Noticeably more turbid than pH 3.5.

G 3.0 2.0 After 5 weeks, clear mid blue solution. No obvious ppt. When swirled a slight fine ppt was observed. Solution slightly greener than refrigerated vial.

After 5 weeks, clear mid blue solution. No obvious ppt. When swirled slightly more ppt than for ambient vial. Hard to observe any turbidity.

Table 1 Mineral supplements laboratory batch formulations example 1 (Ambient and Refrigerated).

The series of batches with a 3mL dose at pH 4.5, 4.0, 3.5 and 3.0 (Table 1) had a 5 similar appearance, deep blue solution. All developed a small amount of precipitate during 1 month. The 3mL dose pH 2.0 was a lighter blue than other higher pH solutions and only had a fine precipitate evident when the vials are swirled. The ambient vial exhibited a greenish colour change after 1 month.

These results suggest that it may be possible to form the required solution provided 10 the pH is kept low and a particular protocol is used to form the solution. Means must be found to avoid the formation of the precipitate and low pH may be the solution.

Example 3 This example was to test the effects of reducing the volume further following an ordered process for the addition of the required salts. These were produced as described in 15 Example 1.

Dose Vol mL Performance pH Ambient Refrigerated (Room temperature) (0-4°C) [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\0ral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 34 H 2.5 4.5 After 5 weeks, clear deep blue solution. Both ambient and refrigerated vials have an aqua fine ppt partially covering the base. The ppt in both vials resuspends readily to form moderately turbid solutions.

After 5 weeks, clear deep blue solution. Both ambient and refrigerated vials have an aqua fine ppt partially covering the base. The ppt in both vials resuspends readily to form moderately turbid solutions.

I 2.0 4.3 Within a week, ambient and refrigerated vials had developed a heavy aqua ppt covering the base of vials. There is also an aqua film on the walls of the vials giving a translucent appearance. The ambient vial was very resistant to resuspension.

After 5 weeks, refrigerated sediment came away in flakes. The ppt is hard to resuspend.

J 1.5 4.0 Within a week, ambient vial had developed a heavy aqua ppt covering the base of vials. There is also an aqua film on the walls of the vials giving a translucent appearance.

The refrigerated vial had a similar appearance the week following removal from refrigerator. The ppt is hard to resuspend. The sediment came away in flakes.

Table 2: Mineral supplements laboratory batch formulations example 2 (Ambient and Refrigerated).

AR grade copper sulphate was used in these formulations due to the white precipitate present in the solution prepared with the reagent grade copper sulphate. 5 Precipitates still formed in the solutions following storage. It may be advantageous to filter the solutions following formulation to remove insoluble contaminants. Batches with a dose volume of 2.0 and 1.5mL (Table 2) have no acid added. The copper and zinc sulphates provided the low pH. These formulations have developed an undesirable substantial aqua precipitate some of which is on the surface and lining the walls of the 10 glass vials. It may be desirable to adjust the pH of the final solutions to a value lower than 4.0.

Example 4 f R:\Libxx\RDG\ParnelI\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG This example was designed to examine the requirement to filter the solution and whether it was an advantage to adjust the pH to a low value. Accordingly half of each batch was filtered through 0.45(am filter and the other half left unfiltered (the unfiltered will to be representative of larger scale manufacturing where filtration will be through a coarse filter if at all).

BP grade copper sulphate was used in further batches due to the white precipitate present in the solution prepared with the technical grade of copper sulphate. BP grade was used once received as a realistic grade to be used in production.

Dose Volume mL pH Filtered Unfiltered K 2.0 3.0 Deep blue solution. No obvious ppt even when swirled.

Deep blue solution. Slight fine ppt coving a small proportion of base. Ppt suspends readily to form an almost clear solution.

L 2.0 2.0 Clear mid blue solution. No noticeable ppt until swirled. This resuspends readily forming a clear solution.

Clear mid blue solution. Has a flaky white ppt which developed within a day. It remains flaky when shaken.

M 2.0 2.0 This batch was a repeat of the previous batch but is worse in that a whitish ppt has developed in the filtered vial that partially covers the base.

Has a whitish ppt covering the base and resists resuspension.

Table 3: Mineral supplements laboratory batch formulations example 3 (filtered and unfiltered).

In the 2.0mL dose at pH 3.0 using BP grade copper sulphate (Table 3) the filtered vial remains clear (no precipitate) and the unfiltered vial is clear with a slight fine precipitate after 1 week at ambient temperature. The pH 3 appears superior to pH 2 from the results to date. In fact, there appears to be considerable variation in the means to produce material at pH2. During preparation of one batch of 2.0mL dose at pH 2.0 (results not reported in tables), precipitation occurred when acid was added to the salt solution before addition of copper glycinate and zinc sulphate. This batch was discarded f R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG

Claims (80)

36 and preparation repeated (batch E120704, Table 3). The filtered vial of this batch remains clear but the unfiltered vial has a heavy white precipitate. It appears that it may be possible to prepare the required solution containing 50% of the daily requirement of the key minerals in a volume of 2mL provided a strict procedure is followed for the addition of the components and the pH is maintained at approximately 2. Furthermore, it may be necessary to filter the solutions or intermediates of those solutions in order to maintain a clear solution free of major crystallisation or precipitation. fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 37 Claims:

1. A stable liquid concentrate for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, wherein at least one of said essential minerals is iodine, said concentrate comprising the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate comprises at least part of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal.

2. The concentrate of claim 1 additionally comprising at least one essential mineral selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, zinc and selenium.

3. The stable concentrate of claim 1 wherein the single dose comprises between about 0.5 and about 50 ml and comprises a substantial proportion of the daily requirement of each mineral.

4. The stable concentrate of claim 1 having a solids content of between about 10 and about 50% on a w/w or w/v basis.

5. The stable concentrate of claim 1 wherein the concentrate is be miscible or dilutable with water.

6. The stable concentrate of claim 1 which is an aqueous solution.

7. The stable concentrate of claim 1 wherein, on dilution in water, the essential minerals dissolve, or remain dissolved, in the water.

8. The concentrate of claim 1 which is a solution, a dispersion, a suspension, a sol, a colloidal solution, an emulsion or a microemulsion.

9. The concentrate of claim 1 which is a solution which, over at least one month under the storage conditions, does not form a precipitate that can not readily be redissolved, or any precipitate that forms, when resuspended, provides only slight turbidity.

10. The concentrate of claim 9 wherein one or more of the pH of the solution and the form, concentration and purity of the essential minerals is such that no precipitate forms in the solution, or such that any precipitate that forms, when resuspended, provides only slight turbidity.

11. The concentrate of claim 1 which is capable of being administered to an animal by addition to its drinking water.

12. The concentrate of claim 1 whereby the concentrate, after dilution in water, is safe and/or non-toxic to the animal, and/or to a foetus carried by the animal.

13. The concentrate of claim 1 which is safe and/or non-toxic to the animal, and/or to a foetus carried by the animal before dilution in water. ___ INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 3 MAY 2006 r R:\LIBZ107016speci.doc:NJC 38

14. The concentrate of claim 1 wherein the iodine is in an ionic form.

15. The concentrate of claim 1 wherein the iodine is in the form of potassium iodate.

16. The concentrate of claim 1 additionally comprising zinc.

17. The concentrate of claim 16 wherein the zinc is in an ionic form.

18. The concentrate of claim 1 comprising copper, cobalt, iodine, zinc and selenium.

19. The concentrate of claim 1 wherein the essential minerals are in a bioavailable form.

20. The concentrate of claim 1 wherein the essential minerals are in the form of salts.

21. The concentrate of claim 20 wherein the salts are soluble in water.

22. The concentrate of claim 1 wherein the pH of the solution is between about 1 and about 6.

23. The concentrate of claim 1 wherein the concentrations of the essential minerals are sufficient that between about 1 and about 4 ml of the solution provides at least 50% of the daily requirements of each mineral for the animal.

24. A solution for delivering a plurality of minerals to an animal, said solution comprising a plurality of minerals, said solution comprising iodine and a mineral selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, selenium and zinc wherein the solution is stable for at least one month at room temperature.

25. An aqueous solution for delivering copper, cobalt, iodine, selenium and zinc to an animal, said solution comprising zinc (245mg), copper (80mg), iodine (20mg), cobalt (2.6mg) and selenium (0.45mg) per 2 ml solution, said solution being stable for at least one month at room temperature.

26. The solution of claim 25 having a pH between about 2 and 4.5.

27. The solution of claim 26, wherein the zinc is present as zinc sulphate, the copper is present as copper sulphate (representing 56mg copper) and as copper glycinate (representing 24mg copper), the iodine is present as potassium iodate, the cobalt is present as cobalt chloride and the selenium is present as sodium selenate, said solution being stable for at least one month at room temperature.

28. The stable concentrate of claim 1 comprising no preservatives other than the essential minerals. fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 39

29. A stable concentrate for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, said concentrate being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples.

30. A process for preparing a stable concentrate or solution for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, wherein at least one of said essential minerals is iodine, said process comprising dissolving and/or suspending salts comprising the minerals in a liquid in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate or solution provides a substantial proportion of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal.

31. The process of claim 30 wherein the concentrate comprises a mineral selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, zinc and selenium.

32. The process of claim 31 comprising preparing a stable solution, whereby one or more of the pH of the solution and the form, concentration and purity of the essential minerals is such that no precipitate forms in the solution, or such that any precipitate that forms, when resuspended, provides only slight turbidity.

33. The process of claim 30 wherein the liquid is miscible with water.

34. The process of claim 30 whereby the liquid is an aqueous liquid.

35. The process of claim 30 comprising dissolving a plurality of minerals in water, wherein one of said minerals is iodine, and at least one other mineral is selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, selenium and zinc, and wherein a volume of the solution between about 0.5 and 50ml comprises between about 10 and 150% of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal.

36. The process of claim 30 wherein the iodine is in an ionic form

37. The process of claim 30 wherein the iodine is in the form of potassium iodate.

38. The process of claim 30 one of the essential minerals comprises zinc.

39. The process of claim 38 wherein the zinc is in an ionic form.

40. The process of claim 38 wherein the zinc is added before the iodine.

41. The process of claim 30 wherein the iodine is added after all of the other minerals.

42. The process of claim 30 comprising dissolving zinc (245mg), copper (80mg), iodine (20mg), cobalt (2.6mg) and selenium (0.45mg) in between 2 and 6 ml water at pH between about 2 and 3.

43. The process of claim 42 wherein the zinc is in the form of zinc sulphate. fR:\Libxx\RDG\ParneIl\Oral CUElOral NZ fmal.doc.RDG 40

44. The process of claim 42 wherein the copper is in the form of copper sulphate and copper glycinate.

45. The process of claim 42 wherein the copper glycinate and copper sulphate are in a weight ratio of 3 to 7 based on weight of copper

46. The process of claim 42 wherein the iodine is in the form of potassium iodate.

47. The process of claim 42 wherein the cobalt is in the form of cobalt chloride.

48. The process of claim 42 wherein the selenium is in the form of sodium selenate.

49. The process of claim 30 comprising adjusting the pH to between 2 and 6 after said dissolving and/or suspending.

50. The process of claim 30 wherein the solution additionally comprises the step of filtering the solution.

51. The process of claim 50 also comprising allowing the solution to stand for a period of time after the step of dissolving and before the step of filtering.

52. A process for preparing a stable concentrate or solution for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, said process being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples.

53. A concentrate or solution for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, when made by the process of any one of claims 30 to 52.

54. A method for preventing or alleviating deficiency of a plurality of essential minerals in an animal, or in a plurality of animals in a herd, comprising adding to the drinking water of said animal or animals a concentrate or a solution according to any one of claims 1 to 29 or 53.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the concentrate is added in sufficient quantity to provide at least 10% of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal or animals.

56. The method of claim 54 wherein the concentrate is added to the drinking water daily on an ongoing basis.

57. A concentrate or a solution according to any one of claims 1 to 29 or 53 when used for preventing or alleviating deficiency of a plurality of essential minerals in an animal.

58. A concentrate according to any one of claims 1 to 29 or 53 when diluted in water to provide a drinking preparation for an animal. fR:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\0ral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 41

59. The concentrate of claim 58 wherein the dilution is such that the drinking preparation provides a substantial proportion of the requirement of the animal for each essential mineral.

60. A system for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, or to a herd of animals, comprising: a drinking trough for containing water; a filling system for providing water to the trough, said filling system optionally comprising a level determining system for determining a level of water, in the trough; and a dosing system for providing to the trough a concentrate according to any one of claims 1 to 29 or 53, such that the concentration of minerals in the water in the trough is sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of each mineral for the animal or herd.

61. The system of claim 60 wherein the dosing system is capable of receiving a signal from the level determining system and using said signal to control a dosage of the concentrate.

62. The system of claim 60 wherein the dosing system comprises a device for mixing a preselected volume of a concentrate according to any one of claims 1 to 29 or 53 into a predetermined volume of water.

63. The system of claim 60 wherein the filling system comprises: an inlet pipe for providing water to the trough; a timer for determining when to provide water to the trough; an upper level sensing device for determining when the water has reached an upper level in the trough; and a water meter for determining an amount of water added to the trough.

64. The system of claim 60 wherein the filling system comprises: - an inlet pipe for providing water to the trough; an upper level sensing device for determining when the water has reached an upper level in the trough; and a lower level sensing device for determining when the water has dropped to a lower level in the trough.

65. The system of claim 60 wherein the filling system comprises: - an inlet pipe for providing water to the trough; and - a level measuring device for determining a level of water in the trough. [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG 42

66. The system of claim 60 wherein the dosing system comprises a device capable of adding a fixed proportion of the concentrate to the water provided to the trough by the filling system.

67. A method for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, or to a herd of animals, comprising: providing a system according to claim 60; using the filling system to provide water to the trough; - providing to the trough a concentrate according to any one of claims 1 to 29 or 53, such that the concentration of minerals in the water in the trough is sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of each mineral for the animal or herd; and - allowing the animal or animals to drink from the trough

68. A stable drinking preparation for an animal comprising a plurality of essential minerals in water, wherein at least one of said essential minerals is selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, iodine, zinc and selenium, said drinking preparation comprising the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of the animal for each essential mineral.

69. The drinking preparation of claim 68 prepared by dilution of a concentrate or a solution according to any one of claims 1 to 29 or 53.

70. A process for preparing a stable drinking preparation for an animal comprising dissolving and/or suspending a plurality of essential minerals in water, wherein at least one of said essential minerals is selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, iodine, zinc and selenium, said drinking preparation comprising the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient to provide a substantial proportion of the requirement of the animal for each essential mineral.

71. A process for preparing a stable drinking preparation for an animal comprising dilution of a concentrate or a solution according to any one of claims 1 to 29 or 53.

72. A stable drinking preparation for an animal when prepared according to the process of claim 70 or 71.

73. A method for preventing or alleviating deficiency of a plurality of essential minerals in an animal, or in a plurality of animals in a herd, comprising providing to the animal or animals a drinking preparation according to any one of claims 68, 69 or 72. [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.dociRDG 43

74. A stable concentrate for delivering iodine and zinc to an animal, said concentrate comprising the an iodate salt and a zinc salt in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate comprises at least part of the daily requirement of zinc and iodine for the animal.

75. The process of claim 30 wherein the order of addition is such that precipitates of salts are not formed during the process.

76. The process of claim 30 wherein the order of addition of components is such that iodine or an iodine containing species does not precipitate or volatilise during making the solution.

77. The process of claim 30 wherein the order of addition of components is such that iodine or an iodine containing species does not precipitate or volatilise after making the solution.

78. The process of claim 76 or claim 77 wherein the iodine containing species is an iodine containing copper salt.

79. The process of any one of claims 76 to 78 wherein the iodine containing species is copper (I) iodide or copper (II) iodate monohydrate.

80. A concentrate or solution for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal, when made by the process of any one of claims 75 to 79. Parnell Laboratories (Aust) Pty Limited By the Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON & FERGUSON IPO NZ 0 2 MAR 2006 fR:\Libxx\RDG\Pamell\Ordl CUElOral NZ ilnal.doc:RDG 44 5 4 5 6 4 ABSTRACT Concentrate for Providing Essential Minerals The present invention relates to a stable concentrate for delivering a plurality of essential minerals to an animal. At least one of the essential minerals is iodine. The concentrate comprises the essential minerals in concentrations sufficient that a single dose of the concentrate comprises at least part of the daily requirement of each mineral for the animal. lpONZ 0 2 MAR 2006 [R:\Libxx\RDG\Parnell\Oral CUElOral NZ final.doc:RDG