METHODS OF MAKING SAME

BACKGROUND

[0001] Increasing production and fat content of milk obtained from lactating ruminants has been a major goal for dairy farmers. Additional milk production per ruminant is beneficial because it results in a higher yield, thereby increasing profits. Increased milk fat is desirable because it has a higher economic value and can be used in highly desirable food products, such as cheese, yogurt, and the like.

SUMMARY

[0002] In one aspect, methods for preparing ruminant feed mixtures are provided. In an embodiment, a method of preparing a ruminant feed mixture may include preparing a first mixture by combining at least one carbohydrate component with at least one nitrogen component and preparing a second mixture by combining at least one saturated fatty acid component comprising at least 70% of a palmitic acid compound by weight, at least one micellizing agent, and water. The ruminant feed mixture may be prepared by combining the first mixture with the second mixture.

[0003] In an embodiment, a ruminant feed mixture may include at least one carbohydrate component combined with at least one nitrogen component to form a first mixture. The ruminant feed mixture may comprise at least one saturated fatty acid component comprising at least 70% of a palmitic acid compound by weight, at least one micellizing agent, and water combined to form a second mixture. The ruminant feed mixture may be formed by combining the first mixture with the second mixture.

[0004] In an embodiment, a method of increasing milk fat content and production efficiency of milk produced by a ruminant may include providing a ruminant feed mixture to the ruminant for ingestion. The ruminant feed mixture may be prepared by combining at least one carbohydrate component with at least one nitrogen component to form a first mixture and combining at least one saturated fatty acid component comprising at least 70% of a palmitic acid compound by weight, at least one micellizing agent, and water to form a second mixture. The first mixture and the second mixture may be combined to form the ruminant feed mixture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of preparing a ruminant feed mixture according to a first embodiment.

[0006] FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of preparing and processing a ruminant feed mixture according to a first embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] This disclosure is not limited to the particular systems, devices and methods described, as these may vary. The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope.

[0008] As used in this document, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Nothing in this disclosure is to be construed as an admission that the embodiments described in this disclosure are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention. As used in this document, the term "comprising" means "including, but not limited to."

[0009] The following terms shall have, for the purposes of this application, the respective meanings set forth below. [0010] A "ruminant" is generally a suborder of mammal with a multiple chamber stomach that gives the animal the ability to digest cellulose-based food by softening it within a first chamber (rumen) of the stomach and to regurgitate the semi-digested mass to be chewed again by the ruminant for digestion in one or more other chambers of the stomach. Examples of ruminants include, but are not limited to, lactating animals such as cattle, goats and sheep. Cattle may include dairy cows, which are generally animals of the species Bos taurus. The milk produced by ruminants is widely used in a variety of dairy-based products.

[0011] The present technology generally relates to dietary compositions and methods for making dietary compositions that can be fed to ruminants. The dietary compositions may be configured to improve various aspects of milk production in the ruminants. For instance, some embodiments provide that the dietary compositions may increase the amount of milk produced by the ruminant, increase the fat content of the milk produced by the ruminant, or both. Specific compositions described herein may include ruminant feed mixtures, supplements, or the like. According to some embodiments, the dietary compositions may include liquids, solids or combinations thereof, such as dry particles, pellets, liquid suspensions, emulsions, slurries, or the like.

[0012] When a ruminant consumes feed, the fat in the feed is modified by the rumen to provide a milk fat profile that is different from the profile of fat in the feed. All fats which are not completely inert in the rumen may decrease feed intake and rumen digestibility of the feed material. Milk composition and fat quality may be influenced by the ruminant's diet. For example, oil feeding (for instance, the feeding of vegetable oils) can have negative effects on both rumen function and milk formation. As a result of the oil feeding, the milk protein concentration may decrease, the fat concentration may decrease and the proportion of trans fatty acids may increase. These results have been connected with various negative milk characteristics, such as an increase in the harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and a decrease in the beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in human blood when the milk is consumed. In addition, the properties of the milk fat during industrial milk processing may be weakened. A high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk can also cause taste defects and preservation problems. A typical fatty acid composition of milk fat may contain more than about 70% saturated fatty acids and a total amount of trans fatty acids may be from about 3% to about 10%. When vegetable oil is added into the feed, the proportion of trans fatty acids may rise to more than about 10%.

[0013] One solution to diminishing the detrimental effect of oil and fat is to prevent triglyceride fat hydrolysis. Fat hydrolysis can be decreased, for example, by protecting fats with formaldehyde-treated casein. Another alternative is to feed the ruminant insoluble fatty acid calcium salts whereby hydrogenation in rumen can be avoided. However, fatty acid salts typically have a pungent taste that may result in decreased feed intake by the ruminant. In addition, the salts may also disturb certain processes for forming the feed into pellets.

[0014] Accordingly, the ruminant feed product described herein may include a fatty acid component that includes at least about 70% to about 90% palmitic acid. Not wanting to be limited by the theory, the dietary composition may allow for the transfer of palmitic acid from the feed via the digestive tract into the blood circulation of a ruminant. This may improve the energy efficiency of milk production and the utilization of energy by the ruminant. When the utilization of energy becomes more effective, milk production may increase, and the concentrations of protein and fat in the milk may rise. According to some embodiments, the dietary composition may be configured to enhance fat synthesis in the mammary gland by bringing milk fat components to the cell such that energy consuming synthesis in the mammary gland is not necessary. As a result, glucose may be used more efficiently for lactose production causing increased milk production. In addition, the milk protein content may increase because there is no need to produce glucose from amino acids. Accordingly, the ruminant may not lose weight at the beginning of the lactation period, thereby improving the fertility of the ruminant.

[0015] FIG. 1 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of preparing a ruminant feed mixture according to a first embodiment. In various embodiments, the components described herein with respect to FIG. 1 may generally be combined in any order and/or any combination, may include more or fewer components, and are not limited by the order described herein. In various embodiments, the dietary composition may be formulated in a manner so that when consumed by the ruminant, the dietary composition maximizes particular qualities in the milk produced by the ruminant, as well as an amount of milk produced by the ruminant, as described in greater detail herein.

[0016] As depicted in FIG. 1, a ruminant feed mixture may be formed by preparing 105 a first mixture by combining a carbohydrate component with a nitrogen component. For example, the carbohydrate component may be combined with a nitrogen component in a mixer, such as a conventional batch mixer. According to some embodiments, the first mixture may be prepared 105 using multiple carbohydrate components and/or multiple nitrogen components. The carbohydrate component may generally include at least one of a sugar, a starch, or a grain. Non-limiting examples of carbohydrate components include molasses, sugar beet pulp, sugarcane, wheat bran, oat hulls, grain hulls, soybean hulls, peanut hulls, wood, brewery byproducts, beverage industry byproducts, forages, roughages, silages, molasses, sugars, starches, cellulose, hemicellulose, wheat, corn, oats, sorghum, millet, barley, barley fiber, barley hulls, barley middlings, barley bran, malting barley screenings, malting parley and fines, malt rootlets, maize bran, maize middlings, maize cobs, maize screenings, maize fiber, millet, rice, rice bran, rice middlings, rye, triticale, brewers grain, coffee grinds, tea leaf fines, citrus fruit pulp, rind residues, algae, algae meal, microalgae, and/or the like. Non-limiting examples of the nitrogen component include microalgae, oilseed meals, soy meals, bean meals, rapeseed meals, sunflower meals, coconut meals, olive meals, linseed meals, grapeseed meals, distiller dry grains solids, camelina meal, camelina expeller, cotton seed meal, cotton seed expeller, linseed expeller, palm meal, palm kernel meal, palm expeller, rapeseed expeller, potato protein, olive pulp, horse beans, peas, wheat germ, corn germ, corn germ pressed fiber meal residue, corn germ protein meal, whey protein concentrate, milk protein slurries, milk protein powders, animal protein, or combinations thereof. The ruminant feed mixture may include various concentrations of the carbohydrate component, the nitrogen component, and/or the first mixture. For example, the carbohydrate component content of the ruminant feed mixture may be about 0.1% to about 55%, about 20% to about 50%, about 40% to about 70%, or about 50% to about 60% by weight and the nitrogen component of the ruminant feed mixture may be about 0.1% to about 55%, about 20% to about 50%, about 40% to about 70%, or about 50% to about 60% by weight. In another example, the first mixture component of the ruminant feed mixture may be about 0.1 % to about 55%, about 10% to about 95%, about 40% to about 98%, about 50% to about 90% by weight.

[0017] A second mixture may be prepared 110 by combining a saturated fatty acid component, a micellizing agent, and water. For example, the saturated fatty acid component, the micellizing agent, and the water may be combined in a mixer, such as a conventional batch mixer. The water content of the second mixture may be about 5% by weight, about 10% by weight, about 15% by weight, about 30% by weight, about 50% by weight, about 70% by weight, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). In an embodiment, a weight:weight ratio of the water to the at least one saturated fatty acid component and the at least one micellizing agent may be about 1 : 10. [0018] The saturated fatty acid component may include a saturated fatty acid component formed from at least one fatty acid and/or fatty acid derivative. In various embodiments, the fatty acid component may include one or more free fatty acids and/or glycolipids. Free fatty acids may generally be unconjugated fatty acids, whereas glycolipids may be fatty acids conjugated with a carbohydrate. The saturated fatty acid component can be present in the ruminant feed mixture at generally any amount, such as about 5% to about 50% by weight, or about 10% to about 40% by weight. In some specific embodiments, the fatty acid component may be present in the ruminant feed mixture in an amount of, about 5% by weight, about 10% by weight, about 15% by weight, about 25% by weight, about 30% by weight, about 40% by weight, about 50% by weight, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints).

[0019] In some embodiments, the fatty acid component may have a melting point equal to or greater than about 40°C. In some embodiments, the fatty acid component may have a melting point of equal to or less than about 80°C. In some embodiments, the fatty acid component may have a melting point of about 40 °C to about 80 °C. In particular embodiments, the fatty acid component may have a melting point of about 40 °C, about 45 °C, about 50 °C, about 55 °C, about 60 °C, about 65 °C, about 70 °C, about 75 °C, about 80 °C, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). The melting point may be selected so that it is a temperature that ensures that the fatty acid is inert in the rumen environment. In one embodiment, the fatty acid has a melting point that is less than the temperature of the rumen environment.

[0020] As used herein, a salt of a fatty acid may be any acid addition salt, including, but not limited to, halogenic acid salts such as, for example, hydrobromic, hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, and hydroiodic acid salt; an inorganic acid salt such as, for example, nitric, perchloric, sulfuric, and phosphoric acid salt; an organic acid salt such as, for example, sulfonic acid salts (methanesulfonic, trifluoromethane sulfonic, ethanesulfonic, benzenesulfonic, or p-toluenesulfonic), acetic, malic, fumaric, succinic, citric, benzoic, gluconic, lactic, mandelic, mucic, pamoic, pantothenic, oxalic, and maleic acid salts; and an amino acid salt such as aspartic or glutamic acid salt. The acid addition salt may be a mono- or di-acid addition salt, such as a di-hydrohalogenic, di-sulfuric, di-phosphoric, or di-organic acid salt. In all cases, the acid addition salt is used as an achiral reagent which is not selected on the basis of any expected or known preference for interaction with or precipitation of a specific optical isomer of the products of this disclosure.

[0021] A fatty acid ester as used herein means an ester of a fatty acid. For example, the fatty acid ester may be in a form of RCOOR'. R may be any saturated or unsaturated alkyl group including, without limitation, CIO, C12, C14, C16, C18, C20, and C24. R' may be any group having from about 1 to about 1000 carbon atoms and with or without hetero atoms. In some embodiments, R' may have from about 1 to about 20, from about 3 to about 10, and from about 5 to about 15 carbon atoms. The hetero atoms may include, without limitation, N, O, S, P, Se, halogen, Si, and B. For example, R' may be a Ci_ ₆ alkyl, such as methyl, ethyl or t-butyl; a Ci_ ₆ alkoxyCi_ ₆ alkyl; a heterocyclyl, such as tetrahydrofuranyl; a C ₆ -ioaryloxyCi_ ₆ alkyl, such as benzyloxymethyl (BOM); a silyl, such as trimethylsilyl, t-butyldimethylsilyl and t-butyldiphenylsilyl; a cinnamyl; an allyl; a Ci_ ₆ alkyl which is mono-, di- or trisubstituted by halogen, silyl, cyano or Ci_ ₆ aryl, wherein the aryl ring is unsubstituted or substituted by one, two or three, residues selected from the group consisting of Ci _-7 alkyl, Ci^alkoxy, halogen, nitro, cyano and CF ₃ ; or a Ci^alkyl substituted by 9-fluorenyl.

[0022] As used herein, a fatty acid amide may generally include amides of fatty acids where the fatty acid is bonded to an amide group. For example, the fatty acid amide may have a formula of RCONR'R". R may be any saturated or unsaturated alkyl group including, without limitation, CIO, C12, C14, C16, C18, C20, and C24. R' and R" may be any group having from about 1 to about 1000 carbon atoms and with or without hetero atoms. In some embodiments, R' may have from about 1 to about 20, from about 3 to about 10, and from about 5 to about 15 carbon atoms. The hetero atoms may include, without limitation, N, O, S, P, Se, halogen, Si, and B. For example, R' and R" each may be an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkynyl, an aryl, an aralkyl, a cycloalkyl, a halogenated alkyl, or a heterocycloalkyl group.

[0023] A fatty acid anhydride may generally refer to a compound which results from the condensation of a fatty acid with a carboxylic acid. Illustrative examples of carboxylic acids that may be used to form a fatty acid anhydride include acetic acid, propionic acid, benzoic acid, and the like.

[0024] An alcohol of a fatty acid refers to a fatty acid having straight or branched, saturated, radical groups with 3-30 carbon atoms and one or more hydroxy groups. The alkyl portion of the alcohol component can be propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, iso-propyl, iso-butyl, sec -butyl, tert-butyl, or the like. One of skill in the art may appreciate that other alcohol groups may also useful in the present disclosure.

[0025] The saturated fatty acid component may include a palmitic acid compound. The palmitic acid compound is not limited by this disclosure, and may include one or more of a conjugated palmitic acid, unconjugated palmitic acid, free palmitic acid, palmitic acid derivatives, and/or the like. Palmitic acid, also known as hexadecanoic acid, has a molecular formula of Non- limiting examples of palmitic acid derivatives include palmitic acid esters, palmitic acid amides, palmitic acid salts, palmitic acid carbonates, palmitic acid carbamates, palmitic acid imides, palmitic acid anhydrides, and/or the like. According to some embodiments, the palmitic acid compound may include free palmitic acid, palmitate triglyceride, sodium palmitate, calcium palmitate, magnesium palmitate, ammonium palmitate, or any combination thereof. [0026] The palmitic acid compound may be present in the saturated fatty acid component in an amount of about 60% by weight of the fatty acid to about 100% by weight of the fatty acid, including about 60% by weight, about 65% by weight, about 70% by weight, about 75% by weight, about 80% by weight, about 85% by weight, about 90% by weight, about 95% by weight, about 98% by weight, about 99% by weight, about 100% by weight, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). In an embodiment, the saturated fatty acid component may consist of about 100% of the palmitic acid compound. In an embodiment, the saturated fatty acid component may consist of 100% of the palmitic acid compound, in other words, the saturated fatty acid component is palmitic acid.

[0027] In some embodiments, the saturated fatty acid component may include a stearic acid compound. The stearic acid compound is not limited by this disclosure, and may include conjugated stearic acid, unconjugated stearic acid, free stearic acid, stearic acid derivatives, and/or the like. Stearic acid, also known as octadecanoic acid, has a molecular formula of CH ₃ (CH ₂ )i ₆ C0 ₂ H. Specific examples of stearic acid derivatives may include stearic acid esters, stearic acid amides, stearic acid salts, stearic acid carbonates, stearic acid carbamates, stearic acid imides, stearic acid anhydrides, and/or the like. Because stearic acid in large amounts may hinder milk production capacity of the mammary gland, the amount of stearic acid may be present in the fatty acid component in an amount of about 30% or less by weight of the fatty acid component. In particular embodiments, the stearic acid compound may include about 30% by weight of the fatty acid component, about 25% by weight of the fatty acid component, about 20% by weight of the fatty acid component, about 15% by weight of the fatty acid component, about 10% by weight of the fatty acid component, about 5% by weight of the fatty acid component, about 1% by weight of the fatty acid component, about 0% by weight of the fatty acid component, or any value or range between any two of these values. In some embodiments, the fatty acid component substantially does not contain a stearic acid compound.

[0028] The micellizing agent content of the second mixture may be about 1% by weight, about 2% by weight, about 3% by weight, about 5% by weight of the weight of the saturated fatty acid component. For instance, a weight:weight ratio of the at least one micellizing agent to the at least one saturated fatty acid component may be about 1 :50 to about 1 :33. The micellizing agent may include at least one emulsifier and may be configured to facilitate and/or to not interfere with forming the ruminant feed mixture into pellets. The second mixture may contain one or more micellizing agents. In an embodiment, the micellizing agent may include at least one non-ionic emulsifier. In an embodiment, the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the micellizing agents may be about 5, about 7, about 10, about 14, or values or ranges between any two of these values (including endpoints). Sample ranges of HLB values include about 5 to about 10, about 5 to about 14, about 7 to about 10, and about 7 to about 14. The micellizing agent may include, without limitation, lecithin, cephalin, castor oil ethoxylate, sorbitan monooleate, tallow ethoxylate, lauric acid, polyethylene glycol, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the second mixture is initially prepared 110 as an emulsion. In an embodiment, the initially formed emulsion may be homogenized by passing the emulsion through a homogenizer one or more times or through the use of in-line dosing equipment.

[0029] The ruminant feed mixture may be prepared 115 by combining the first mixture and the second mixture. For example, the first mixture and the second mixture may be combined in a mixer, such as a conventional batch mixer. The ruminant feed mixture may include various concentrations of the second mixture. For example, the first mixture component of the ruminant feed mixture may be about 0.1 % to about 55%, about 10% to about 95%, about 40% to about 98%, about 50% to about 90% by weight. In an embodiment, the ruminant feed mixture may be prepared 115 at a temperature that is greater than or equal to the melting point of the saturated fatty acid component. For instance, preparing 115 the ruminant feed mixture at a temperature that is greater than or equal to the melting point of the saturated fatty acid component may allow the fatty acid mixture to slowly melt and spread, for instance, with the help of the emulsifier, evenly on the surface of the ruminant feed mixture components. In an embodiment, the ruminant feed mixture may be prepared 115 at or about room temperature (for instance, about 20 °C) , and optionally heated to a temperature that is greater than or equal to the melting point of the saturated fatty acid component subsequently. In an embodiment, the ruminant feed mixture may be treated with vapor (for example, steam) and pelleted or extruded into feed pellets (see FIG. 2).

[0030] The ruminant feed mixture prepared according to embodiments described herein, such as the method depicted in FIG. 1, may be more stable and more digestible by ruminants in a manner that leads to improved milk yield and/or fat content. For instance, by forming the second mixture by itself, a more stable mixture that includes a saturated fatty acid component may be achieved. According to some embodiments, forming the second mixture may provide more stable palmitic acid emulsions that may lead to a more robust palmitic acid component in resulting ruminant feed mixtures. In this manner, a ruminant may ingest a ruminant feed mixture configured to improve milk yield and/or fat content as compared to conventional feed products.

[0031] The ruminant feed mixture prepared according to the method depicted in FIG. 1 is not limited to the components described in relation to the first mixture and the second mixture. Other components may be included in the ruminant feed mixture according to some embodiments described herein. For instance, one or more nutrient components may be added to the ruminant feed mixture, prior to, during, or after the preparation steps 105, 110, 115. In an embodiment, the one or more nutrient components may be combined with the first mixture before the ruminant feed mixture is prepared 115.

[0032] The nutrient component may include, without limitation, carnitine, at least one glucogenic precursor, at least one vitamin, at least one mineral, at least one amino acid, at least one amino acid derivative, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the feed ingredient may include an amount of carnitine. The carnitine may be included in the feed ingredient to aid in the breakdown of fatty acids to generate metabolic energy in the ruminant. In some embodiments, the carnitine may be present in a premix composition.

[0033] Non-limiting examples of a glucogenic precursor may include at least one of glycerol, propylene glycol, molasses, propionate, glycerine, propane diol, calcium propionate, propionic acid, octanoic acid, steam-exploded sawdust, steam-exploded wood chips, steam-exploded wheat straw, algae, algae meal, microalgae, or combinations thereof. The glucogenic precursor may generally be included in the feed ingredient to provide an energy source to the ruminant that prevents gluconeogenesis from occurring within the ruminant's body.

[0034] In various embodiments, the vitamin may include any combination of vitamins including, without limitation, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin K, and/or the like. Specific examples of vitamin B include thiamine (vitamin Bi), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B ₆ ), biotin (vitamin B7), folic acid (vitamin B9), cobalamin (vitamin B12), and choline (vitamin B _p ).

[0035] In various embodiments, the amino acid may include any combination of common, uncommon, essential, and/or non-essential amino acids, including, without limitation, histidine, alanine, isoleucine, arginine, leucine, asparagine, lysine, aspartic acid, methionine, cysteine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, threonine, glutamine, tryptophan, glycine, valine, ornithine, proline, selenocysteine, serine, tyrosine, and/or any derivative thereof. The amino acid may generally be included in the feed ingredient to provide a nutritional aid in various physiological processes in the ruminant, such as, for example, increasing muscle mass, providing energy, aiding in recovery, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the amino acid may be present in a premix composition.

[0036] In various embodiments, the mineral may be any mineral that is a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) mineral or a combination of such minerals. The mineral may further be obtained from any mineral source that provides a bioavailable mineral. In some embodiments, the mineral may be one or more of calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, selenium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, iodine, molybdenum, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the mineral may be selected from one or more of a sodium salt, a calcium salt, a magnesium salt, a cobalt salt, a manganese salt, a potassium salt, an iron salt, a zinc salt, copper sulfate, copper oxide, selenium, yeast, a chelated mineral, and/or the like. Illustrative examples of sodium salts include monosodium phosphate, sodium acetate, sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, disodium phosphate, sodium iodate, sodium iodide, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium sulfate, sodium selenite, and/or the like. Illustrative examples of calcium salts include calcium acetate, calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium hydroxide, calcium iodate, calcium iodobehenate, calcium oxide, anhydrous calcium sulfate, calcium sulfate dehydrate, dicalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, and/or the like. Illustrative magnesium salts include magnesium acetate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, and/or the like. Illustrative cobalt salts include cobalt acetate, cobalt carbonate, cobalt chloride, cobalt oxide, cobalt sulfate, and/or the like. Illustrative examples of manganese salts include manganese carbonate, manganese chloride, manganese citrate, manganese gluconate, manganese orthophosphate, manganese oxide, manganese phosphate, manganese sulfate, and/or the like. Illustrative examples of potassium salts include potassium acetate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium chloride, potassium iodate, potassium iodide, potassium sulfate, and/or the like. Illustrative examples of iron salts include iron ammonium citrate, iron carbonate, iron chloride, iron gluconate, iron oxide, iron phosphate, iron pyrophosphate, iron sulfate, reduced iron, and/or the like. Illustrative examples of zinc salts include zinc acetate, zinc carbonate, zinc chloride, zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, and/or the like.

[0037] FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of preparing and processing a ruminant feed mixture according to a first embodiment. In various embodiments, the components described herein with respect to FIG. 2 may generally be combined in any order and/or any combination, may include more or fewer components, and are not limited by the order described herein.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the ruminant feed mixture may be prepared and processed in various stages, such as a grinding, dosing and mixing stage 200, a pelleting stage 230, and a packaging and loading stage 260. The grinding, dosing and mixing stage 200 may commence with receiving 202 the raw materials, such as the carbohydrate component, the nitrogen component, the saturated fatty acid component, the micellizing agent, water, and any other raw materials used to prepare the ruminant feed mixture according to embodiments described herein.

[0039] The grain and course raw materials may be stored 206 in at least one first silo and dosing components may be stored 210 in at least one second silo. Example grains may include, without limitation, wheat, corn, barley, rye, rice, and triticale. Example course raw materials may include one or more of the various materials described herein including, without limitation, alfalfa meal, hay meal, wheat bran, wheat middlings, sugar beet pulp, or the like. The materials stored 206 in the at least one first silo and stored 210 in the at least one second silo may include dry or substantially dry materials. In an embodiment, the grain and course raw materials may include at least a portion of the carbohydrate component, the nitrogen component, the micellizing agent, and/or the saturated fatty acid compound. In an embodiment, the grain and course raw materials may include the carbohydrate component and the nitrogen component (for example, the materials used to form the first mixture). The grain and course raw materials, such as the carbohydrate component and/or the nitrogen component, may be ground 208 before being stored 210 in the at least one second silo. Pre- Grinding 208 may include separately grinding one or more of the components before they are combined with one or more other components. For example, pre-grinding 208 may include grinding the nitrogen component alone and/or the carbohydrate component alone before combining to form the first mixture. In another example, pre-grinding 208 may include grinding the first mixture before it is combined with the second mixture.

[0040] Pre-grinding 208 may be configured to grind materials to various sizes, such as particle size (for instance, measured in millimeters), mesh sizes, surface areas, or the like. The carbohydrate component may be ground to a particle size of about 1 millimeters, about 2 millimeters, about 5 millimeters, about 7 millimeters, about 10 millimeters, and values or ranges between any two of these values (including endpoints). The nitrogen component may be ground to a particle size of about 1 millimeters, about 2 millimeters, about 5 millimeters, about 7 millimeters, about 10 millimeters, and values or ranges between any two of these values (including endpoints). The first mixture may be ground to a particle size of about 1 millimeters, about 2 millimeters, about 5 millimeters, about 7 millimeters, about 10 millimeters, and values or ranges between any two of these values (including endpoints). In some embodiments, the various components may be ground so that about 20% to 50% of the each component and/or all components are retained by a mesh having openings with a size of about 10 mm and so that about 70% to about 90% of each component and/or all components are retained by a mesh having openings with a size of about 1 mm. In some embodiments, the various components may have a varying distribution of particle sizes based upon the ingredients. For example, in embodiments containing one or more wheat ingredients, the particle size may be distributed so that about 95% of the ground wheat ingredients are retained by a mesh having openings with a size of about 0.0625 mm and so that about 65% of the ground wheat ingredients are retained by a mesh having openings with a size of about 1.0 mm. In another example, such as embodiments containing one or more barley ingredients, the particle size may be distributed so that about 95% of the ground barley ingredients are retained by a mesh having openings with a size of about 0.0625 mm and so that about 60% of the ground barley ingredients are retained by a mesh having openings with a size of about 1.0 mm. The varying mesh sizes of each ingredient may be independent of mesh sizes for other ingredients.

[0041] The dosing materials stored 210 in the at least one second silo may be batch weighed and combined 212. In an embodiment, the dosing materials stored 210 in the at least one second silo may include the carbohydrate component and the nitrogen component such that batch weighing and combining 212 is configured to form the first mixture. In a non-limiting example, the batch weighing and combining 212 may involve about 4000 kilograms to about 5000 kilograms of materials. In an embodiment, the first mixture may be batch-ground 214 in a manner similar to that described for pre-grinding 208.

[0042] In an embodiment, grinding 208, 210 may be performed by various grinding devices known to those having ordinary skill in the art, such as a hammer mill, a roller mill, a disk mill, or the like. Grinding 208, 210 may include any process for reducing the particle size of and/or comminuting a material, such as smashing, mashing, shocking, hammering, or the like. Grinding, such as pre-grinding 208 and batch-grinding 214, may provide various benefits, such as improving certain characteristics of the ruminant feed mixture. For instance, even and fine particle size may improve the mixing of different feed ingredients and pelleting. According to certain embodiments, grinding 208, 210 may be configured to decrease a particle size of certain components of the feed, for example, to increase the surface area open for enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, which may improve the digestibility of nutrients, and to increase the palatability of the feed.

[0043] Liquid raw materials may be stored 218 in one or more liquid component tanks. In an embodiment, the liquid raw materials may include at least a portion of the carbohydrate component, the nitrogen component, the micellizing agent, and/or the saturated fatty acid compound. In an embodiment, the liquid raw materials may include the saturated fatty acid component, the micellizing agent and water configured to form the second mixture. The liquid components may be combined to prepare 220 an emulsifier, for example, for liquid dosing. In an embodiment, water may be added 204 to prepare 220 an emulsion, such as water at a temperature of about 5 °C to about 15 °C. The liquid materials and the dry materials may be combined in a batch mixing 216 process configured to mix the ingredients. According to some embodiments, batch mixing 216 may include batch mixing the first mixture and the second mixture to form the ruminant feed mixture. In an embodiment, batch mixing 216 may produce about 4000 kilograms to about 5000 kilograms of the ruminant feed mixture.

[0044] The ruminant feed mixture may be formed into pellets in a pelleting stage 230. The ruminant feed mixture may be stored 232 in at least one pelleting bin. In an embodiment, the pelleting bin used to store 232 the ruminant feed mixture may have a temperature of about 10 °C to about 20 °C and a relative humidity of about 10% to about 11%. The ruminant feed mixture may be steam conditioned 234, for example, at a temperature of about 66 °C to about 81 °C and a relative humidity of about 13% to about 16%. In an embodiment, the ruminant feed mixture may bypass storage 232 in the pelleting pre -bins and may be transferred directly to steam conditioning 234. Steam conditioning 234 may be carried out on a short term basis (for example, about 20 seconds to about 40 seconds) or a long term basis (for example, about 10 minutes to about 15 minutes). According to some embodiments, steam conditioning 234 may be carried out for about 20 seconds, about 40 seconds, about 1 minute, about 2 minutes, about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 15 minutes, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints).

[0045] The steam conditioned ruminant feed mixture may be pressed 236 into pellets, for instance, at a mass flow rate of about 10 tons per hour to about 20 tons per hour, a temperature of about 75 °C to about 81 °C and a relative humidity of about 13% to about 16%. A steam boiler may be configured to generate 240 steam for steam conditioning 234 and pressing 236 the ruminant feed mixture. The pellets may be cooled and dried 238, for instance, at a temperature of about 10 °C to about 20 °C and a relative humidity of about 11% to about 12%. In an embodiment, air may be input 342 into the cooling and drying 238 process at a temperature of about 5 °C to about 25 °C and may be discharged 244 at a temperature of about 40 °C to about 50 °C.

[0046] The pellets may enter a packaging and loading stage 260 configured to prepare the pellets for sale, on-site delivery, feeding to ruminants, or the like. A sieve device may be configured to sieve 262 the pellets to select for pellets of a particular size. In an embodiment, the diameter of the pellets may be about 2 mm, about 3 mm, about 5 mm, about 7.5 mm, or values or ranges between any two of these values (including endpoints). The finished pellets may be stored 264 in at least one finished product silo and may be bulk loaded 266 and/or bag loaded 272. Bulk loading 266, for example, may include loading the pellets directly into a delivery vehicle. Bag loading 272 may include bag filling 268 bags of ruminant feed mixture pellets, for example, in about 20 kilogram to about 40 kilogram bags and storing 270 the bags, for example, in about 500 tons to about 4000 tons lots in a warehouse.

[0047] In various embodiments, a method of increasing milk fat content in ruminants may include providing the dietary composition as described herein to the ruminant for ingestion. In some embodiments, providing the dietary composition to the ruminant for the ruminant to consume may result in an increase in production of milk and/or an increase in fat content of the milk produced. These increases may generally be relative to a similar ruminant that does not receive the dietary composition, an average of similar ruminants not receiving the dietary composition, an average of the milk production quantity and fat content of the same ruminant when not provided the dietary composition, and/or the like. In particular embodiments, the milk production may increase by an amount of about 1% to about 10%, including about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 6%, about 7%, about 8%, about 9%, about 10%, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). In particular embodiments, the milk fat content may increase by an amount of about 10% to about 15%, including about 10%, about 11%, about 12%, about 13%, about 14%, about 15%, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints) compared to ruminants that do not ingest the dietary composition.

EXAMPLES

Example 1 : Improving the Milk Yield and Milk Fat Content of a Dairy Cow

[0048] A ruminant feed mixture is prepared from a first mixture and a second mixture. The first mixture is prepared by combining a carbohydrate component with a nitrogen component. The carbohydrate component includes about 15% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of wheat, about 15% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of corn, and about 10% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of barley. The nitrogen component includes about 12% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of soy meal. The first mixture is ground to an average particle size of about 0.2 millimeters using a roller mill.

[0049] A second mixture is prepared by combining a saturated fatty acid component, a micellizing agent, and water. The saturated fatty acid component includes about 90% by weight free palmitic acid and about 10% by weight stearic acid, and the micellizing agent includes polyethylene glycol. A weight:weight ratio of the polyethylene glycol to the at least one saturated fatty acid component is about 1 :40. The second mixture is an emulsion that includes about 5% by weight of water and is homogenized by passing the second mixture through a homogenizer. The first mixture is about 88% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture and the second mixture is about 12% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture.

[0050] The ruminant feed mixture is prepared by combining the first mixture and the second mixture in a batch mixer at a temperature that is higher than the melting point of the saturated fatty acid component.

[0051] A dairy cow that has a normal (untreated) average daily production of 30 kg milk will be provided with the ruminant feed mixture prepared to increase the milk fat and the quantity of the milk produced. The dairy cow has a body weight of about 750 kilograms. The dairy cow is given about 0.44 grams of palmitic acid / kilogram body weight, 0.49 grams of saturated fatty acid component / kilogram body weight, or 4.07 grams of the ruminant feed mixture / kilogram body weight per day, resulting in about 3.1 kilograms of the ruminant feed mixture per day. As a result of ingesting the ruminant feed mixture, the dairy cow produces about 10% more milk containing about 10% more milk fat content than when on a diet that did not consist of the ruminant feed mixture. Example 2: Preparing a Batch of Ruminant Feed Mixture Pellets

[0052] A batch of ruminant feed mixture pellets weighing about 5000 kilograms is prepared from raw materials that include a carbohydrate component, a nitrogen component, a saturated fatty acid component, a micellizing agent, a nutrient component, and water. The carbohydrate component includes about 5% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of sugar cane, about 17% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of millet, about 15% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of corn, and about 13% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of barley. The nitrogen component includes about 5% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of sunflower meals and about 7% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture of linseed meals.

[0053] The saturated fatty acid component includes 100% free palmitic acid. The micellizing agent includes an emulsifier in the form of lecithin. A weight:weight ratio of the lecithin to the free palmitic acid is about 1:35. The nutrient component is present at about 5% by weight of the ruminant feed mixture and includes a mixture of vitamin A and a mineral of calcium.

[0054] The carbohydrate component and the nitrogen component are combined to form the first mixture and are ground using a roller mill to an average particle size of about 10 millimeters. The first mixture weighs about 4000 kilograms. The saturated fatty acid component, the micellizing agent, and the water are combined to form the second mixture as an emulsion. The second mixture is about 5% by weight of water. The second mixture weighs about 1000 kilograms. The first mixture, the second mixture, and the nutrient component are combined in a batch mixer to form the ruminant feed mixture having a total weight of about 5000 kilograms.

[0055] The ruminant feed mixture is transferred to a set of pelleting bins in which the mixture is steam conditioned, pressed into pellets, and dried. The pellets are bulk loaded and delivered to a dairy farm for consumption by dairy cows. Consumption of the ruminant feed mixture pellets by the dairy cows results in a daily milk yield increase of about 8% and a milk fat content increase of about 11% compared to dairy cows that do not ingest the ruminant feed mixture pellets.

[0056] In the above detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the Figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein.

[0057] The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds, compositions or biological systems, which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. [0058] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

[0059] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (for example, bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (for example, the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," et cetera). While various compositions, methods, and devices are described in terms of "comprising" various components or steps (interpreted as meaning "including, but not limited to"), the compositions, methods, and devices can also "consist essentially of or "consist of the various components and steps, and such terminology should be interpreted as defining essentially closed-member groups. It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (for example, "a" and/or "an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (for example, the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, et cetera" is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (for example, " a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, et cetera). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, et cetera" is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (for example, " a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, et cetera). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0060] In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

[0061] As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, et cetera As a non- limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, et cetera As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as "up to," "at least," and the like include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 cells. Similarly, a group having 1-5 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells, and so forth.

[0062] Various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be encompassed by the disclosed embodiments.