Animal feed supplement
An animal rumen-resistant feed supplement in the solid form, said feed supplement comprising at least one methionine derivative and a porous carrier material wherein (a) said methionine derivative is selected from the group consisting of liquid and solid esters of the 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid, with the proviso that solid esters have a melting point of 100° C. at most; the 2-amino-4-methylthiobutanamide and the 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanamide, (b) said methionine derivative accounts for at least 20% and up to 70% by weight of the feed supplement and (c) said supplement is in the form of particles having a size range of from 80 to 600 microns.
1 . An animal rumen-resistant feed supplement in the solid form, said feed supplement comprising at least one methionine derivative and a porous carrier material wherein said methionine derivative is selected from the group consisting of liquid and solid esters of the 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid, with the proviso that solid esters have a melting point of 100° C. at most; the 2-amino-4-methylthiobutanamide and the 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanamide, said methionine derivative accounts for at least 20% and up to 70% by weight of the feed supplement and said supplement is in the form of particles having a size range of from 80 to 600 microns.
2 . The feed supplement of claim 1 , wherein said methionine derivative is a linear or branched alkyl ester of the 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid selected from methyl ester, ethyl ester, n-propyl ester, isopropyl ester, butyl esters, namely n-butyl ester, sec butyl ester, isobutyl ester and tertio butyl ester, pentyl esters and hexyl esters, especially n-pentyl, isopentyl, n-hexyl and isohexyl esters.
3 . The feed supplement of claim 2 , wherein the ester is the isopropyl ester or the tertio butyl ester.
4 . The feed supplement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the porous carrier material has a porosity of at least 0.4 ml/g, and preferably at least 1.5 ml/g.
5 . The feed supplement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier material is selected from natural clays and silicates such as vermiculite, sepiolite, perlite, bentonite; from zeolithes or from porous silica.
6 . The feed supplement of claim 5 , wherein the carrier material is sepiolite and the methionine derivative accounts for up to 40% by weight of the feed supplement.
7 . The feed supplement of claim 5 , wherein the carrier material is silica and the methionine derivative accounts for up to 70% by weight of the feed supplement.
8 . The feed supplement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the particles have a size range of from 125 to 500 microns, preferably from 160 to 400 microns.
9 . An animal feed comprising a feed supplement as claimed claim 1.