Methods of feeding a pre-partum ruminant compositions containing sugar alcohol
A method of feeding a ruminant that entails providing a feed that comprises sugar alcohol and at least one additional feed component, where the feed is free of rumen-protected fatty acid or comprises less than 10 weight percent rumen-protected fatty acid, based on the total weight of the feed and further entails orally supplying the feed to the ruminant during a pre-partum period when the ruminant is pregnant, where the ruminant ingests the feed and sugar alcohol during the pre-partum period.
1. A method of feeding a ruminant on a daily basis, the method comprising:
providing a feed that comprises sugar alcohol and at least one additional feed component, the sugar alcohol fully digestible in the rumen of the ruminant, the feed free of glycerol; and
orally supplying the feed to the ruminant during a pre-partum period when the ruminant is pregnant, the ruminant ingesting the feed and sugar alcohol during the pre-partum period at least when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating;
wherein ingesting the sugar alcohol in the feed during the pre-partum period causes the ruminant to decrease non-esterified fatty acid concentration in blood of the ruminant during one or more of the pre-partum period or an early postpartum period after the ruminant gives birth.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ruminant exhibits the decreased non-esterified fatty acid concentration in the blood at least for a period of time falling between about two days before the giving birth to about two days after giving birth.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as little as about 50 grams of sugar alcohol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as much as about 200 grams of the sugar alcohol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-partum period starts no more than about eight weeks before the ruminant gives birth.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-partum period starts about three weeks before the ruminant gives birth.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ruminant of claim 1 is a first ruminant, the first ruminant exhibiting the decreased non-esterified fatty acid concentration in the blood by at least about thirty percent as compared to a second ruminant fed identically as the first ruminant, with the exception that feed provided to the second ruminant during the pre-partum period is free of sugar alcohol, the first ruminant and the second ruminant substantially identical to each other.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sugar alcohol comprises sorbitol, adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabinitol, dulcitol, erythritol, galaxitol, glucitol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol, threitol, xylitol, or any of these in any combination.
9. A method of feeding a ruminant on a daily basis, the method comprising:
providing a feed that comprises sorbitol and at least one additional feed component, the feed free of glycerol and the sorbitol fully digestible in the rumen of the ruminant; and
orally supplying the feed to the ruminant during a pre-partum period when the ruminant is pregnant, the ruminant ingesting the feed and the sorbitol during the pre-partum period at least when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating;
wherein ingesting the sorbitol in the feed during the pre-partum period causes the ruminant to decrease non-esterified fatty acid concentration in blood of the ruminant during one or more of the pre-partum period or an early post-partum period after the ruminant gives birth.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as little as about 50 grams of sorbitol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as much as about 200 grams of the sorbitol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pre-partum period ends at about the time the ruminant gives birth.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pre-partum period starts no more than about eight weeks before the ruminant gives birth.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pre-partum period starts about three weeks before the ruminant gives birth.
15. A method of feeding a ruminant, the method comprising:
providing a feed that comprises sugar alcohol and at least one additional feed component, the sugar alcohol comprising sorbitol, adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabinitol, dulcitol, erythritol, galaxitol, glucitol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol, threitol, xylitol, or any of these in any combination; and
orally supplying the feed to the ruminant on a daily basis during a pre-partum period, the ruminant ingesting the feed and sugar alcohol during the pre-partum period at least when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating;
wherein ingesting the sugar alcohol in the feed during the pre-partum period causes the ruminant to decrease non-esterified fatty acid concentration in blood of the ruminant during one or more of the pre-partum period or an early post-partum period after the ruminant gives birth.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as little as about 50 grams of sugar alcohol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pregnant ruminant ingests as much as about 200 grams of the sugar alcohol per day when the pregnant ruminant is not lactating.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-partum period ends at about the time the ruminant gives birth.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-partum period starts no more than about eight weeks before the ruminant gives birth.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-partum period starts about three weeks before the ruminant gives birth.
21. The method of claim 9 , wherein the ruminant exhibits the decreased non-esterified fatty acid concentration in the blood at least for a period of time falling between about two days before the giving birth to about two days after giving birth.
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the ruminant exhibits the decreased non-esterified fatty acid concentration in the blood at least for a period of time falling between about two days before the giving birth to about two days after giving birth.
23. The method of claim 9 , wherein the ruminant of claim 9 is a first ruminant, the first ruminant exhibiting the decreased non-esterified fatty acid concentration in the blood by at least about thirty percent as compared to a second ruminant fed identically as the first ruminant, with the exception that feed provided to the second ruminant during the pre-partum period is free of sugar alcohol, the first ruminant and the second ruminant substantially identical to each other.
24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the ruminant of claim 15 is a first ruminant, the first ruminant exhibiting the decreased non-esterified fatty acid concentration in the blood by at least about thirty percent as compared to a second ruminant fed identically as the first ruminant, with the exception that feed provided to the second ruminant during the pre-partum period is free of sugar alcohol, the first ruminant and the second ruminant substantially identical to each other.