Gel based livestock feed, method of manufacture and use
A method of making a gel-type livestock feed includes initially forming a feed mixture by mixing feed nutrient components, water, alginate, and a calcium component insoluble in water or a sequestrate to inhibit the calcium component from reacting with the alginate. Once the feed mixture is formed, the calcium component is solubilized or the sequestrates affecting the reactivity between the alginate and the calcium component is removed such that a gel feed is formed that includes a gel matrix containing the feed nutrient components. The gel feed may then be fed to the livestock. In another aspect of the present invention, piglets are weaned by feeding the gel feed for at least seven days directly after weaning. The gel feed may also include protein derived from blood with or without egg protein.
1. A method of making a livestock feed for piglets, the method comprising:
forming a feed mixture by mixing feed nutrient components of at least carbohydrates and fats with water, alginate, a calcium component insoluble in water or a sequestrate to inhibit the calcium component from reacting with the alginate wherein the pH during mixing of the feed nutrient components is about 6.0 or greater; and
once the feed mixture is formed, solubilizing the calcium component or removing the sequestrate's effect on the reactivity between the alginate and the calcium component such that a gel feed is formed comprising a gel matrix containing the entire feed mixture feed,
wherein the gel matrix is formed without utilizing an external heat source, and
wherein the gel feed includes the carbohydrates, fat and water in an amount sufficient for a required dietary carbohydrate, fat and water intake for the piglets.
2. The method of claim 1 and further including adding an acid or an acidulent to the feed mixture to lower the pH to solubilize the calcium component.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the acid is either citric, fumaric or propionic acid or any combination thereof.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein sufficient acid or acidulent is added to lower the pH to at least about 4.5 or below.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the calcium component is a calcium salt.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the calcium salt is dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, calcium iodate, calcium sulfate or any combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the calcium salt becomes soluble and reactive with the alginate at a selected pH and the pH of the feed mixture is lowered to or below the selected pH.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein antibiotics or chemotherapeutics are added when the feed mixture is formed.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the antibiotics or chemotherapeutics include apramycin, bacitracin methylene disacylate, bacitracic zinc, bambermycins, chlortetracycline, lincomycin, neomycin, oxytetracycline, penicillin, tiamulin, tylosin, virginiamycin, arsanilic acid, carbodox, roxarsone, sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, or any combination thereof.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the feed mixture includes about 25 to 90% water, about 2 to 25% protein, about 3-40% carbohydrate, about 0-10% fat, and less than about 2% fiber.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one nutrient component is a protein derived from blood.
12. A method of feeding piglets, the method comprising:
forming a feed mixture by mixing feed nutrient components of at least carbohydrates and fats with water, alginate, a calcium component insoluble in water or a sequestrate to inhibit the calcium component from reacting with the alginate wherein the pH during mixing of the feed nutrient components is about 6.0 or greater;
once the feed mixture is formed, solubilizing the calcium component or removing the sequestrate's effect on the reactivity between the alginate and the calcium component such that a gel feed is formed comprising a gel matrix containing the feed nutrient components and the entire amount of water in the feed mixture, wherein the gel matrix is formed without utilizing an external heat source, and wherein the gel feed includes the carbohydrates, fat and water in an amount sufficient for a required dietary carbohydrate, fat and water intake for the piglets; and
feeding the piglets the gel feed.
13. The method of claim 12 and further including adding an acid or an acidulent to the feed mixture to lower the pH to solubilize the calcium component.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the acid is either citric, fumaric or propionic acid or any combination thereof.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein sufficient acid or acidulent is added to lower the pH to at least about 4.5 or below.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein the calcium component is a calcium salt.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the calcium salt is dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, calcium iodate calcium sulfate or any combination thereof.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the calcium salt becomes soluble at a selected pH and the pH of the feed mixture is lowered to or below the selected pH.
19. The method of claim 12 wherein antibiotics or chemotherapeutics are added to form the feed mixture.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the antibiotics or chemotherapeutics include apramycin, bacitracin methylene disacylate, bacitracic zinc, bambermycins, chlortetracycline, lincomycin, neomycin, oxytetracycline, penicillin, tiamulin, tylosin, virginiamycin, arsanilic acid, carbodox, roxarsone, sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, or any combination thereof.
21. The method of claim 12 wherein the feed mixture includes about 25 to 90% water, about 2 to 25% protein, about 3-40% carbohydrate, about 0-10% fat, and less than about 2% fiber.
22. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one nutrient component is a protein derived from blood.
23. A method of making a livestock feed for piglets, the method comprising:
forming a feed mixture by mixing feed nutrient components of at least carbohydrates and fats with water, alginate, a calcium component insoluble in water or a sequestrate to inhibit the calcium component from reacting with the alginate; and
once the feed mixture is formed, solubilizing the calcium component or removing the sequestrate's effect on the reactivity between the alginate and the calcium component by including adding an acid or an acidulent to the feed mixture to lower the pH to at least about 4.5 or below to solubilize the calcium component such that a gel feed is formed comprising a gel matrix containing the feed nutrient components and the entire amount of water in the feed mixture, wherein the gel feed includes carbohydrates, fat and water in an amount sufficient for a required dietary carbohydrate, fat and water intake for the piglets, and wherein the gel matrix is formed at a controlled rate to form the gel matrix at a selected consistency.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the acid is either citric, fumaric or propionic acid or any combination thereof.
25. The method of claim 23 wherein the calcium component is a calcium salt.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the calcium salt is dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, calcium iodate, calcium sulfate or any combination thereof.
27. The method of claim 25 wherein the calcium salt becomes soluble and reactive with the alginate at a selected pH and the pH of the feed mixture is lowered to or below the selected pH.
28. The method of claim 23 wherein antibiotics or chemotherapeutics are added when the feed mixture is formed.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the antibiotics or chemotherapeutics include apramycin, bacitracin methylene disacylate, bacitracic zinc, bambermycins, chlortetracycline, lincomycin, neomycin, oxytetracycline, penicillin, tiamulin, tylosin, virginiamycin, arsanilic acid, carbodox, roxarsone, sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, or any combination thereof.
30. The method of claim 23 wherein the feed mixture includes about 25 to 90% water, about 2 to 25% protein, about 3-40% carbohydrate, about 0-10% fat, and less than about 2% fiber.
31. The method of claim 23 wherein at least one nutrient component is a protein derived from blood.
32. The method of claim 11 wherein the protein derived from blood is in the form of blood plasma or blood serum.
33. The method of claim 22 wherein the protein derived from blood is in the form of blood plasma or blood serum.
34. The method of claim 31 wherein the protein derived from blood is in the form of blood plasma or blood serum.
35. The method of claim 1 wherein the water is a major component of the gel feed such that a weight percent of the water is higher than a weight percent of any of the feed nutrient components, the alginate and the calcium component.
36. The method of claim 12 wherein the water is a major component of the gel feed such that a weight percent of the water is higher than a weight percent of any of the feed nutrient components, the alginate and the calcium component.
37. The method of claim 23 wherein the water is a major component of the gel feed such that a weight percent of the water is higher than a weight percent of any of the feed nutrient components, the alginate and the calcium component.