Thixotropic liquid feed supplements for ruminants of carbohydrates, npn and clay

Claim 2

A THIXOTROPIC LIQUID ANIMAL FEED SUPPLEMENT COMPRISING WATER, A LIQUID FEED SUPPLEMENT MEDIUM SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MOLASSES AND A CARBOHYDRATE SOLUTION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STARCHES, DEXTRINS, PECTINS AND SUGARS AND CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 0.5% BY WEIGHT OF A SOLUBLE ACID OR AT LEAST ABOUT 0.01% BY WEIGHT OF A POLYVALENT CATION SOURCE, AND FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO ABOUT 5.0 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A DISPERSANT-TREATED CLAY, SAID CLAY BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BENTONITE, ATTAPULGITE AND SEPIOLITE CLAYS AND SAID DISPERSANT BEING EMPLOYED IN AMOUNTS OF FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 20 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE CLAY AND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM, POTASSIUM AND AMMONIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, PYROPHOSPHATE AND POLYPHOSPHATE AND THE SODIUM SALT OF POLYMERIC CARBOXYLIC ACIDS.

Claim 3

A supplement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the liquid feed supplement medium is a carbohydrate solution.

Claim 4

A supplement in accordance with claim 2 wherein the carbohydrate solution comprises an edible sugar solution.

Claim 5

A supplement in accordance with claim 3, wherein said edible sugar is selected from the group consisting of araginose, xylose, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and lactose, or admixtures thereof.

Claim 6

A supplement in accordance with claim 3 wherein the edible sugar is sucrose.

Claim 7

A supplement in accordance with claim 5 wherein the soluble polyvalent cation source is calcium.

Claim 8

A supplement in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liquid feed supplement medium is molasses.

Claim 9

A supplement in accordance with claim 1 wherein said clay is attapulgite.

Claim 10

A supplement in accordance with claim 1 wherein said clay is bentonite.

Claim 11

A supplement in accordance with claim 1 wherein the dispersant of the treated clay comprises a soluble salt of metaphosphate, tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate or a polyphosphate.

Claim 12

A supplement in accordance with claim 1 further comprising insoluble minerals or elements.

Claim 13

A supplement in accordance with claim 1 further comprising edible water-insoluble fats and oils.

Claim 14

A thixotropic liquid animal feed supplement comprising water, a liquid feed supplement medium selected from the group consisting of molasses and a carbohydrate solution selected from the group consisting of starches, dextrins, pectins and sugars and containing at least about 0.5% by weight of a soluble acid or at least about 0.01% by weight of a polyvalent cation source, a non-protein nitrogen source and from about 0.5 to about 5.0 percent by weight of a dispersant-treated clay, said clay being selected from the group consisting of bentonite, attapulgite and sepiolite clays and said dispersant being employed in amounts of from about 1 to about 20 percent by weight based on the clay and being selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and ammonium tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate and polyphosphate and the sodium salt of polymeric carboxylic acids.

Claim 15

A thixotropic liquid animal feed supplement comprising water, a liquid feed supplement medium selected from the group consisting of molasses and a carbohydrate solution selected from the group consisting of starches, dextrins, pectins and sugars and containing at least about 0.5% by weight of a soluble acid or at least about 0.01% by weight of a polyvalent cation source, a non-protein nitrogen source and from about 0.5 to about 5.0 percent by weight of a dispersant-treated clay, said clay being selected from the group consisting of bentonite, attapulgite and sepiolite clays and said dispersant being employed in amounts of from about 1 to about 20 percent by weight based on the clay and being selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and ammonium tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate and polyphosphate and the sodium salt of polymeric carboxylic acids.

Claim 16

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 wherein the liquid feed supplement medium is a carbohydrate solution.

Claim 17

A supplement in accordance with claim 14 wherein the carbohydrate solution comprises an edible sugar solution.

Claim 18

A supplement in accordance with claim 15 wherein said edible sugar is selected from the group consisting of araginose, xylose, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and lactose, or admixtures thereof.

Claim 19

A supplement in accordance with claim 15 wherein the edible sugar is sucrose.

Claim 20

A supplement in accordance with claim 17 wherein the soluble polyvalent cation source is calcium.

Claim 21

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 wherein the liquid feed supplement medium is molasses.

Claim 22

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 wherein said clay is attapulgite.

Claim 23

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 wherein said clay is bentonite.

Claim 24

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 wherein the dispersant of the treated clay comprises a soluble salt of a metaphosphate, tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate or a polyphosphate.

Claim 25

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 wherein the non-protein nitrogen source is biuret.

Claim 26

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 wherein the non-protein nitrogen source is urea.

Claim 27

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 further comprising insoluble minerals or elements.

Claim 28

A supplement in accordance with claim 13 further comprising edible water-insoluble fats and oils.