AU714920B2 - Animal feed - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 350458

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: a. a a *aa.

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a Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Basil Arthur Wormald 38 Haig Avenue Queenstown SOUTH AFRICA Basil Arthur Wormald Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Animal Feed The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845 0 *0 0 0* BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION THIS invention relates to animal feeds and seed products.

.Desertification of otherwise good farmland is often caused by factors such as changing weather patterns leading to poor rainfall. However, this !6 problem has been compounded in many instances by poor farming methods or mismanagement of these areas. Even in areas where there is sufficient rainfall, overgrazing and other poor farming methods may lead to desertification.

Attempts have been made to halt or even reverse these desertification it processes, but these have not always been successful.

2 Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for the re-establishment of grass, herbs, legumes and other pasture plants, by providing an animal feed or seed product, in solid form, including seeds selected from grass seeds, legume seeds and other pasture plant seeds, Swhich seeds are substantially not digestible upon being ingested by an animal and wherein at least some of the seeds are protected in the solid form from conditions which may cause germination of the seeds, and allowing an animal to ingest a portion of the animal feed or feed product, whereafter at least some of the seeds are excreted by the animal and are capable of germination under favourable weather conditions to lead to the re-establishment of grass, herbs, legumes and other pasture plants.

IC The seed product need not contain any ingredients which contribute to the nutrition of the animal.

These seeds in the animal feed or the seed product are therefore able to pass through the animal's digestive system and are deposited in the animal's manure. The seeds may then germinate under favourable weather conditions and lead to the re-establishment of grass, herbs, legumes and other pasture plants.

By solid form there is included a solid lick block, pellets, granules, tablets and the like, provided that such solid forms protect at least some of the o a o•a a o• [I:\DayLib\LBFF]2 1435a.doc:gce seeds from conditions which may cause germination of the seeds, for example moisture. Excluded from solid form products are those which are in the form of a meal, or a loose lick form.

Seeds which are suitable include seeds which are indigenous to the country concerned, as well as: lucerne, red clover, subterranean clover, medics, wheat, sorghum, forage ranisetum, old man saltbush, tall fescue, midmar ryegrass, nui ryegrass, eragrostis curvula, eragrostis teff, bermuda grass, smuts finger grass, rhodes grass, columbusgrass and chencherus ciliaris.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the seeds are included in a solid lick block, preferably a molasses-based lick block.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS The crux of the invention is that an animal feed or seed product in solid form includes seeds, which may be grass seeds, legume seeds or other pasture plant seeds, which seeds are substantially not digestible upon being 16 ingested by an animal, and which seeds are protected from conditions which may cause germination by the solid form of the animal feed or seed product.

a a The animal concerned may be a domesticated animal such as cattle, sheep and horses, or a wild or game animal.

O The preferred form of animal feed is a solid lick block, preferably a molasses-based lick block.

4 In South African Patent No 77/0927 there is disclosed a method for preparing an animal lick block comprising the steps of mixing hot molasses and at least one solidifying agent at atmospheric or elevated pressure, allowing the mixture to thicken, transferring the thickened mixture into a mould and heating the mixture in the mould until it solidifies. This method may be used to manufacture an animal lick block of the invention, with the seeds being added into the mixing step.

This patent also discloses a solidified molasses-based lick block containing a protein source in the form of dried, sterilised poultry litter. This i0 molasses-based lick block, including seeds as required, may be utilised as the animal feed of the invention.

The contents of South African Patent No 77/0927 are incorporated herein by reference.

The seeds which are suitable for use in the animal feed of the invention are 15 those which are substantially not digestible upon being ingested by an animal. Examples of suitable seeds are listed above.

•The quantity of seeds to be included in an animal feed or in the seed

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product will be widely varied depending upon the use to which the animal I O- feed or the seed product is to be put, the type of animal, the type of seed, the rainfull potential of the area and the soil type.

In the seed product the binder may be any suitable binder for the seeds, such as for example a natural gum eg guar gum, or a mixture of a gum with eg lime The invention has been subjected to various tests and details thereof are set out below.

The viability of different seed types that are normally recommended for the revegetation of denuded areas were determined on a Shortlands soil type as well as in the laboratory. A cost and time effective revegetation method, by making use of supplement feeding blocks containing selected seed types, was also evaluated.

Procedures Ten non-coated and four coated seed types were used in the experiments.

The trials were carried out under controlled conditions in the laboratory, using an incubator oven at a temperature of 28'C, as well as on the Shortlands soil type in a green house. The Shortlands soil type is known .:I for its ability to form a crust and increased compaction under severe degraded conditions. Standarized germination tests were used according to ISTA (1995). Coated as well as non-coated seeds were sown in soil trays.

The crust of the soil was artificially disturbed to simulate a mechanical reinforcement practice. The percentage of seed germination was determined by the counting of seedlings over a two week period.

a The spreading of seeds with a supplement feed block which is used for ZW grazing animals (cattle) was also investigated. Non-coated seeds were placed in a commercially manufactured feed block. The viability of the seeds after the manufacturing of the blocks were tested, as well as after the supplement feed with the seeds were ingested by the animal and had passed through the rumen.

This was done by collecting the dung of the cattle, daily over a period of five days and establishing the germination rate of the seeds in an incubator oven after they were removed from the dung.

The supplement feed blocks were also placed under a rainfall simulator and were wetted once a week under a frequency equal to 80 mm per hour 6 obtained under natural conditions.

The non-coated and coated seeds used in the experiments were: Non-coated seeds: Perennials Atriplex nummularia Eragrostis curvula o0 Chloris gayana Panicum maximum Medicago sativa Cynodon dactylon Digitaria eriantha Cenchrus ciliaris a a Non-coated seeds: Annuals Pennisetum americanum Coated seeds: Perennials t1 Anthephora pubescens Digitaria eriantha Eragrostis tef Chloris gayana Panicum maximum Results and Discussions Perennials: Non-coated seeds These results are illustrated in Figure 1.

O, The germination rate of A. nummularia was the highest in the dung after the seeds passed through the digestive tract of the grazing animal. A very low germination rate of this species was only obtained in the soil after the trays were watered for a four week period. This emphasizes the fact, that the high salt content (NaCl)in the protecting fruiting bract around Sthe seed inhibits the germination rate and must first be removed by a presowing treatment, before better germination results can be expected.

The highest germination percentages were obtained in the soil trials that were sown with M. sativa Because of its strong and deep root system, it is very drought resistant and recuperates quickly after severe /O drought periods. It can be kept in areas with an annual rainfall as low as 400 mm.

E. curvula showed the best overall germination results of all the perennial species in the oven feed blocks and dung experiments The passage of ingesta from the rumen to the lower parts of the digestive te tract is governed by the reduction in particle size. The reticulo-omasal orifice in cattle is larger than in sheep or goats, and more large particles (1- 2,5 mm) pass from the rumen. Hence the slower passage of larger seeds by all animals, and the passage of more undamaged seeds, especially the smaller seed types like E. curvula, would be anticipated.

2, Although rather low (average of the germination rate of D. eriantha and C. gayana were the best in the oven as well as the dung, except for the feed blocks where C. gayana had a germination rate of up to 23 The best overall results of all the perennial species were obtained in the dung experiments, after the seeds were put in the supplement feed blocks and have passed the rumen of the grazing animals, although only between 8 40-50% of the seeds were still viable and undamaged after being ingested.

Annuals: Non-coated seeds These results are illustrated in Figure 2.

The germination rate of both P. americanum and E. tef was above the average certified germination percentages namely 99% for P. americanum and 86% for E. tef in the experiments carried out in the oven.

When comparing the germination results of all the non-coated species (annual and perennial) in the soil trials, P. americanum had the highest germination rate of 58% (Figures 1 It is not recommended to use P.

americanum in the supplement feed block, as the germination rate in the dung was well below the other treatments.

i. *Perennials: coated seeds These results are illustrated in Figure 3.

I: All four coated seeds types, A. pubescens C. gayana D.

eriantha and P. maximum showed surprisingly low results in the oven and soil trials. This can be attributed to the fact that the seeds tend to mould in the coat which surrounds the seeds, as they were kept at a very high moiusture content throughout the experiment. Under natural circumstances however, this ability to "gather" moisture, could possibly enhance germination as there is not always enough moisture available.

Examples of suitable commercial feed blocks which may be utilised in the invention are set out below.

Sheep Block Composition Protein derived from N.P.N 47% of total Protein 300 g/kg min Iron 330 mg/kg Fat 25 g/kg min Zinc 340 mg/kg Fibre 150 g/kg max Manganese 310 mg/kg Urea 10 g/kg Copper 110 mg/kg Biuret 50 g/kg Cobalt 3 mg/kg Sulphur 17 g/kg Iodine 6 mg/kg Magnesium 11 g/kg Selenium 1.0 mg/kg Phosphorus 23 g/kg Calcium 30 g/kg M.E. 85 mj/kg (Estimated) Cattle Block Composition Protein derived from N.P.N 47% of total Protein 300 g/kg min Iron 200 mg/kg Fat 25 g/kg min Zinc 320 mg/kg Fibre 150 g/kg max Manganese 310 mg/kg Urea 10 g/kg Copper 115 mg/kg Biuret 50 g/kg Cobalt 3 mg/kg Sulphur 15 g/kg Iodine 6 mg/kg Magnesium 10 g/kg Selenium 1.0 mg/kg Phosphorus 23 g/kg Calcium 30 g/kg M.E. 85 mj/kg (Estimated)

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Pasture Block Composition Protein derived from N.P.N 47% of total Protein 180 g/kg min Iron 200 mg/kg Fat 25 g/kg min Zinc 320 mg/kg Fibre 150 g/kg max Manganese 310 mg/kg Urea 10 g/kg Copper 115 mg/kg Biuret 25 g/kg Cobalt 3 mg/kg Sulphur 16 g/kg Iodine 6 mg/kg Magnesium 14 g/kg Selenium 1.0 mg/kg Phosphorus 23 g/kg Calcium 35 g/kg M.E. 85 mj/kg (Estimated) Summer Block Composition Lick Supplement Protein derived from N.P.N 26% of total Protein 150 g/kg min Iron 700 mg/kg Fibre 150 g/kg min Zinc 560 mg/kg Calcium 60 g/kg max Manganese 560 mg/kg Phosphorus 30 g/kg Copper 150 mg/kg Sulphur 17 g/kg Cobalt 1.5 mg/kg Magnesium 15 g/kg Iodine 7.5 mg/kg Selenium 1.0 mg/kg a. S. Game or Horse Block Protein 130 g/kg min Iron 100 mg/kg min Moisture 140 g/kg max Zinc 80 mg/kg min Phosphorous 8.0 g/kg min Manganese 80 mg/kg min Calcium 22.0 g/kg max Copper 20 mg/kg min Magnesium 4.0 g/kg min Cobalt 0.2 mg/kg min Sulphur 3.4 g/kg min Iodine 1.0 mg/kg min Sodium 3.9 g/kg min Ca:P Ratio 2.5-2.8

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Claims (8)

1. A method for the re-establishment of grass, herbs, legumes and other pasture plants, by providing an animal feed or seed product, in solid form, including seeds selected from grass seeds, legume seeds and other pasture plant seeds, which seeds are substantially not digestible upon being ingested by an animal and wherein at least some of the seeds are protected in the solid form from conditions which may cause germination of the seeds, and allowing an animal to ingest a portion of the animal feed or feed product, whereafter at least some of the seeds are excreted by the animal and are capable of germination under favourable weather conditions to lead to the re-establishment of grass, herbs, legumes and other pasture plants. 1

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the animal feed or seed product is selected from a solid lick block, pellets, granules, and tablets provided that the solid form protects at least some of the seeds from conditions which may cause germination of the seeds.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the seeds are included in a solid lick block.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the solid lick block is a molasses-based lick block.

A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the seeds are indigenous to the country where the animal feed is to be used.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the seeds are selected from the group comprising: lucerne, red clover, subterranean clover, medics, wheat, sorghum, forage ranisetum, old man saltbush, tall fescue, midmar ryegrass, nui ryegrass, eragrostis curvula, eragrostis teff, bermuda grass, smuts finger grass, rhodes grass, columbusgrass and chencherus ciliaris.

7. A method for the re-establishment of grass substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the examples.

8. Plant or plants re-established according to the method of any one of claims 1-7. Dated 12 November, 1999 Basil Arthur Wormald Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [I:\DayLib\LIBFF]21435a.doc:gcc