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Abstract

A prepared feed for a ruminant is produced by mixing a plurality of ingredients, at least one of which is a forage material. At least some of the forage material acts to enhance digestion of the prepared feed by the ruminant. The digestion enhancing forage material typically comprises one or more of hay, straw, silage and other stalky material, and constitutes in the range of I00 gms to 550 gms per kg prepared feed. The digestion enhancing forage material of the prepared feed comprises fibres of length in the range of 30 mm to 50 mm and has a primary saturation extent in the range of the order of 680 mls to 820 mls water per litre of digestion enhancing forage material, an uncompressed specific gravity of the order of I 00 gms to 220 gms per litre and a first compression specific gravity of the order of 140 gms to 290 gms per litre and a second compression specific gravity of the order of 150 gms to 500 gms per litre. This produces a prepared feed of primary saturation extent in the range of 675 mls to 735 mls water per litre of prepared feed, an uncompressed specific gravity in the range of 200 gms to 280 gms per litre, a first compression specific gravity in the range of 180 gms to 300 gms per litre and a second compression specific gravity in the range of 270 gms to 430 gms per litre. The first and second compression specific gravities are determined by subjecting the digestion enhancing forage material and the prepared feed to respective first and second downward forces of 2.41 kg and 7.41 kg in a vertical cylindrical container of diameter of 75 mm. The digestion enhancing forage material forms a uniform homogenous low density open matrix which extends throughout the rumen liquor within the rumen with particulate and other nutritional ingredients as well as other forage material dispersed throughout the matrix and retained therein for optimising the dwell time of the nutritional and other fibrous ingredients within the rumen for in turn maximising the production of intermediary products which subsequently promoting weight gain and/or milk yield in a ruminant.

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First Claim