Animal feed and methods for reducing ammonia and phosphorus levels in manure

Abstract

An animal feed is provided that employs a substantially indigestible cation exchanger capable of binding ammonium cations and an acidogenic substance to acidify an animal's manure and thereby create ammonium cations that can be bound by the cation exchanger. The animal feed reduces ammonia emissions from manure produced by animals fed the animal feed compared to the emissions obtained from manure when an acidogenic substance is fed alone and compared to the emissions obtained from manure when a cation exchange capacity material is fed alone. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of lowering ammonia emissions from manure is provided. The present invention also provides a method for reducing soluble phosphorus levels in manure and a method for reducing total phosphorus levels in manure. In a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided that yields manure that may be used alone or in concert with other materials to act as a fertilizer having advantageous ecological properties. Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for reducing insect populations associated with manure.

1 . An animal feed comprising: 
 an acidogenic composition and a cation exchanger, wherein said acidogenic composition is a fermentable fiber, said fermentable fiber promotes the formation of ammonium cations in waste material produced by an animal provided said feed, and said ammonium cations bind to said cation exchanger.    
   
   
       2 . The animal feed of  claim 1 , wherein said fermentable fiber is selected from the group consisting of cellulose, soybean hulls, distiller's dried grains with solubles, distiller's dried grains without solubles, wet distiller's grains with solubles, wet distiller's grains without solubles, sugar beet pulp, wheat middlings, and a combination thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The animal feed of  claim 1 , wherein said cation exchanger includes diatomaceous earth.  
   
   
       4 . The animal feed of  claim 3 , wherein said diatomaceous earth is Celite® diatomaceous earth.  
   
   
       5 . An animal feed comprising: 
 an acidogenic composition; a cation exchanger: and a source of crude protein, wherein said acidogenic composition promotes the formation of ammonium cations in waste material produced by an animal provided said feed, said ammonium cations bind to said cation exchanger, and said source of crude protein contains a limiting amount of at least one amino acid.    
   
   
       6 . The animal feed of  claim 5 , further including an amino acid supplement having at least one amino acid selected from the group consisting of lysine, methionine, threonine, and tryptophan.  
   
   
       7 . The animal feed of  claim 6 , wherein said fermentable fiber is a source of said amino acid selected.  
   
   
       8 . The animal feed of  claim 6 , wherein said fermentable fiber is selected from the group consisting of soybean hulls, distiller's dried grains with solubles, distiller's dried grains without solubles, wet distiller's grains with solubles, wet distiller's grains without solubles, sugar beet pulp, wheat middlings, and a combination thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The animal feed of  claim 6 , wherein said cation exchanger includes diatomaceous earth.  
   
   
       10 . The animal feed of  claim 9 , wherein said diatomaceous earth is Celite® diatomaceous earth.  
   
   
       11 . A method for reducing the level of ammonia aerosol from manure having a pH and containing ammonia, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing an animal feed including, a cation exchanger capable of binding ammonium cations, and an acidogenic composition wherein said acidogenic composition is a fermentable fiber, and    feeding said animal said feed, wherein said feeding reduces said pH of said manure produced by said animal and causes at least a portion of said ammonia to protonate producing said ammonium cations.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said cation exchanger retains said ammonium cation binding capability after passage through a digestive tract of said animal.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said feeding includes feeding said feed to said animal selected from the group consisting of a pig, a sheep, a cow, a chicken, a duck, a turkey and a goose.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said providing includes providing said animal feed including a fermentable fiber selected from the group consisting of cellulose, soybean hulls, distiller's dried grains with solubles, distiller's dried grains without solubles, wet distiller's grains with solubles, wet distiller's grains without solubles, sugar beet pulp, wheat middlings, and a combination thereof.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said providing said animal feed including said cation exchanger includes providing diatomaceous earth.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said providing said animal feed including said cation exchanger includes providing Celite® diatomaceous earth.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said providing said animal feed further includes providing a source of crude protein having a level, wherein said crude protein is limiting in at least one amino acid.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said providing said animal feed further includes providing said feed containing an amino acid supplement, having at least one amino acid selected from the group consisting of lysine, methionine, threonine, and tryptophan.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said amino acid selected is contained in said fermentable fiber included in said animal feed and said fermentable fiber is selected from the group consisting of soybean hulls, distiller's dried grains with solubles, distiller's dried grains without solubles, wet distiller's grains with solubles, wet distiller's grains without solubles, sugar beet pulp, wheat middlings, and a combination thereof.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said providing said animal feed including said cation exchanger includes providing diatomaceous earth.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said providing said animal feed including said cation exchanger includes providing Celite® diatomaceous earth.