Method of feeding a ruminant

Abstract

A method of feeding ruminants, the method including feeding a ruminant a fluid animal feed during a feeding period, the fluid animal feed including an animal feed component and the ruminant consuming greater than about 1.25 pounds of the animal feed component per day, based on the dry weight of the animal feed component, during the feeding period; and the method further including feeding the ruminant a psyllium composition during the feeding period.

1 . A method of feeding ruminants, the method comprising: 
 feeding a ruminant a fluid animal feed during a feeding period, the fluid animal feed comprising an animal feed component and the ruminant consuming greater than about 1.25 pounds of the animal feed component per day, based on the dry weight of the animal feed component, during the feeding period; and    feeding the ruminant a psyllium composition during the feeding period.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fluid animal feed is a fluid milk replacer.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the ruminant consumes at least about 1.5 pounds of the animal feed component per day, based on the dry weight of the animal feed component.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the ruminant consumes at least about 2.5 pounds of the animal feed component per day, based on the dry weight of the animal feed component.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the ruminant consumes at least about 2.9 pounds of the animal feed component per day, based on the dry weight of the animal feed component.  
   
   
       6 . A method of feeding ruminants, the method comprising: 
 feeding a first ruminant a fluid animal feed composition during a first feeding period, the fluid animal feed composition comprising an animal feed component and the first ruminant consuming greater than about 1.25 pounds of the animal feed component per day, on a dry matter basis, during the first feeding period; and    feeding the first ruminant a supplemental feed material during the first feeding period, the supplemental feed material comprising at least about 50 weight percent hemicellulose, based upon the dry weight of the supplemental feed material.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the supplemental feed composition is in powdered form.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein: 
 the method is effective to increase the feed efficiency of the first ruminant during a second feeding period as compared to the feed efficiency of a second ruminant during the second feeding period, the second feeding period occurring after the first feeding period; and    feed provided to the second ruminant being free of the supplemental feed material, the second ruminant consuming about the same amount of the animal feed component, on a dry weight basis, during the first feeding period as the first ruminant consumes during the first feeding period.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the first ruminant and the second ruminant are provided the same feed during the first feeding period and during the second feeding period, with the exception that feed provided to the second ruminant is free of the supplemental feed material.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein feed provided to the first ruminant is free of the supplemental feed material during the second feeding period.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 6  wherein: 
 the method is effective to increase the feed efficiency of the first ruminant during a first feeding period as compared to the feed efficiency of a second ruminant during the first feeding period; and    feed provided to the second ruminant being free of the supplemental feed material, the second ruminant consuming about 1.25 pounds, or less, of the animal feed component per day, on a dry matter basis, during a first segment of the first feeding period, the first ruminant consuming greater than about 1.25 pounds of the animal feed component per day, on a dry matter basis, during the first segment of the first feeding period.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the first ruminant consumes at least about 2.5 pounds of the animal feed component per day, on a dry matter basis, during the first segment of the first feeding period.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the first segment of the first feeding period is about six weeks long.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the method is effective to increase the feed efficiency of the first ruminant during the first feeding period by at least about 30 percent, as compared to the feed efficiency of the second ruminant during the first feeding period.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 6  wherein: 
 the method is effective to increase feed consumption by the first ruminant during a second feeding period as compared to feed consumption by a second ruminant during the second feeding period, the second feeding period occurring after the first feeding period; and    feed provided to the second ruminant free of the supplemental feed material, the second ruminant consuming about the same amount of the animal feed component, on a dry weight basis, during the first feeding period as the first ruminant consumes during the first feeding period.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 6 , the method further comprising providing the first ruminant with a dry animal feed composition during the first feeding period, the method effective to cause the first ruminant to consume more of the dry animal feed composition during the first period than a second ruminant consumes during the first feeding period, where the second ruminant is also provided with the dry animal feed composition during the first feeding period, all feed provided to the second ruminant being free of the supplemental feed material.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the second ruminant consumes about 1.25 pounds, or less, of the animal feed component per day, on a dry matter basis, during a first segment of the first feeding period, the first ruminant consuming greater than about 1.25 pounds of the animal feed component per day, on a dry matter basis, during the first segment of the first feeding period, the animal feed component fed to the first ruminant having a greater concentration of protein than the animal feed component fed to the second ruminant, and the dry animal feed composition provided to the first ruminant having a greater concentration of protein than the dry animal feed composition provided to the second ruminant.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the first ruminant consumes at least about 2.5 pounds of the animal feed component per day, on a dry matter basis, during the first segment of the first feeding period.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the first segment of the first feeding period is about six weeks long.  
   
   
       20 .- 61 . (canceled)  
   
   
       62 . A method of feeding ruminants, the method comprising: 
 feeding a first ruminant an effective amount of a fluid animal feed during a first feeding period; and    feeding the first ruminant an effective amount of a psyllium composition during the first feeding period.    
   
   
       63 .- 76 . (canceled)