Claims
- 1. A process for enhancing commercial poultry raising operations, comprising:
supplying a confined space within which poultry chicks are raised, the confined space having a floor area; placing bedding litter onto the floor area, the bedding litter including citrus byproduct from expressing citrus juice from citrus fruit, the byproduct including citrus peel component; confining poultry chicks in the confined space and onto the bedding litter, and feeding the poultry chicks feed and drink; continuing said confining and feeding for a length of time adequate for the poultry chicks to grow to poultry of a size suitable for commercial meat supply use; and removing the poultry from the confined space and determining a quality characteristic of the poultry, the quality characteristic of said poultry being improved when compared with the same characteristic of poultry chicks raised in the same manner but placed upon a bedding litter which is substantially entirely pine wood shavings.
- 2. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said determining a quality characteristic includes obtaining an adjusted feed conversion value for the poultry raised according to the process, said adjusted feed conversion value being less than that of poultry raised on the pine wood shavings bedding litter.
- 3. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the placing of bedding litter composition is preceded by collecting byproduct from commercial citrus juice extraction, the byproduct being selected from the group consisting of citrus peel, citrus pulp, citrus flavedo, citrus albedo, citrus rag, citrus seed, and combinations thereof, and drying the byproduct to provide a citrus byproduct flake component.
- 4. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the placing of bedding litter composition is preceded by collecting byproduct from commercial citrus juice extraction, treating the byproduct with a chemical to provide a limed byproduct, and drying the limed byproduct into a citrus byproduct flake component being particles having a non-uniform size and shape.
- 5. The process in accordance with claim 4, further including placing the citrus byproduct flake component onto the floor area in the absence of an extraction being practiced upon the citrus byproduct flake component.
- 6. The process in accordance with claim 1, further including formulating the bedding litter composition to have between about 10 and about 100 volume percent of said citrus byproduct, and up to about 90 volume percent of a secondary bedding component other than said citrus byproduct.
- 7. The process in accordance with claim 1, further including formulating the bedding litter composition to have between about 15 and about 100 volume percent of said citrus byproduct, and up to about 85 volume percent of a secondary bedding component other than said citrus byproduct.
- 8. The process in accordance with claim 1, further including providing the bedding litter composition in layered form including a top dressing component of said citrus byproduct, said top dressing comprising at least about 10 volume percent of the bedding litter composition.
- 9. The process in accordance with claim 8, wherein said citrus byproduct top dressing component provides citrus byproduct flake component prepared by drying citrus byproduct from juice expressing equipment and without purifying the citrus byproduct present in the citrus byproduct flake component.
- 10. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the placing of bedding litter places citrus byproduct flake component prepared by drying citrus byproduct from juice expressing equipment and without extracting the citrus byproduct present in the citrus byproduct flake component.
- 11. A process for enhancing commercial poultry raising operations, comprising:
collecting byproduct from commercial citrus juice extraction, the byproduct being selected from the group consisting of citrus peel, citrus pulp, citrus flavedo, citrus albedo, citrus rag, citrus seed, and combinations thereof, and drying the byproduct to provide a citrus byproduct flake component; supplying a confined space within which poultry chicks are raised, the confined space having a floor area; placing bedding litter onto the floor area, the bedding litter including the citrus byproduct flake component; confining poultry chicks in the confined space and onto the bedding litter, and feeding the poultry chicks flood and drink; and continuing said confining and feeding for a length of time adequate for the poultry chicks to grow to poultry of a size suitable for commercial meat supply use while achieving a quality characteristic of the poultry which is enhanced when compared to poultry raised upon a bedding litter which is substantially entirely pine wood shavings.
- 12. The process in accordance with claim 11, wherein the collecting and placing are carried out without extracting the citrus byproduct present in the citrus byproduct flake component.
- 13. The process in accordance with claim 11, further including providing the bedding litter composition in layered form including a top dressing component of said citrus byproduct, said top dressing component comprising at least about 10 volume percent of the bedding litter composition.
- 14. The process in accordance with claim 13, wherein the providing and placing of the layered bedding litter composition includes utilizing an underlayer selected from the group consisting of citrus byproduct and a secondary bedding component other than said citrus byproduct.
- 15. The process in accordance with claim 13, wherein the providing and placing of layered bedding litter composition includes utilizing an underlayer of previously soiled litter bedding selected from the group consisting of citrus byproduct and a secondary bedding component other than said citrus byproduct.
- 16. The process in accordance with claim 11, further including formulating the bedding litter composition to have between about 10 and about 100 volume percent of said citrus byproduct, and up to about 90 volume percent of a secondary bedding component other than said citrus byproduct.
- 17. The process in accordance with claim 11, further including formulating the bedding litter composition to have between about 15 and about 100 volume percent of said citrus byproduct, and up to about 85 volume percent of a secondary bedding component other than said citrus byproduct.
- 18. A process for enhancing commercial poultry raising operations, comprising:
collecting byproduct from commercial citrus juice extraction, the byproduct being selected from the group consisting of citrus peel, citrus pulp, citrus flavedo, citrus albedo, citrus rag, citrus seed, and combinations thereof, and drying the byproduct to provide a citrus byproduct flake component; supplying a confined space within which poultry chicks are raised, the confined space having a floor area; placing bedding litter onto the floor area, the bedding litter being a top dressed litter including the citrus byproduct flake component as a top dress layer onto an underlayer of bedding litter on the floor area; confining poultry chicks in the confined space and onto the top dressed bedding litter, and feeding the poultry chicks; and continuing said confining and feeding for a length of time adequate for the poultry chicks to grow to poultry of a size suitable for commercial meat supply use.
- 19. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of pectin, demethylated pectin, and combinations thereof, same having been collected by drying citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment in the absence of purifying the byproduct component.
- 20. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, other food grade acids, and combinations thereof, same having been collected by drying citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment in the absence of purifying the byproduct component.
- 21. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, a carotenoid, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, xanthophyll, and combinations thereof, same having been collected by drying citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment in the absence of purifying the byproduct component.
- 22. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of naringin, naringenin, narirutin, hesperidin, hesperetin, other flavonoids, and combinations thereof, same having been collected by drying citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment in the absence of purifying the byproduct component.
- 23. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citurs byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of sinensetin, tangeretin, nobiletin, other polymethoxylated flavones, and combinations thereof, same having been collected by drying citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment in the absence of purifying the byproduct component.
- 24. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citrus byproduct component includes a tocopherol, same having been collected by drying citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment in the absence of purifying the byproduct component.
- 25. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of limonin, nomolin, a limonin glucoside, d-limonene, and combinations thereof, same having been collected by drying citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment in the absence of purifying the byproduct component.
- 26. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citrus byproduct component includes pectin, demethylated pectin, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, a carotenoid, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, xanthophyll, naringin, naringenin, narirutin, hesperidin, hesperetin, sinensetin, tangeretin, nobiletin, a tocopherol, limonin, nomolin, a limonin glucoside, and d-limonene.
- 27. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said citrus byproduct component includes a pectin, a food grade acid, ascorbic acid, a carotenoid, a citrus originating flavonoid, a citrus originating polymethoxylated flavone, and a tocopherol.
- 28. The process in accordance with claim 18, wherein said confining and feeding on the top dressed bedding litter includes achieving a quality characteristic of the poultry which is improved when compared with the same characteristic of poultry chicks raised in the same manner but placed upon a bedding without the citrus byproduct flake component top dress layer.
- 29. A bedding litter composition for poultry raising within confined spaces such as poultry pens, the bedding litter composition comprising at least one citrus byproduct component from citrus juice expressing, said citrus byproduct component being a flaked composition including citrus peel, said flaked composition being in a dried state.
- 30. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus peel byproduct component has a moisture content of between about 5 and about 12 percent by weight, based upon the total weight of the citrus byproduct.
- 31. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said bedding litter composition includes between about 10 and about 100 volume percent of said citrus byproduct component, and between about 0 and 90 volume percent of a secondary bedding litter component other than said citrus byproduct component.
- 32. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 31, wherein said citrus byproduct component of the bedding litter composition is a top dressing over said secondary bedding litter component.
- 33. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said bedding litter composition includes at least about 10 volume percent of said citrus byproduct and up to about 90 weight percent of a secondary bedding litter component.
- 34. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 33, wherein said citrus byproduct component and said secondary bedding litter component are mixed together.
- 35. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 33, wherein said secondary bedding litter component is selected from the group consisting of wood or woody plant originating materials, vegetation source materials, and combinations thereof.
- 36. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 33, wherein said secondary bedding litter component is wood in shavings form.
- 37. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 33, wherein said citrus byproduct is a top layer on said secondary bedding litter component.
- 38. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 37, wherein said secondary bedding litter component is a pre-used litter which had been used during at least one poultry raising operation.
- 39. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 38, wherein said pre-used litter is selected from the group consisting of wood or woody plant originating materials, vegetation source materials, and combinations thereof.
- 40. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 38, wherein said pre-used litter is a citrus originating litter.
- 41. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct includes pectin, demethylated pectin, and combinations thereof.
- 42. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct includes a food grade citrus-originating acid in its native state as present in dried citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment.
- 43. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, a carotenoid, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, xanthophyll, and combinations thereof, in its native state as present in dried citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment.
- 44. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of naringin, naringenin, narirutin, hesperidin, hesperetin, other flavonoids, and combinations thereof, in its native state as present in dried citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment.
- 45. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of sinensetin, tangeretin, nobiletin, other polymethoxylated flavones, and combinations thereof, in its native state as present in dried citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment.
- 46. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct component is a tocopherol, in its native state as present in dried citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment.
- 47. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct component is selected from the group consisting of limonin, nomolin, a limonin glucoside, d-limonene, and combinations thereof, in its native state as present in dried citrus byproduct from juice extraction equipment.
- 48. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct includes pectin, demethylated pectin, citric acid, folic acid, ascorbic acid, a carotenoid, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, xanthophyll, naringin, naringenin, narirutin, hesperidin, hesperetin, sinensetin, tangeretin, nobiletin, a tocepherol, limonin, nomolin, a limonin glucoside, and d-limonene.
- 49. The bedding litter composition in accordance with claim 29, wherein said citrus byproduct includes a pectin, a food grade acid, ascorbic acid, a carotenoid, a citrus originating flavonoid, a citrus originating polymethoxylated flavone, and a tocopherol.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of Application No. Ser. 09/898,997, filed Jul. 3, 2001.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10046473 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
Child |
10342481 |
Jan 2003 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09898997 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10046473 |
Jan 2002 |
US |