Claims
- 1. A feedstock for controlling hypocalcemia in prepartum dairy cattle which comprises a supplemented basal ration having a prescribed content of nutrients comprising (1) macromineral proportions as defined by a dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) which corresponds to the equation:
- 2. A feedstock in accordance with claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of potassium:magnesium in the feedstock is between about 3.4-4.6:1.
- 3. A feedstock in accordance with claim 1 wherein the DCAD macrominerals are selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium phosphate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium phosphate, ammonium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate and ammonium sulfate.
- 4. A feedstock in accordance with claim 1 wherein the magnesium ingredient comprises magnesium oxide and/or magnesium hydroxide.
- 5. A feedstock in accordance with claim 1 wherein the omega-6 fatty acid nutrient is in the form of calcium salt and/or magnesium salt, and/or amide derivative.
- 6. A feedstock in accordance with claim 1 wherein the omega-6 fatty acid nutrient is linoleic acid and/or arachidonic acid derivative.
- 7. A dietary supplement for incorporation in ruminant feedstock for control of hypocalcemia in prepartum dairy cattle, wherein the supplement is formulated to provide macromineral cations and anions and omega-6 fatty acid derivative in calculated proportions in a basal ration, whereby the resultant macromineral and omega-6 fatty acid derivative specifications meet the requirements of a feedstock in accordance with claim 1.
- 8. A dietary supplement adapted for incorporation in ruminant feedstock for control of hypocalcemia in prepartum dairy cattle, wherein the supplement is formulated to provide macromineral cations and anions and omega-6 fatty acid derivative having rumen-bypass properties, and wherein the supplement comprises the following parts by weight of ingredients:
- 9. A dietary supplement in accordance with claim 8 having a content comprising the following parts by weight of ingredients:
- 10. A dietary supplement in accordance with claim 8 having a content comprising the following parts by weight of ingredients:
- 11. A method for controlling hypocalcemia in prepartum dairy cattle which comprises feeding a prepartum cow with a feedstock comprising a supplemented basal ration having a prescribed content of nutrients comprising (1) macromineral proportions as defined by a dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) which corresponds to the equation:
- 12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the DCAD macrominerals are selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium phosphate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium phosphate, ammonium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate and ammonium sulfate.
- 13. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the magnesium nutrient comprises magnesium oxide and/or magnesium hydroxide.
- 14. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the omega-6 fatty acid nutrient is in the form of calcium salt and/or magnesium salt and/or amide derivative.
- 15. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the omega-6 fatty acid nutrient is linoleic acid/or arachidonic acid derivative.
- 16. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the rate of feeding is between about 8-12 kg DM/cow/day.
- 17. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the rate of feeding provides between about 20-100 g/cow/day of rumen-bypass omega-6 fatty acid derivative in the cow intestine.
- 18. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the rate of feeding provides between about 20-100 g/cow/day of rumen-bypass linoleic acid and/or arachidonic acid derivative in the cow intestine.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The subject matter of this patent application is related to that disclosed in copending patent application Ser. No. 09/563,443, filed May 1, 2000; incorporated by reference.