Production of livestock feed from sugarcane

Abstract

Abstract A PROCESS FOR SUSTAINING LIVESTOCK, E.G., RUMINANTS SUCH AS CATTLE, IS DESCRIBED WHICH INVOLVES PROVIDING THE LIVESTOCK WITH A FEED COMPRISING SUGARCANE PITH WHICH CONTAINS SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF ITS NATURALLY PRESENT SUGAR JUICE AND THE FINE INNER FIBERS OF THE SUGARCANE STALK INTERIOR, BUT WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM THE HIGHLY LIGNIFIED OUTER RIND FIBERS OF THE SUGARCANE. THIS FEED MAY ALSO CONTAIN CHOPPED SUGARCANE PLANTT TOPS, NOVEGETABLE PROTEIN SOURCES SUCH AS FISH MEAL OR NITROGENEOUS PROTEIN SUBSTITUENTS SUCH AS UREA, VEGETABLE PROTEIN SOURCES SUCH AS LEGEMINOUS MEAL, AND VARIOUS MINERALS. THE SUGARCANE PITH MAY BE OBTAINED BY LONGITUDINALLY OPENING SUGARCANE WITHOUT EXPRESSING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE SUGAR JUICE FROM THE PITH, AND THEN SEPARATING THE PITH FROM THE OUTER RIND FIBERS WHILE RETAINING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE SUGAR JUICE IN THE PITH. THIS SUGARCANE PITH FEED MAY BE STORED BY DRYING TO A MOISTURE-FREE CONDITION AND PLACING IN AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER, OR BY AN ENSILING PROCESS INVOLVING PLACING THE FEED IN A SILO AND IN CONTACT WITH LOWER ALKYL CARBOXYLIC ACID-PRODUCING MICROORGANISMS SUCH AS LACTOBACILLUS.

Inventors

• 👤 R Miller
• 👤 C Laurie

Bibliographic Details