| 摘要 |
Systems and methods provide sugar alcohol to heat stressed ruminants to improve performance. During periods of high temperature or humidity, heat stressed ruminants may exhibit decreased dry matter intake, and in response, an effective amount of sugar alcohol such as sorbitol may be provided in the ruminant diet to cause performance to increase, which may include increased milk yield, improved feed efficiency or both compared to heat stressed dairy cattle without sugar alcohol in the diet. |
| 主权项 |
1. A method of feeding a lactating ruminant, the method comprising:
during a period of ambient temperature conditions of at least 70° F., determining the lactating ruminant is experiencing heat stress by observing one of an about 10 percent decrease in dry matter intake, reduced milk production, increased respirations, elevated internal body temperature, open mouth breathing, increased panting, sweating or failed reproduction; and feeding the heat stressed lactating ruminant a diet comprising an amount of sugar alcohol effective to improve milk production, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises at least one of sorbitol, xylitol, adonitol, allitol, altritol, arabitol, dulcitol, erythritol, galactitol, glucitol, iditol, inositol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, perseitol, ribitol, rhamnitol or threitol. |
