ANIMAL FOODSTUFF AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

Abstract

The present invention relates to an animal foodstuff and a method for manufacturing the same. In a preferred variat the invention relates to an equine foodstuff. More particularly the invention relates to a hangable, low sugar, forage based foodstuff for horses in the form of forage combined with an edible binder to give a block of forage based edible material and a means that permits suspension of said block of forage based edible material from a suitable suspension point.

Claims

1. An animal foodstuff comprising, forage combined with an edible binder to give a block of forage based edible material; and associating the block of forage based edible material with an elongate hanging element, such that at least a portion of the elongate hanging element is associated with the block of forage based edible material in a manner that permits suspension of said block of forage based edible material from a suitable suspension point.

2. An animal foodstuff as in claim 1, further comprising; an elongate hanging element, at least a portion of which is associated with the block of forage based edible material in a manner that permits suspension of said block of forage based edible material from a suitable suspension point.

3. An animal foodstuff as in claim 1, wherein the animal foodstuff is a domesticated animal foodstuffs.

4. An animal foodstuff as in claim 1, wherein the animal foodstuff is an equine foodstuff.

5. An animal foodstuff as in claim 1, wherein the binder is a lignin-based binder.

6. An animal foodstuff as in claim 5, wherein the binder is lignin sulfonate and present between 5% and 20%.

7.-8. (canceled)

9. An animal foodstuff as in claim 1, wherein the block of forage based edible material has rounded outer edges or is cylindrical in shape with at least one end of the cylinder being substantially domed.

10.-11. (canceled)

12. An animal foodstuff recited in claim 1, wherein the elongate hanging element extends through the block of forage based edible material and is secured at least at one end.

13. An animal foodstuff as recite in claim 1, wherein the block of forage based edible material is provided with a through bore through which the elongate hanging element may pass.

14. An animal foodstuff as in claim 13 wherein the elongate hanging element is provided with a stop means at one end that is unable to pass through the through-bore.

15. (canceled)

16. An animal foodstuff as recited in claim 1, wherein one end of the elongate hanging element is embedded in a substantially solid block of forage based edible material.

17. An animal foodstuff as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongate hanging element is a rope.

18. A method of manufacturing an animal foodstuff in a form of a block of forage based edible material comprising; providing an edible binder in liquid form; adding said binder substantially uniformly to a forage material such that it is substantially evenly distributed throughout the forage; and compressing the material into a desired shape to give a block of forage based edible material, wherein after the material has been compressed into a desired shape, an aperture of an appropriate size to receive an elongate hanging element is created in the block of forage based edible material, an elongate hanging element is then passed through the aperture such that the block of forage based edible material can be suspended via the elongate hanging element.

19.-25. (canceled)

26. A method of manufacturing an animal foodstuff in a form of a block of forage based edible material comprising: providing an edible binder in liquid form; adding said binder of substantially uniformly to a forage material such that it is substantially evenly distributed throughout the forage; and compressing the material into a desired shape to give a block of forage based edible material, wherein before the material has been compressed into desired shape, or during compression of the material, an elongate hanging element is embedded into the forage such that a portion is within the material and a portion extends therefrom.

27. A method of manufacturing as in claim 26, wherein the binder is present in quantities between 5% and 15%.

28. A method of manufacturing as in claim 26, wherein the binder is present at 10%.

29. A method of manufacturing as in claim 26, wherein compression of the material during the compressing operation occurs in a shaped mold.

30.-32. (canceled)

Description

[0049] In order to provide a better understanding of the present invention an embodiment will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the following Figures;

[0050] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hangable horse feed product according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[0051] FIG. 2 is a cross section of FIG. 1.

[0052] A forage based horse food 1 in accordance with the present invention is generally depicted in FIG. 1. The food is in the form of a substantially solid block of forage 2 such as grass, lucerne or alfalfa. Further additives such as vitamins and minerals could be added to the forage, as could other additional such as dried fruit etc. The material also includes a binder, which in this embodiment is lignosulfonate. Other suitable binder materials may be utilised, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. However, the binders are generally elected to be low in sugars and to have a relatively low water content in their liquid form e.g. a water content of 50% or less water. The binder is present as 10% of the material. For example, in a block with approximately 1 kg of grass the would be approximately 100 g of binder present.

[0053] A preferred method for manufacturing the solid block of forage comprises the following steps; [0054] Warm the lignin sulfonate binder to between 30-40 C. [0055] Weigh out dried grass [0056] Tip the dried grass into a mixer and start mixing [0057] Measure out warmed binder to 10% binder 90% grass [0058] Spray gradually the warmed binder into mixer while continually mixing to insure an even coverage of the grass with the binder [0059] Allow to mix for 5 minutes once all binder has been added [0060] Transfer 1 kg of the mixture into a mold the mold contains a portion that results in the final block having an aperture or bore therethrough. [0061] Compress mixture to a pressure of 3000 psi with 40t [0062] Remove block out of mold [0063] Package block

[0064] In alternative embodiments the mould is not shaped to provide an aperture or bore and instead the bore is drilled or cut in the material after the block is removed from the mould.

[0065] The solid block of forage 2 is substantially cylindrical in shape, with the ends of the cylinder having rounded or domed shape. In alternative embodiments the block is spherical. Other shapes could be used as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. As is best seen in FIG. 2, a central aperture or bore 3 is provided longitudinally through the cylindrical block 2. A rope 4 is passed through the aperture/bore 3 such that one ends out beyond the bock 2 and can be attached to an appropriate suspension point. The other end is provided with a knot 5 which itself is larger than the diameter of the bore. In alternative embodiments there may be a disc, bead or other stop element that acts to prevent the end of the rope 4 passing the aperture/bore 3.

[0066] It will be appreciated that any appropriate rope could be used providing it is able to withstand the weight of an appropriately sized (e.g. 0.5 to 1.5 kg, although other sized blocks could be envisaged) block of feed. Further, although this embodiment uses rope any alternative means for hanging can be used. It is generally preferred that the elongate hanging element allow flexibility of movement to increase the challenge to the horse when feeding, however substantially rigid elongate elements could also be used.

[0067] It is also envisaged that the block 2 with through aperture could be provided separately to the rope or other elongate hanging element for the end user to thread onto the rope when ready for use.

[0068] A lucerne (legume) based avian foodstuff is also envisaged. This is produced similarly to the horse feed and again is low in sugar. This product can be made by carrying out the following steps; [0069] Weigh out dried lucerne [0070] Tip the dried lucerne into a mixer and start mixing [0071] Measure out warmed binder to 10% binder 90% lucerne [0072] Spray gradually the warmed binder into mixer while continually mixing to insure an even coverage of the lucerne with the binder [0073] Allow to mix for a minimum of one hour once all binder has been added [0074] Transfer 1 kg of the mixture into a moldthe mold contains a portion that results in the final block having an aperture or bore therethrough. [0075] Compress mixture to a pressure of 3000 psi with 52 t [0076] Remove block out of mold.

[0077] It will be appreciated that features from one embodiment may be appropriately incorporated into another embodiment unless technically unfeasible to do so.

[0078] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

[0079] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims are generally intended as open terms (e.g., the term including should be interpreted as including but not limited to, the term having should be interpreted as having at least, the term includes should be interpreted as includes but is not limited to, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases at least one and one or more to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles a or an limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases one or more or at least one and indefinite articles such as a or an (e.g., a and/or an should be interpreted to mean at least one or one or more); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of two recitations, without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

[0080] It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.