Hop acids as a replacement for antibiotics in animal feed

Abstract

A method of using hop acids for increasing food and energy uptake from feed by livestock is described which includes delivering the hop acids for oral ingestion to the animals by mixing the acids with livestock feed. The acids are mixed with the feed in an amount to inhibit certain types of undesirable bacteria in the livestock's digestive system, thereby increasing the production of propionate and lactate and decreasing the production of methane gas.

1 . A method of using hop acids as an organic food supplement for livestock comprising
 delivering the hop acids for oral ingestion by mixing the acids with a livestock feed, wherein the hop acids are mixed with the feed in an amount to inhibit certain types of undesirable bacteria commonly found in the digestive systems of livestock.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the hop acids as well as their corresponding salts are selected from at least one of the group consisting of alpha acids, beta acids, isoalpha acids, rho-isoalpha acids, tetrahydroisoalpha acids and hexahydroisoalpha acids. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the alpha acids are selected from at least one of the group consisting of humulone, cohumulone; and adhumulone. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the beta acids are selected from at least one of the group consisting of lupulone, colupulone, and adlupulone f. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the amount of hop acid is 2 ppm of digestive system fluid. 
     
     
         6 . A method for increasing food and energy uptake from a livestock feed by livestock comprising:
 administering to the livestock a feed having an effective amount of hop acid capable of decreasing the production of unoxidized carbon sources in a digestive system fluid of the livestock.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the hop acids are selected from at least one of the group consisting of alpha acids, beta acids, isoalpha acids, rho-isoalpha acids, tetrahydroisoalpha acids and hexahydroisoalpha acids. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the alpha acids are selected from at least on of the group consisting of humulone, cohumulone, and adhumulone. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the beta acids are selected from at least one of the group consisting of lupulone, colupulone, and adlupulone. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the amount of hop acid is 2 ppm of digestive system fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the livestock is selected from the group consisting of cattle, poultry, horses, pigs, and zoo animals. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising administering the hop acid capable of increasing the level of propionate in the digestive system fluid. 
     
     
         13 . An animal feed comprising
 a feed plant selected from at least one of the group consisting of corn, barley, alfalfa, wheat, and sorghum, and   an effective amount of hop acid capable of inhibiting certain types of undesirable bacteria commonly found in the digestive systems of livestock.   
     
     
         14 . The animal feed of  claim 13  wherein the effective amount of hop acid is from about 1 ppm to about 30 ppm of digestive system fluid of the livestock.