Animal feed amendments for lowering ammonia concentrations in animal excrement

Abstract

Improved animal feeds and/or waters are provided, which include amendments comprising one or more copolymer salts serving to reduce volatilized ammonia derived from the excrement of animals. The copolymers are preferably water soluble and have substantially equimolar amounts of maleic and itaconic moieties.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An improved animal feed comprising quantities of feed ingredients normally fed to the animal, and an amount of a feed amendment including a copolymer salt containing maleic and itaconic repeat units, said amount of said amendment sufficient to reduce volatilized ammonia derived from the excrement of the animal fed the improved animal feed. 
     
     
         2 . The feed of  claim 1 , said amendment comprising a mixture of from about 30-60% by weight copolymer salt solids in an aqueous medium, said aqueous mixture amendment being present with said feed at a level of from about 0.05-0.25% by weight, with the total weight of the amended feed being taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         3 . The feed of  claim 1 , said amendment comprising at least two copolymer salts having different salt-forming cations, at least one of said copolymer salts containing maleic and itaconic repeat units. 
     
     
         4 . The feed of  claim 3 , both of said copolymer salts containing maleic and itaconic repeat units. 
     
     
         5 . The feed of  claim 4 , said amendment including a partial calcium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer, and a partial ammonium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer. 
     
     
         6 . The feed of  claim 5 , said amendment comprising from about 50-80% by weight of partial calcium salt copolymer solids, and from about 20-50% by weight of partial ammonium salt copolymer solids, with the total amount of the copolymer solids in the amendment taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         7 . The feed of  claim 4 , both of said salt copolymers having at least about 85% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein. 
     
     
         8 . The feed of  claim 1 , each of said partial salt copolymers having the generalized formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       where p ranges from about 10-50, and some of said X cations are H, and others of said X cations are selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mo, V, Cr, Si, B, W, the alkali and alkaline earth metals, amines, polyatomic cations containing any of the foregoing, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The feed of  claim 1 , said feed designed to be fed to mammals or poultry selected from the group consisting of chicken, duck, goose, peafowl, swan, ostrich, pigeon, turkey, guineafowl, pheasant, rhea, and emu. 
     
     
         10 . A method of reducing volatilized ammonia derived from the excrement of animals, comprising the step of administering to the animals a feed in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , said diet including from about 0.015-0.15% by weight of copolymer solids. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , said diet including from about 0.03-0.12% by weight of copolymer solids.