Isoflavone-supplemented milk replacers and systems and methods of feeding same to young animals

Abstract

Isoflavone-supplemented milk replacers fed to young animals during a pre-weaning provides isoflavones in the milk replacer at a level of about 700 mg per kilogram of the milk replacer, and/or provides about 450 mg of the supplemental isoflavone in at least about 1.5 pounds of the milk replacer by dry weight such that the animal ingests this amount of the isoflavone per day, and/or provides in the milk replacer at least about 50 mg of isoflavone per pound of the animal’s birth weight is ingested per day. In response to ingesting the isoflavone-supplemented milk replacer, the young animal experiences improved performance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of feeding a young animal an isoflavone-supplemented milk replacer, comprising:
 providing a milk replacer to a young animal on a daily basis during a pre-weaning phase, the milk replacer supplemented with an isoflavone extract derived from soy,   wherein in response to ingesting the supplemented milk replacer, the young animal experiences improved performance,   wherein the isoflavone extract excludes glycitein.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the isoflavone extract comprises aglycone isoflavone. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the supplemented milk replacer comprises about 700 mg/kg to about 5000 mg/kg of the isoflavone extract by dry weight of the milk replacer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein about 50 mg to about 350 mg of the isoflavone extract are provided per pound of a birth weight of the young animal per day. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein about 450 mg to about 3000 mg of the isoflavone extract are provided to the young animal per day. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the young animal is a young livestock animal. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the isoflavone extract comprises one or more of: genistein, daidzein, biochanin or formonenetin. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the isoflavone extract comprises at least 50 wt% genistein. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the isoflavone extract comprises up to about 50 wt% daidzein. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least about 1.5 pounds of the supplemented milk replacer by dry weight are provided to the young animal per day. 
     
     
         11 . A milk replacer composition for improving performance of a young animal in a pre-weaning phase, the milk replacer comprising:
 an isoflavone extract derived from soy and excluding glycitein;   at least about 18 wt% of a protein by dry weight; and   at least about 18 wt% of a fat by dry weight.   
     
     
         12 . The milk replacer of  claim 11 , wherein the milk replacer comprises about 700 mg/kg to about 5000 mg/kg of the isoflavone extract by dry weight. 
     
     
         13 . The milk replacer of  claim 11 , wherein the isoflavone extract comprises aglycone isoflavone. 
     
     
         14 . The milk replacer of  claim 11 , wherein the isoflavone extract comprises one or more of: genistein, daidzein, biochanin or formonenetin. 
     
     
         15 . The milk replacer of  claim 11 , wherein the isoflavone extract comprises at least 50 wt% genistein. 
     
     
         16 . The milk replacer of  claim 15 , wherein the isoflavone extract comprises up to about 50 wt% daidzein. 
     
     
         17 . The milk replacer of  claim 11 , wherein the protein comprises at least one non-milk protein. 
     
     
         18 . The milk replacer of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one non-milk protein constitutes about 1 wt% to about 65 wt% of the protein. 
     
     
         19 . The milk replacer of  claim 17 , wherein the non-milk protein comprises one or more of hydrolyzed soy protein modified or soybean protein concentrate. 
     
     
         20 . The milk replacer of  claim 11 , wherein the milk replacer excludes one or more of: wheat protein, fish meal, gut protein, potato protein, egg protein, egg, blood plasma, red blood cells, or protein derived from blood or plasma.