Red Macroalgae Feed Supplement for Livestock Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pasture farming systems for livestock, particularly ruminant animals, face challenges such as slower growth rates due to low metabolizable energy and protein content in native grasslands, leading to increased production time and costs, while feedlot systems are costly and inefficient in feed utilization.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating red marine macroalgae, specifically Asparagopsis taxiformis, into livestock feed or supplements in pasture, stocker, and feedlot systems to enhance growth performance by improving metabolizable energy and protein intake.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pasture farming is used to reduce production costs, then production cost decreases, but growth rate decreases and time to finishing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by supplementing pasture with specific nutrients (phosphorus, non-protein nitrogen, energy sources) to modify the nutritional parameters of the diet, thereby improving growth rate while maintaining pasture-based low-cost production
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite feeding strategies by combining pasture with supplementary feeds containing phosphorus, urea, molasses, and other nutrients to create a composite diet that achieves both cost-effectiveness and improved growth performance
2Ease of manufacture
If pasture farming is used to reduce production costs, then production cost decreases, but time to finishing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing nutrient supplements (phosphorus, energy sources, protein) in advance to pasture-grazing animals, which prepares them for faster subsequent growth and reduces overall time to finishing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes dietary parameters by adding supplements to pasture, which accelerates growth rate and reduces the time required to reach finishing weight while maintaining cost-effectiveness
3Productivity
If feedlot systems are used to improve growth rate, then growth rate increases, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing targeted nutrient supplements (phosphorus, protein, energy) specifically to pasture-grazing animals, creating localized nutritional enhancement that achieves feedlot-like growth rates without the full cost of feedlot systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses nutrient supplements as intermediaries between pasture and feedlot systems, allowing animals to achieve improved growth rates on pasture through supplementation rather than requiring complete transition to expensive feedlot diets
4Ease of manufacture
If pasture farming is used to reduce production costs, then production cost decreases, but stocking rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes pasture carrying capacity parameters by supplementing nutrients to grazing animals, which improves their efficiency and allows higher stocking rates on the same pasture area while maintaining cost-effectiveness
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to utilising red marine macroalgae to provide improvements in growth performance.