unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . unless mentioned otherwise , the techniques employed or contemplated herein are standard methodologies well known to one of ordinary skill in the art . the materials , processes and examples described in the description of the invention are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting to the scope of the invention in any manner . many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings . therefore , it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims . the present invention relates to improved health and performance of livestock through provision of compositions , including compositions provided as a food supplement or additive . applicant provides a special enrichment diet for beef cattle providing numerous benefits , including , for example , improved muscle mass and tone , fertility , hair growth , eye health , feed intake , feed efficiency , productive milk output , milk quality indices , meat production , and / or reduced morbidity and mortality . in a preferred embodiment of the methods of the present invention for feeding livestock , the health and performance of livestock can be enhanced by feeding the composition in an amount of , for example , at least 1 oz . per head , per day to cattle less than 800 lbs , and 2 oz . per head , per day to cattle weighing more than 800 lbs . the composition may be provided for a limited period of time , or may be provided over the lifetime of the animal . the composition may include sodium bentonite , sodium sulfate , dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation product , ferrous sulfate , calcium carbonate , manganese proteinate , manganese sulfate , molasses products , vegetable oil , lecithin , high fructose corn syrup , polysorbate 60 , glycerin , sulfuric acid , xanthan gum , natural and artificial flavor , zinc proteinate , selenium yeast , zinc sulfate , yeast culture , vitamin a supplement , vitamin d - 3 supplement , vitamin e supplement , choline chloride , niacin , calcium pantothenate , riboflavin , vitamin b - 12 supplement , thiamine hydrochloride , copper sulfate , copper proteinate , lactobacillus acidophilus , lactobacillus brevis , lactobacillus plantarum , enterococcus faecium , and pediococcus acidlacticii . a further preferred feeding range consists of feeding beef cattle throughout its life with the special enriched diet . the dietary composition can be further enriched with or provided in addition to organic trace minerals and vitamins . it is understood that the compositions , i . e . dietary supplements and additives , can be provided alone or mixed into feed . for example , the compositions may be mixed into daily ration at a rate of 1 oz . per head per day to cattle less than 800 lb . feed 2 oz per head per day to cattle weighing more than 800 lb . the dietary supplements or additives according to the present invention can be formulated substantially according to any of tables 1 - 4 , below . the results of feeding the special enhanced diet of the present invention to beef cattle illustrate that cattle exhibiting stress or inability to thrive ( i . e ., foundering calves ) exhibit substantial improvements in health and performance following administration of dietary supplements according to the present invention . the improvements include increases in muscle tissue , hair growth , fertility , feed intake , feed efficiency , productive milk output , milk quality indices , and / or meat production . there is evidence suggesting the dietary supplements can be used both to improve the performance and health of livestock not exhibiting any disease or defect , and to treat livestock exhibiting defects and / or disease symptoms , including , for example , poor growth or failure to thrive . further , the formulations according to the present invention can also be used for livestock other than cattle . however , it should be understood that the formulae may require modification for administration for certain livestock . for example , removal of copper is required before administration of sheep . the invention has been described with reference to various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques . however , it should be understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention . in particular , it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates variations in the organic components of the special enriched diet , process parameters for making the special enriched diet , including temperature , time , ph , salts , manufacturing techniques , drying or preparation techniques , and selenoproteins of interest . all publications in this specification are indicative of the level of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains . all publications are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated by reference .
the present invention relates to improved heath and performance of livestock produced by novel compositions and methods involving formulations provided herein . the present invention may be applied to a variety of livestock , including ruminants such as cattle and sheep .