Patent ID: 8444966

Claim:
A method of increasing at least one of the percentage of milk protein, the percentage of solids-non-fat, and percentage of milk fat in milk from a ruminant, the method comprising: feeding an effective amount to colonize the rumen of the ruminant an isolated Propionibacterium strain selected from the group consisting of strains P169 ATCC PTA-5271, P170 ATCC PTA-5272, P179 NRRL B-50133P195 NRRL B-50132, and P261 NRRL B-50131 to the ruminant; and after the feeding, testing the milk from the ruminant for at least one of percentage of milk protein, percentage of solids-non-fat, and percentage of milk fat, wherein the feeding of the strain increases at least one of the percentage of milk protein, the percentage of solids-non-fat, and percentage of milk fat in the milk from the ruminant when compared to the respective percentage of milk protein, percentage of solids-non-fat, and percentage of milk fat in milk from an untreated control ruminant not fed the strain.