Methane Mitigation and Its Effects on Energy Utilization in Lactating Dairy Cattle

Improved methane (CH4) mitigation strategies are needed to achieve the greenhouse gas emission goals of the dairy industry. The first experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed oil and acetate (BCA) on CH4 production and whole-animal energy utilization. Twelve dry Jersey cows were used in a 2-period crossover design study with 28d periods. The BCA treatment was compared to a control diet with corn oil. Both BCA and corn oil were added to the base diet as a top dress. Results from this study did not show any difference in CH4 production or energy utilization between treatments. The second experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding increasing inclusion rates of an algae feed additive containing bromoform (ALB) on CH4 production and whole-animal energy utilization. Twelve lactating Jersey cows were arranged in a quadruplicated 3×3 Latin square design consisting of 3 periods with 28d each. Treatments were randomly assigned and consisted of 0CTRL (base diet with 0% ALB), 0.46LOW (base diet with 0.46% ALB), and 0.93HIGH (base diet with 0.93% ALB). Increasing inclusion of ALB linearly decreased CH4 production. No differences were observed in dry matter intake (DMI) or energy corrected milk (ECM). Advisor: Paul J. Kononoff