Phenotypic traits related to methane emissions from Holstein dairy cows challenged by low or high forage proportion.

Limited literature is available identifying phenotypical traits related to enteric methane (CH) production from dairy cows, despite its relevance in relation to breeding for animals with a low CH yield (g/kg DMI) and the derived consequences hereof. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between CH yield and different animal phenotypes when 16 second-parity dairy cows, fitted with a ruminal cannula, were fed 2 diets differing in forage/concentrate ratio in a crossover design. The diets had either a low forage proportion (35% on DM basis; F35) or a high forage proportion (63% on DM basis; F63).

Evaluation of different ensiling methods for preservation: influence on chemical composition and ruminal fermentation.

is a brown seaweed that could be used in ruminant feeding, but its fast deteriorating and seasonal growth nature limit their utilisation in the practice. Ensiling could be used as a preservation method, but information of its effects on the nutritional value of the seaweed is limited. This study evaluated the ruminal fermentation of different silages using ruminal inoculum either from goats fed a mixed diet (60:40 oat hay:concentrate) or from sheep fed a high-forage diet (90:10 alfalfa hay:concentrate) to simulate different small ruminant production systems.