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Effect of Supplementing grass Silage with Sugar beet feed on Methane Production by Sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

Angela R. Moss
Affiliation:
ADAS Drayton Research Centre, Feed Evaluation Unit, Stratford-on-Avon, CV37 9RQ, UK
E. R. Deaville
Affiliation:
ADAS Drayton Research Centre, Feed Evaluation Unit, Stratford-on-Avon, CV37 9RQ, UK
D. L Givens
Affiliation:
ADAS Drayton Research Centre, Feed Evaluation Unit, Stratford-on-Avon, CV37 9RQ, UK
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Extract

Methane production by ruminant animals is an important anthropogenic source of methane to the atmosphere and is considered an important source to more accurately estimate and to control. It has been known for some time that, in ruminants, diet type and composition can influence methane production, yet there is little quantitative information for contemporary diets used in the UK. Attempts to predict methane production from either diet chemical composition or digestibility have not been successful (Moss and Givens, 1990; Johnson et al., 1991). In order to estimate more accurately the amount of methane produced by a ruminant on a given diet, it is essential to establish whether there are interactions of various substrates with forage and to relate this to the rumen environment. Previous work showing interactions has used mainly hay-based diets (Blaxter and Wainman, 1964); as grass silage is now the major forage in the UK, work with this forage was undertaken.

Type
Sheep
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1994

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References

Blaxter, K. L. and Wainman, F. W. (1964). J. Agric. Sci. 63:113128.Google Scholar
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Johnson, D. E., Hill, T. M., Carmean, R. R., Branine, M. E., Lodman, D. W. and Ward, G. M. (1991). 12th Symposium on Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals, Kartause Ittingen.Google Scholar