Increasing productivity and reducing methane emissions by supplementing feed with dietary lipids

Abstract

Methane (CH4) is a by-product in the digestion of plant material by all cattle and sheep. Effectively it is wasted feed material and energy that could otherwise be available for animal production. It is also a major greenhouse gas (14% of Australia’s emissions). Beef cattle contribute 50% of these emissions. Many lipid containing feed materials are known to reduce methane emissions, as well as increasing productivity when used as supplementary feeds. The purpose of this project is to investigate the impact of lipid containing feed additives on the suppression of methane emissions and improvements in the growth rate of steers fed a basal diet of tropical pastures.