Effects of dietary and animal factors on methane production in dairy cows offered grass silage-based diets

摘要: Abstract An analysis of a large dataset, derived from lactating ( n  = 299) and dry  = 16) Holstein–Friesian cows offered grass silage-based diets, was undertaken at the Agricultural Research Institute Northern Ireland. Methane (CH 4 ) produced by cattle measured in indirect calorimeter chambers. The level CH emission positively related to live weight, DM intake (DMI), milk yield (MY) feeding level, respectively P /DMI or /MY ratios increased with increasing dietary silage proportion concentration acid neutral detergent fibre production can be accurately predicted DMI MY together other animal variables R 2 up 0.79). results suggest that nutritional management strategies used reduce methane dairy cows, for example productivity manipulating composition. reduction quantified discussed present paper.