Feeding Seaweed Supplement To Cattle Halved Methane Emissions In Aussie Study

"Cattle at a Queensland feedlot were fed red seaweed for 200 days in one of the longest trials of the additive – but experts say it’s not farm-ready"

"It takes a tasty treat to lure a cow’s head into the narrow channel of a solar-powered contraption mounted to the back of a trailer.

Once inside, and munching away at the sweet pellet, sensors measure the potency of the animal’s methane-laden burps. By the water trough, another device calculates the cow’s weight, and over the fence tubs of feed on scales record how much it eats.

Like the other 19,000 cattle at Kerwee Feedlot, 150km west of Brisbane, the 80 cows in this pen are fed a twice-daily ration of freshly milled wheat and barley. But in the mix there’s an added supplement derived from Asparagopsis, a species of red seaweed shown in some studies to reduce the methane output of cows. This is one of the longest commercial trials of the additive to date."

Aston Brown reports for the Guardian August 17, 2024.

Source: Guardian, 08/19/2024