B.FLT.5015 - Reducing emissions of backgrounded cattle - combining Bovaer®10 with supplementation to reduce methane and increase productivity

Summary

This project developed an energy based pellet supplement for grazing animals that contained the methane inhibitor Bovaer®, suitable for backgrounding cattle operations. The effectiveness of the supplement was assessed in a 150 head grazing study that quantified methane emissions and cattle growth. ADG was 18.6% and 6.6% greater (P=0.002) with Bovaer®, compared to those grazing or Energy pellets without Bovaer®. Bovaer® inclusion reduced methane emissions by 15.9% as g CH4/d, and 24.8% (g CH4/kg ADG) when compared to energy supplementation, and by 31.5% (g CH4/kg ADG) compared to the Control. The increased growth rate with Bovaer has the potential to reduce the number of grazing days required to achieve a theoretical 200kg weight gain by 28 or 54 d, compared to supplementation with energy, or grazing only, respectively.

Objectives

The objectives of the project were to:

1. Develop a stable pellet containing Bovaer® 10 to be fed in a pasture-based beef cattle backgrounding system.
2. Determine the optimal system to deliver Bovaer® 10 supplement in multiple bouts (up to four times per day) to cattle in a pasture based backgrounding system.
3. Determine the effect of Bovaer® 10 on methane emissions and performance of cattle during a defined backgrounding phase.
4. Measure methane emissions of cattle using the GreenFeed system (GEM).
5. Determine the value proposition for Bovaer® 10 in combination with energy supplementation in the backgrounding phase for achieving carbon neutrality or reducing carbon footprint, accessing carbon credits, productivity (rate of gain and cost per unit of gain), feeding profitability or marketing premiums/access.

Key findings

1. Supplementation of Bovaer® pellets on pasture reduced methane by 15.9% as g CH4/d, and 24.8% as g CH4/kg ADG, compared to energy supplementation.
2. Average daily gain was 6.6% greater with Bovaer®, compared to those supplemented with energy pellets, and 18.6% greater than cattle just on pasture.
3. If comparing energy supplementation with or without Bovaer®, the addition of Bovaer® has the potential to reduce the number of days cattle are backgrounded by 28 d or 54 d if compared to grazing only for a typical industry backgrounding program.
4. The net benefit of a reduction in days of grazing would be a reduction of 351kg CO2 eq. compared to grazing cattle and 340.5kg CO2 eq. compared to the energy pellet group per animal.

Benefits to industry

This project provides information for the first time in a grazing context that supplementation with the methane inhibitor Bovaer® combined with an energy pellet can increase average daily weight gain of the animals and significantly decrease enteric methane emissions.

MLA action

MLA will continue to invest in optimisation of delivery mechanisms of methane inhibitors to cattle in a variety of production environments relevant to Australian red meat producers.

Future research

Future research should focus on the method of delivery to ensure a constant supply of Bovaer® to grazing cattle when the use of automated feeders is not a viable option, or distances are too far for cattle to feasibly visit several times per day. This work could also focus on pellet formulation with alternative minerals, treatment of Bovaer® or pellets to reduce loss of Bovaer during palletisation and storage, or to extend the duration that Bovaer® is available in the rumen once consumed by the animal.