Daily methane production pattern of Welsh ponies fed a roughage diet with or without a cereal mixture.
Abstract: Methane production from Welsh ponies fed 2 isoenergetic diets (NE basis) at maintenance was studied in a crossover design with 4 mature geldings (230 ± 10.5 kg BW, mean ± SE). Treatments included a roughage-only (R) diet (5.1 kg DM/d) or a roughage plus cereal mix (RC) diet (2.5 kg DM hay/d plus 1.1 kg DM cereal mix/d). For both diets, the same grass hay was used (898 g DM/kg and 4.5 MJ NE/kg DM) and a commercial cereal mix was used in the RC diet (890 g DM/kg and 9.6 MJ NE/kg DM). Ponies were housed in pairs in climate-controlled respiration chambers. Carbon dioxide production (CO2), oxygen (O2) consumption, and CH4 production were measured over 3 consecutive days. Heat production (HP) rates were calculated from gaseous exchange. Feces were collected quantitatively to determine dietary nutrient digestibility. Dry matter intake differed between diets (P < 0.0001), but NE intake was equal for both diets (22.3 ± 0.07 MJ NEm/d). Organic matter digestibility was lower (P = 0.006) for the R diet (47.2%) than the RC diet (55.6%). Methane production was higher (P = 0.014) on the R diet (29.8 L · pony(-1) · d(-1)) compared to the RC diet (23.2 L · pony(-1) · d(-1)). Methane production expressed in liters/kilogram metabolic body weight (BW0.75) per day tended (P = 0.064) to decrease with 21% for the RC group compared with the R group. Heat production, O2 consumption, and CO2 production were not affected by diet. Diurnal patterns of CH4 production and HP were similar for both diets. Methane production increased slightly (P < 0.652) after feeding and was numerically lower for the RC diet for all time points throughout the day. For both diets, HP was higher after feeding than before feeding and decreased again within approximately 3 h after feeding. Isoenergetic replacement of roughage by a cereal mix reduces CH4 production in ponies. No clear diurnal pattern in CH4 emission can be discerned in ponies fed at maintenance.
Publication Date: 2015-05-29 PubMed ID: 26020214DOI: 10.2527/jas.2014-8415Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research studies the daily production of methane in Welsh ponies that are fed two types of diets – one, a diet consisting only of roughage (R diet) and another one that contains a mix of roughage and cereal (RC diet). The study indicates that the diet consisting of cereal and roughage mix reduces methane production in ponies as compared to the roughage-only diet.
Objective of the Research
- The central aim of this study was to understand the methane production patterns in Welsh ponies when fed two different types of diets – one consisting only of roughage, and the other, a combination of roughage and cereal mix.
Research Methodology
- The study made use of a crossover design and involved four mature geldings (male horses) of the Welsh breed. Their average body weight was around 230 ± 10.5 kg.
- The research involved two treatments: a roughage-only (R) diet and a cereal mix plus roughage (RC) diet.
- These ponies were placed in pairs in climate-controlled chambers for observation.
- The production of carbon dioxide, oxygen consumption, and methane was measured over three consecutive days.
- Heat production rates were calculated from gas exchange.
- Fecal matter was collected systematically in order to ascertain the digestibility of the dietary nutrients.
Key Findings
- The dry matter intake differed between the two diets. However, the intake of net energy (NE) was found to be the same for both diets (22.3 ± 0.07 MJ NEm/d).
- The organic matter digestibility was lower (47.2%) for the R diet as compared to the RC diet (55.6%).
- It was observed that methane production was high in horses fed the R diet. The methane production tended to decrease by 21% for the group on the RC diet, but this was not strongly decisive (P = 0.064).
- The production of methane increased slightly after feeding and was generally lower for the RC diet at all times during the day.
- Heat production, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide production did not seem to be affected by the type of diet.
- For both diets, heat production was higher after feeding than before and went down three hours after being fed.
Conclusion
- The study seems to indicate that when analyzing equal energy intake, replacement of roughage with a cereal mix leads to reduced methane production. This suggests that the type of diet can influence methane emissions in ponies.
- The study also concluded that no clear pattern in methane emission can be seen from ponies fed at maintenance levels.
Cite This Article
APA
Dansen O, Pellikaan WF, Hendriks WH, Dijkstra J, Jacobs MP, Everts H, van Doorn DA.
(2015).
Daily methane production pattern of Welsh ponies fed a roughage diet with or without a cereal mixture.
J Anim Sci, 93(4), 1916-1922.
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2014-8415 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
- Circadian Rhythm / physiology
- Diet / veterinary
- Dietary Fiber / metabolism
- Edible Grain / metabolism
- Horses / metabolism
- Male
- Methane / metabolism
- Oxygen Consumption / physiology
- Random Allocation
- Thermogenesis / physiology
- Time Factors
Citations
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