Journal article
Modelling enteric methane abatement from earlier mating of dairy heifers in subtropical Australia by improving diet quality
KM Christie, MT Harrison, LM Trevaskis, RP Rawnsley, RJ Eckard
Animal Production Science | Published : 2016
DOI: 10.1071/AN15296
Abstract
Milking cows typically dominate dairy farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but replacement heifers also contribute to farm emissions and can increase the emission intensity of milk production. In northern Australia, heifers generally graze poorer-quality subtropical pastures and in the absence of energy-dense supplementary feed during periods of low pasture growth, liveweight (LW) gain can be restricted. This modelling study examined the time required and enteric methane (CH4) emissions produced in raising dairy heifers to a target LW for first mating by feeding a diet assuming either constant (static) or variable (dynamic) nutritive values. Using a static approach (Australian Feeding Standa..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge insights provided by W. J. Fulkerson. We are grateful for the support of the three farmers who supplied case-study data to formulate the modelled farm systems. We are also grateful for support from their host organisations and funding from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Dairy Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation.