Supplementation with whole cottonseed reduces methane emissions and can profitably increase milk production of dairy cows offered a forage and cereal grain diet

Abstract

The experimental objective was to determine if whole cottonseed (WCS) could be used as a dietary supplement to reduce enteric methane emissions and profitably increase milk production from dairy cattle over the summer period when pasture is limited in quantity and has a low nutritive value. Fifty lactating cows, ∼200 days in milk, were randomly allocated to one of two groups (control or WCS). Cows were offered lucerne hay (in the morning) and pasture silage (in the afternoon) made from a predominantly ryegrass sward in one group for 5 weeks. The hay and silage were placed on the ground in a bare paddock. Cows in each group were also individually offered cracked grain in a feed trough at 3 kg..