Emissions of methane (CH4) from dairy production systems are environmentally detrimental and represent an energy cost to the cow. This study evaluated the effect of varying C18 fatty acid sources on CH4 emissions, milk production and rumen methanogen populations in grazing lactating dairy cows. Forty-five Holstein Friesian cows were randomly allocated to one of three treatments (n = 15). Cows were offered 15 kg dry matter (DM)/d of grazed pasture plus supplementary concentrates (4 kg DM/d) containing either stearic acid (SA), linseed oil (LO), or soy oil (SO). Cows offered LO and SO had lower pasture DM intake (DMI) than those offered SA (11.3, 11.5 vs. 12.6 kg/d). Cows offered LO and SO had higher milk yield (21.0, 21.3 vs. 19.7 kg/d) and milk protein yield (0.74, 0.73 vs. 0.67 kg/d) than those offered SA. Emissions of CH4 (245 vs. 293, 289 g/d, 12.4 vs. 15.7, 14.8 g/kg of milk and 165 vs. 207, 195 g/kg of milk solids) were lower for cows offered LO than those offered SA or SO. Methanobrevibacter ruminantium abundance was reduced in cows offered LO compared to SA. Offering supplementary concentrates containing LO can reduce enteric CH4 emissions from pasture fed dairy cows.
Keywords: C18 fatty acid; fatty acid; linseed oil; methane; milk composition; pasture; soy oil; stearic acid.