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OPEN
received: 06 December 2015 accepted: 01 June 2016 Published: 16 June 2016
Body fat mobilization in early lactation influences methane production of dairy cows A. Bielak1, M. Derno1, A. Tuchscherer2, H. M. Hammon1, A. Susenbeth3 & B. Kuhla1 Long-chain fatty acids mobilized during early lactation of dairy cows are increasingly used as energy substrate at the expense of acetate. As the synthesis of acetate in the rumen is closely linked to methane (CH4) production, we hypothesized that decreased acetate utilization would result in lower ruminal acetate levels and thus CH4 production. Twenty heifers were sampled for blood, rumen fluid and milk, and CH4 production was measured in respiration chambers in week −4, +5, +13 and +42 relative to first parturition. Based on plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration determined in week +5, animals were grouped to the ten highest (HM; NEFA > 580 μmol) and ten lowest (LM; NEFA 580 μmol) and 379.1 ± 61.9 μmol/L for the ten lowest (LM; NEFA
OPEN
received: 06 December 2015 accepted: 01 June 2016 Published: 16 June 2016
Body fat mobilization in early lactation influences methane production of dairy cows A. Bielak1, M. Derno1, A. Tuchscherer2, H. M. Hammon1, A. Susenbeth3 & B. Kuhla1 Long-chain fatty acids mobilized during early lactation of dairy cows are increasingly used as energy substrate at the expense of acetate. As the synthesis of acetate in the rumen is closely linked to methane (CH4) production, we hypothesized that decreased acetate utilization would result in lower ruminal acetate levels and thus CH4 production. Twenty heifers were sampled for blood, rumen fluid and milk, and CH4 production was measured in respiration chambers in week −4, +5, +13 and +42 relative to first parturition. Based on plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration determined in week +5, animals were grouped to the ten highest (HM; NEFA > 580 μmol) and ten lowest (LM; NEFA 580 μmol) and 379.1 ± 61.9 μmol/L for the ten lowest (LM; NEFA
