Enteric Methane Emissions from Dairy–Beef Steers Supplemented with the Essential Oil Blend Agolin Ruminant

[…] Essential oils have properties that may reduce the amount of methane produced by ruminants. This study tested the effectiveness of an essential oil product in reducing methane emissions from dairy–beef cattle. Methane emissions were measured from individual animals by confinement in respiration chambers. Results showed that although there was no difference in the mass of methane produced, the yield (grams of methane per kilogram of feed dry matter consumed) was lower in the animals receiving the essential oils. This reduced methane yield was caused by control animals consuming less feed during methane measurement periods. The same reduction in feed intake was not observed in the treatment animals. This suggests that animals supplemented with essential oils were less affected by confinement in respiration chambers than control animals.