SLU news
New scientific article about part-time grazing and methane emission
Published: 15 September 2023
Effects of daytime or night-time grazing on animal performance, diurnal behaviour and enteric methane emissions from dairy cows at high latitudes.
The article describes a study with 24 dairy cows that were examined with regard to production and methane emissions in a part-time grazing system in northern Sweden. Half of the cows grazed only during the day (10 h per day) and half grazed only at night (12 h night grazing). Both groups received the same feed. Enteric methane emissions were measured both indoors and outdoors with two linked GreenFeed TM units. There was no statistically significant difference in feed intake, milk production or daily methane emissions between day and night grazing. A rapid reduction in diurnal methane emissions (28%) was observed when the cows were moved outside to pasture, and this was true for both night and day grazing treatments.