Effects of commercial seaweed supplementation on in vitro methane production and milk performance in dairy https://doi.org/10.12982/VIS.2026.064
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Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of commercial seaweed supplementation on ruminal fermentation, methane production, and milk performance in dairy cows during prepartum and postpartum periods. The experiment consisted of two parts. Experiment 1 assessed the impact of seaweed on rumen digestion using the in vitro gas production technique with rumen fluid collected from two Holstein Friesian cows (with an average body weight of 427 ± 10 kg and an average age of 3 years). Total gas, methane, pH, ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃-N), volatile fatty acids (VFA), and microbial biomass yield were analyzed in a completely randomized design. Experiment 2 consisted of on-farm trials conducted at two commercial dairy farms. At Thongsak Farm, twenty prepartum cows (18.16 ± 1.06 kg/day milk yield; 420 ± 25 kg BW) were evaluated from 30 days before to 90 days after calving and assigned to either the control (TMR only) or treatment (TMR + 40 g seaweed/day) group. Feed intake was recorded daily, while blood samples were collected three times and milk samples seven times throughout the experimental period. At Somsak Farm, another twenty postpartum cows (16.5 ± 1.0 kg/day milk yield; 425 ± 25 kg BW; 100.05 ± 67.25 DIM) were evaluated for 30 days using the same treatment structure and sampling protocol as in the prepartum trial, with feed intake and milk production recorded concurrently. In vitro results showed that seaweed supplementation significantly enhanced gas production at 2 hours (7.27 vs 6.61 mL/200 mg DM) and reduced methane production (5.22 vs 2.30 mL/200 mg; p < 0.05). On-farm results showed a tendency toward higher milk yield in the seaweed group, along with increased protein, total solids, and solids-not-fat. Blood profiles remained within normal ranges, indicating no adverse effects. Seaweed supplementation improved rumen fermentation efficiency reduced methane emissions and positively influenced milk yield and composition in dairy cows without compromising animal health.
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