Farms.com Home   News

California Dairy Farmers are Saving Money—and Cutting Methane Emissions—By Feeding Cows Leftovers

By Pam Knox 

If you’re a dairy farmer, feeding leftovers or scraps to cows is nothing new. As long as you keep their diets well balanced, cows can eat a surprising variety of things and stay healthy. But feeding leftovers to cattle also provides another benefit–it reduces food waste, one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Here is a recent story about California dairies’ use of almond hulls, spent grains, and other leftover food to cut methane emissions by diverting edible food products out of landfills, where they produce methane as they decompose. You can read it at Inside Climate News here.

California Dairy Farmers are Saving Money—and Cutting Methane Emissions—By Feeding Cows Leftovers

Source : uga.edu

Trending Video

Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Video: Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Recent necropsies have revealed new insights into unexplained sow deaths, helping producers better understand the causes behind these losses. A recent study led by Laura Solis, a graduate student at Iowa State University, examined why these deaths occur, many around farrowing. In some cases, animals were sent to the lab for further analysis, as discussed by Dr. Marcelo Almeida, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. The episode also features Dr. Chris Rademacher, clinical professor and swine extension veterinarian as well as associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, who asks questions of what seasonal factors there were and management strategies that can influence herd health outcomes.