Combination of Feed Additives to Reduce Methane Emissions and Increase Performance By Feedlot Cattle

Abstract Our objective was to evaluate the effects of 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) associated with different feed additives on performance, carcass characteristics and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. Twenty-seven Nellore bulls (initial BW, 410 ± 6 kg) were randomly allocated to three treatments with nine replicates per treatment (animal as experimental unit). The animals were fed a high-concentrate feedlot diet (R:C, 10:90) for 102 days, according with the following three treatments: 1) Control (CTRL): Sodium Monensin (26 mg/kg DM); 2) BOV: Control + 3-NOP (Bovaer;100 mg/kg DM); 3) BOVPERF (Bovaer Performance pack): Control + 3-NOP (100 mg/kg DM) + Essential oils (Crina Ruminants, 100 mg/kg DM) + 25-OH-Vitamin D3 (Hy-D, 0.10 mg/kg DM) + carbo-amino-phospho-chelate of chromium and zinc (0.4 and 60 mg/kg of DM, respectively). The gases emissions (CH4 and H2) and DMI variables were assessed individually, by using the GreenFeed and Intergado electronic system placed in the feedlot pen, respectively. The BW of Yearling bulls were recorded at the beginning and final of the experiment after 16-h fasting (Table). Data were analyzed by ANOVA using the PROC MIXED of SAS 9.4, in which means comparison were evaluated by Tukey test at P < 0.05. Feeding BOVPERF increased DM intake during adaptation period (P = 0.04), and over the total period (P < 0.01) compared with control with no difference on feed efficiency (P =0.61). There was no difference (P > 0.05) on DMI between CTRL and BOV. Animals fed BOVPERF had greater HCW (+13 kg, P = 0.04) and greater carcass ADG (+120 g/d, P = 0.04) compared with CTRL. Animals fed BOV and BOVPERF emitted 39% less CH4 (P < 0.01) and produced 292% more H2 (P < 0.01) compared with CTRL. In addition, there were significant reductions in methane intensity, as measured by the ratios CH4/kg DM (-42%; P < 0.01), and CH4/kg carcass ADG (-41.13%; P < 0.01) for animals fed with BOV and BOVPERF compared with CTRL. We conclude that feeding Bovaer performance pack reduces methane emissions and increases carcass production in feedlot beef cattle.