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Updated: Feb 25, 2026
The Use of an Automated System GreenFeed to Monitor Enteric Methane and Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Ruminant Animals
Published on: September 7, 2015
In vitro methane and gas production with inocula from cows and goats fed an identical diet
Genet Mengistu1,2, Wouter H Hendriks1,3, Wilbert F Pellikaan1
1Wageningen University & Research, Department of Animal Sciences, Animal Nutrition Group, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Background:
Fermentative capacity among ruminants can differ depending on the type of ruminant species and the substrate fermented. The aim was to compare in vitro cow and goat rumen inocula in terms of methane (CH4 ) and gas production (GP), fermentation kinetics and 72 h volatile fatty acids (VFA) production using the browse species Acacia etbaica, Capparis tomentosa, Dichrostachys cinerea, Rhus natalensis, freeze-dried maize silage and grass silage, and a concentrate as substrates.
Results:
Total GP, CH4 and VFA were higher (P ≤ 0.008) in goat inoculum than cows across substrates. The half-time for asymptotic GP was lower (P < 0.0001) in phase 1 and higher (P < 0.012) in phase 2, and the maximum rate of GP was higher (P < 0.0001) in phase 1 and phase 3 (P < 0.0001) in goats compared to cows. Methane production and as a percentage of total GP was higher (P < 0.0001) and the half-time tended (P = 0.059) to be at a later time for goats compared to cows.
Conclusion:
Goat inoculum showed higher fermentative activity with a concomitant higher CH4 production compared to cows. This difference highlights the ability of goats to better utilise browse species and other roughage types. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
