GUT-CHECK: SEAWEED SEEN TO CUT COWS’ GAS-PASSING

University of California researchers are feeding seaweed to dairy cows in an attempt to make cattle more climate-friendly. UC Davis is studying whether adding small amounts of seaweed to cattle feed can help reduce their emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that’s released when cattle burp, pass gas or make manure. In a study this past spring, researchers found methane emissions were reduced by more than 30 per cent in a dozen Holstein cows that ate the ocean algae, which was mixed into their feed and sweetened with molasses to disguise the salty taste.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be that dramatic with a small amount of seaweed,” said Ermias Kebreab, the UC Davis animal scientist who led the study.