Methane is a significant green house gas that can lead to global warming. It is also commonly produced by many wild animals including humans and cattle.
Cow belches, a major source of greenhouse gases, could be decreased b an unusual feed supplement developed by a Penn state dairy scientist.
Belching (a.k.a burping) involves the release of gas from the digestive tract through the mouth, and is usually accompanied with a typical sound and odor.
Many other mammals, such as cattle dogs, and sheep, also burp. In the case of ruminants, the gas expelled is actually methane produced as a byproduct of the animal's digestive process. An average cow may emit between 542 liters and 600 liters (if in a field) of methane per day through burping, making commercially farmed cattle a major contributor to the greenhouse effect.
In a series of laboratory experiments and a live animal test done at Penn State, an oregano based feed supplement not only decreased methane emissions in dairy cows by 40 percent, but also improved milk production, according to associate professor of dairy nutrition Alexander Hristov.
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