Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center:

Home Page

All articles about

Air Mitigation Technologies

Reprinted, with permission, from the proceedings of: Mitigating Air Emissions From Animal Feeding Operations Conference.

The proceedings, "Mitigating Air Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations", with expanded versions of these summaries can be purchased through the Midwest Plan Service.

This Technology is Applicable To:

Species: Dairy
Use Area: Animal Housing
Technology Category: Diet Modification
Air Mitigated Pollutants: Methane, Other Greenhouse Gases, Methanol and Ethanol

System Summary

Paramount amongst the problems currently facing the dairy industry is the impact the dairy industry has on the environment. A main environmental concern associated with the dairy industry is the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and greenhouse gases (GHG). Feed additives, like monensin sodium (monensin), have been thought to improve cattle health and productivity, and have been used for these reasons for decades. Feeding monensin to dairy cattle has the potential to change CH4 production by altering bacteria populations in the rumen. Improvements in feed efficiencies for rate of weight gain and milk production equate to reductions of emissions per production unit. The use of ionophores has been shown to improve efficiency in the animal, although with inconsistent results.

Applicability and Mitigating Mechanism

• Monensin is currently approved by the FDA
• Can improve feed efficiency, and increase milk production efficiency equating in less emissions per production unit
• Feed additive that can alter rumen environment potentially changing end products of fermentation
• Efficiencies have been reported, but with inconsistencies

Limitations

• Use limited to minimum and maximum feeding levels set by FDA
• Results are inconsistent
• Type of diet might not favor use of monensin
• Off-label use is prohibited
• Very high levels can result in toxicity in animal

Cost

Monensin is most commonly delivered to the animal in a mineral or grain premix. Depending on the type of premix, inclusion level of monensin, and cost of transportation, costs can vary widely. Depending on the method of delivery to the animal, the cost of the raw drug form of monensin (Rumensin R80, 80 g lb-1) can range from approximately $0.0145 to $0.072 cow-1 day-1, delivering 185 to 660 mg head-1 day-1, respectively.

Authors

Scott W. Hamilton and Frank M. Mitloehner, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616
Point of Contact:
Frank Mitloehner, fmmitloehner@ucdavis.edu

The information provided here was developed for the conference Mitigating Air Emissions From Animal Feeding Operations Conference held in May 2008. To obtain updates, readers are encouraged to contact the author.