The reduction of methane (CH4) emissions and nitrogen (N) excretion from livestock production systems can help mitigate environmental impact and improve feeding efficiency. The energy requirements of livestock are crucial for enhancing their performance and minimizing environmental impact. It is imperative to accurately ascertain the N and energy efficiency, and CH4 emissions associated with sheep grazing across diverse grassland ecosystems to optimize forage resource utilization without compromising livestock production performance, thereby facilitating sustainable grassland management and grazing practices. Sheep grazing on native pasture had higher nutrient digestibility and N utilization, while sheep grazing on annual pasture showed higher energy utilization and less CH4 emissions. CH4-energy/gross energy for grazing sheep on annual pasture and native pasture was 0.09 and 0.10, respectively. This study assessed the differences in N and energy utilization and CH4 emissions, among sheep grazing on different grasses, providing data support for the development of more rational livestock grazing methods.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.