Bovaer in dairy cattle feed. What do we know?

Regarding animal welfare studies of 3‐nitrooxypropanol (Bovaer® 10):

There are few studies that have investigated the effect of 3-NOP in combination with other additives, just as there are few studies that have included the effect of 3-NOP on health. The animal welfare consequences of using 3-NOP have not been investigated.

This was the study:
"Potent methane reducing feed additives in a Danish context, and their reduction potential, additive effects, risks related to animal welfare and carry-over to milk, and potential trade-offs"
Advisory report from DCA – Danish Centre for Food and Agriculture.

I think it is vey wise to always do some research yourself. We shouldn't always have to really. W should be able to believe the government and scientists. However, as the covid inquiry is showing , the government and it's 'chosen scientists' were anything but truthful.

HettyBetty

vegansrock

I thought exactly the same. People getting in a tizz about their milk with seemingly little regard for animal welfare as a whole.

I think my oat milk is safe.

But do watch your blood sugar levels if you drink oat milk.

I understood that cattle grass grazed all year don't produce so much methane. So perhaps Bovaer isn't as drastic as it appears to be? I'm more concerned that it says it's corrosive(?) when handled so care should be taken. Perhaps this is in the initial mixing process, not when it's highly diluted in the feed so therefore it doesn't affect the cow's mouth or gullet?

I'm afraid I have neither the knowledge or intelligence to do sufficient research and have to rely on those who have. Therefore I have go with what was broadcast on Inside Science and the NFU. It has apparently been being tested for fifteen years now. But it does interest me, although I only drink organic grass fed cow milk.

I understood that cattle grass grazed all year don't produce so much methane.

But most cattle aren't grazed all year round. They are kept in over the winter and fed silage and artificial foodstuffs.

Cattle are like humans in that eating produces methane. Statistics from research does show that vegans produce less methane-which is strange when you think that cows are vegan and causes me to wonder how that statistic was produced.
Many people find that certain vegetables produce more gas than others. Cauliflower, cabbage, peas, baked beans, broccoli, particularly purple sprouting broccoli and onions are the ones that were listed in response to a questionnaire amongst family and staff at school.
Methane production in the gut is associated with functional bowel disease such as constipation and bloating, as well as obesity and reduced weight loss.
Shall we accuse humans who suffer from excessive flatus caused by eating those vegetables of destroying the planet? What solution would people like to put forward?

Do sheep emit lots of methane?

I’m sure they do. They eat grass.
Be grateful they don’t eat chickpeas!

Oh yes.
Chickpeas and blow offs are a dangerous combination.

Tizliz

Do sheep emit lots of methane?

All ruminants produce methane, cows, sheep, deer, goats and many large wild animals, horses aren’t ruminants but do have methane producing bacteria, the more grass and other forage an animal eats the more methane it will produce.

David49

Tizliz

Do sheep emit lots of methane?

All ruminants produce methane, cows, sheep, deer, goats and many large wild animals, horses aren’t ruminants but do have methane producing bacteria, the more grass and other forage an animal eats the more methane it will produce.

Eat more pigs to avoid methane producers…

Casdon

David49

Tizliz

Do sheep emit lots of methane?

All ruminants produce methane, cows, sheep, deer, goats and many large wild animals, horses aren’t ruminants but do have methane producing bacteria, the more grass and other forage an animal eats the more methane it will produce.

Eat more pigs to avoid methane producers…

Cut down the rainforest to grow Soya for the pigs.
Producing food for the global population causes pollution, we should all stop eating.

Bovaer had been researched for over 15 years and is currently used in 68 countries around the world - with no adverse effects to either human or animal.

Good enough for me👍

The animal research hasn't been thoroughly researched apparently.

pure.au.dk/portal/files/306097925/Rapport_FINAL_300123.pdf

Thanks for that NotSpaghetti. That was a comprehensive document.
Different researches always produce a variety of results - I learnt that when researching the safety of Soy products.

Am I correct in thinking that cattle don't like the taste of it and it may be giving them indigestion? Most of it zoomed over my thick skull, but I don't think I'll be changing to drinking Arla.

NfkDumpling

Am I correct in thinking that cattle don't like the taste of it and it may be giving them indigestion? Most of it zoomed over my thick skull, but I don't think I'll be changing to drinking Arla.

Arla supplies supermarkets with own label products as well as those it produces itself such as Anchor and Lurpak butters, Cravendale milk, Skyr yogurt etc. Even Yeo Valley organic products are in partnership with Arla, apparently.

We won't know unless we read the small print on products.

The soil association haven't approved Bovaer, Allira

They say of organic products:
all ingredients/components of a feed additive must be actively approved for use and be deemed safe and nutritionally useful for the animal. The main components that make up Bovaer® are not included in the list of approved products/compounds and as a result, Bovaer® would not be permitted under organic standards and for use in organic farming.

Of Arla milk they say:
Any organic milk they supply must meet organic regulation requirements and the production has to be completely separate from any non-organic milk. This must be demonstrated and independently audited every year.

NotSpaghetti

The soil association haven't approved Bovaer, Allira

They say of organic products:
all ingredients/components of a feed additive must be actively approved for use and be deemed safe and nutritionally useful for the animal. The main components that make up Bovaer® are not included in the list of approved products/compounds and as a result, Bovaer® would not be permitted under organic standards and for use in organic farming.

Of Arla milk they say:
^Any organic milk they supply must meet organic regulation requirements and the production has to be completely separate from any non-organic milk. This must be demonstrated and independently audited every year.^

Organic cattle don’t produce methane.

I am very fortunate in having a local dairy selling locally under their own name. When I'm away I go for Yeo Valley, it's good to know their stuff is separate even if from Arla. I suppose it's Arla keeping a foot in all camps in case the Soil Association changes it's mind.

I buy less and less meat would never use any supermarket for it but M and S, Waitrose or Sainsbury's or the Co op as they have
animal welfare at heart, Don't trust Tescos supply in particular. Cook it properly. I wouldn't buy Arla products, trust Yeo Valley and Organic.

food.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/05/bovaer-cow-feed-additive-explained/

University of California explains here the cyclical nature of the methane produced by cattle.
I hadn't really understood the difference between the production of methane from agriculture and that from (say) fracking. This makes it much clearer.

clear.ucdavis.edu/news/methane-cows-and-climate-change-california-dairys-path-climate-neutrality

They have a wide range of papers on the methane/cattle issue as they seem to have have a fantastic agricultural research facility there.

It also looks as though there is a renewed interest in red seaweed supplement which cattle could enjoy in a salt-lick. They have released some research on 2nd December about this.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241202150126.htm

Given that cows (and sheep) both like seaweed and will eat it naturally if their range includes a seaweedy beach I think this is an interesting idea and deserves more research.

We have the milkman (Milk and More) and they’ve stated that Bovaer is not fed to the cows who produce the milk they sell.

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