Benefits of SeaGraze® in Organic Pasture-Raised Sheep
In May 2020, Z farms - a certified organic farm in Dover Plains, New York - tested our enteric methane buster, SeaGraze® with their herds. Z Farms was our first moo-ver, and we owe our gratitude to the owner of the farm, Dr. Diane Zlotnikov, who led a rigorous multi-approach to the study.
Thank you to our trial collaborators and funders!
Why SeaGraze®?
Asparagopsis taxiformis, a species of red marine macroalgae, has rich content of macro and microminerals making it a great candidate for reducing methane in ruminant animals. It’s able to reduce methane emissions up to 90% by changing the rumen microbiome and minimizing microbe fermentation without altering the volatile fatty acids. Volatile fatty acids such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate are produced during microbe fermentation and utilized by the animal as a primary energy source.
Grazing livestock’s performances and health relies on the pasture's availability of essential minerals. Minerals can vary on a pasture and therefore may need to be administered as free choice on the pasture or occasionally administered as long-acting boluses slowly releasing minerals over time to the animal.
Experimental Design
Methods
The six-week field trial contained 45 organic certified Whiteface Dartmoor 1.5 year old ewes split into 3 groups: control, A. taxiformis as free choice at 0.25% of DMI (dry matter intake), and 1% of DMI mixed with Alfalfa pellet in a trough feeder every morning for 45 days. The goal was to determine the impact of A. taxiformis on sheep methane production, microbiome, and overall health.
Data Collection
Methane measurements were captured each morning with a hand held laser detector to evaluate and analyze the reduction capabilities of A. taxiformis.
Other health parameter measurements such as body weight, body condition score, dry matter intake (DMI), and mineral content of forage and A. taxiformis were evaluated to identify the available nutrients and growth rate of the animals.
Fecal content was also analyzed for microbiome and parasitic analysis to identify the microorganism and parasite population present in the different groups.
Results
Microbiome results showcase that forage-utilizing bacteria significantly increase in both the low and high treatment groups
Abundance of Butyrivibrio species over time by treatment group is seen to the right. Butyrivibrio are important rumen bacteria, and are among the small number of rumen genera capable of utilizing the complex plant structural polysaccharides xylan and pectin (Palevich, 2017). Butyrate plays a significant role in energy metabolism and regulation of activities that influence the utilization of feed materials and the function of those materials (Miguel, 2019).
Over 90% of sheep in high-dose group showed methane reductions on pasture.
This study showcased the adoption of SeaGraze® in pasture systems, informing that higher inclusion rates can improve access to the feed and adoption of the product.
SeaGraze® promoted healthy gain even through summer heat stress difficulties
During the experiment, 93% of the treatment groups gained weight compared to the 56% of the control group during summer heat stress. This showcases the nutritional properties of SeaGraze® — seaweeds provide essential minerals and nutrients to mitigate oxidative stress.
Microbiome results indicate significant reduction in methanogenic bacteria in the rumen
This graph (right) shows the abundance of Methanobrevibacter species over time by treatment group, showing a 32% decline in methanogenic organisms in the rumen. Methanobrevibacter are coccobacillus bacteria that utilize dihydrogen for methane production and are commonly found in the rumen, slide, human and animal feces, as well as wet wood of trees (Kim, 2014). A decrease in methanobrevibacter suggests that A. taxiformis limits the availability of dihydrogen to these bacteria, which in turn reduces the ability for this species to produce methane.
Asparagopsis had an anti-parasitic effect in reducing Eimeria and Strongyles parasites.
We believe that small ruminants are great candidates for SeaGraze® use.
Download full study PDF here