Patent ID: 8642100

Claim:
A method for reducing or controlling the quantity of methane produced by a dairy ruminant comprising: A. determining the quantity of methane produced by the dairy ruminant comprising: determining in the milk comprising fatty acids produced by the ruminant the ratio between the amount of fatty acids with 16 carbon atoms or less in the milk and the total amount of fatty acids in the milk; using the ratio to calculate the quantity of methane in g/liter of milk produced by the ruminant using the equation: Quantity CH 4 =(FA<C16/Total FAs)* a *(milk production) b , wherein, FA<C16=the amount of fatty acids with 16 carbon atoms or less; Total FAs=total amount of fatty acids; milk production=kg of milk per animal per year; a is between 10 and 13; and b is between −0.40 and −0.45; and B. in response to the quantity of methane calculated, reducing or controlling the quantity of methane produced by the dairy ruminant by providing the ruminant with a food ration which meets at least one of the following criteria: (a) the food ration excludes all fat of animal origin; (b) the food ration limits the exogenous intake of vegetable oil containing more than 30% saturated fatty acids in the natural state, saponified, or hydrogenated to no more than 15 grams per 100 kg live weight of each animal; and (c) the food ration contains at least one lipid source in which the amount of omega-3-alpha-linolenic acid is at least 30% of the total fatty acids.