Methane free cows?

[Michael Weber]

An Australian company was recently awarded a $1 million international prize for creating eco-friendly cattle feed that is said to be "equivalent to taking 100 million cars off the road. https://thehill.com/homenews/news/530879-australian-cattle-feed-invention-equal-to-taking-100-million-cars-off-the-road

edit. Original link was incorrect

[Jon Grider]

That trumps my thoughts on a catalytic converter for cows.

[Ronald Blue]

Sounds like there will be lots of fertilizer generated. Maybe they are going to feed them a diet that doesn't create gas....

[Frank Pratt]

My wife's going to want me to start eating that feed.

[Jim Becker]

Sounds like there will be lots of fertilizer generated. Maybe they are going to feed them a diet that doesn't create gas....
Actually, that's really what it's about...adjusting the organics in the feed so they are less likely to produce prodigious amounts of gas in the digestive system of the cattle. It's a challenge because it has to be, well...digestible...and also provide the right nutrients, etc., to the wee beasties while being less prone to off-gassing. It also has to take into consideration that normal fodder and hay products are relatively inexpensive. Just as with humans, some vegetable matter is more prone to off-gassing than other things. You know, the whole musical fruit thing. I hope they are successful with this because it's not a myth that increased demand for beef is also resulting in increased environmental challenges.

[Ronald Blue]

My wife's going to want me to start eating that feed.

Don't spread this around. I don't want my diet changed.

[Mel Fulks]

Looks, to me like maybe the fracking people want to burn the steaks at the stakes to elimiminate competition.

[Doug Dawson]

Stop feeding them corn and the problem is lessened. But the corn makes them tasty, so whadday gonna do.

I can envision feedlots that are enclosed and used for power generation. Somebody might come up with a label for that in marketing.

But what about the dog food issue? Nobody talks about that. And dogs are sensitive, they know what’s going on.

[Malcolm McLeod]

...
I can envision feedlots that are enclosed and used for power generation. ...

Drive from Canyon to Muleshoe TX. I can envision a roof the size of Massachusetts. Maybe Vermont? I get 'em mixed up.;) (and this isn't all of them.)

[Bill Dufour]

I understand those special expensive low cholesterol eggs are just regular chickens fed regular chicken feed. Not the new improved high fat stuff all modern egg farmers have used for 50 years that increase cholesterol in the eggs and the birds.
Bil lD

[Ronald Blue]

I understand those special expensive low cholesterol eggs are just regular chickens fed regular chicken feed. Not the new improved high fat stuff all modern egg farmers have used for 50 years that increase cholesterol in the eggs and the birds.
Bil lD

This is interesting Bill. My parents when they were alive and farming had chickens and ground the feed. Wasn't anything special about it. Ground corn isn't high fat. I can't remember if we added soybean meal but there was a a 50 lb bag of supplement to add needed minerals. But plant based feed doesn't have cholesterol in it.

[George Yetka]

That trumps my thoughts on a catalytic converter for cows.


I was thinking Turbo or supercharging the cows would raise air fuel ratio and allow them to be easily leaned out

[Bernie Kopfer]

I hope they are successful with this because it's not a myth that increased demand for beef is also resulting in increased environmental challenges.

There Jim you touched at the heart of the issue. When are we humans going to significantly reduce our consumption of animal meat. The improvement to our health and the environment would be measurable and worth it. But alas as noted by the tongue in cheek remarks above, we don’t want our eating habits messed with.

[Jon Grider]

There Jim you touched at the heart of the issue. When are we humans going to significantly reduce our consumption of animal meat. The improvement to our health and the environment would be measurable and worth it. But alas as noted by the tongue in cheek remarks above, we don’t want our eating habits messed with.

Not going to dispute the unhealthy aspects of meat, but Mr. Google points out that 3 of the top 5 highest polluting nations per capita; China, India, Japan are low on the levels of meat consumption per capita. As pointed out in other threads, this pollution is a global problem that needs global cooperation to fix. Manufacturing and vehicles are arguably the worst pollution culprits. If those issues were fixed globally, the meat thing would not be as big of an issue pollution wise.

[Doug Garson]

I think the magic ingredient is seaweed "scientists found that adding less than 1% of Asparagopsis to the cows' feed could cut their flatulence by 98%." It's too bad the magic seaweed isn't the same type that is invading the Mexican beaches.

[Jim Matthews]

Nobody is coming for your hamburgers.

Given that more GHC are generated by air-conditioned spaces than bovine places, this only makes sense if it gets more at the scale for less money.

I suppose the real question is who cares about this €hit?

https://www.wri.org/blog/2020/02/greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-country-sector

[Bill Dufour]

Adding garlic to chicken fed can reduce the cholesterol by 10%. Probably taste better when roasted as well. And prevent vampires from attacking the chicken coop at night.
Bill D