Effect of Different Physical form Alfalfa on Methane Production in Murciano-Granadina Dairy Goats

To study the effect of physical form of alfalfa on methane production, long (L) or chopped (C) alfalfa hay was fed with barley (B) or corn (C) to three 2 years old Murciano-Granadina dairy goats. Sunflower meal (pelleted) was the main protein source for all diets. Chopping improved CP digestibility with either grain and fibre digestibility with corn only. Significant differences in methane production were observed for the effect of corn vs. barley, only for diets containing long alfalfa hay. Least methane was found for long alfalfa hay in combination with barley grain. Moderate lower methane production was found for chopped alfalfa without effect between corn vs. barley.