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Research Article: Mahjoub et al 54
Therefore, the transformation of our to reverse the livestock conventional common
production systems with a particular focus on practices from high multi-dimensional polluter
(7)
lowering GHG emissions has gained priority . into a low polluter sector with a low water
In this context, lessening environmental footprint; improving the quality of protein and
impacts from dairy production is one critical fatty acids profiles for animal and human better
task to improve sustainability of dairy health and well-being, and reducing the overall
operations. Thus, the environmental impact, as cost compared to organic practices. To achieve
well as production responses, should be the objectives of this project, nearly a decade
considered when evaluating feedstuffs and worth of applied research resulted in the
determining their nutritional values and development of a new balanced feed intake
(8)
inclusion rates in dairy rations . Yan et al. , diet composed of a clean fresh sprouted highly
demonstrated that one attribute of energy- nutritional mix, namely Mahjoub Feedstock
efficient cows is that less methane is produced Diet (MFD), produced in soil-less vertical
relative to the amount of energy consumed or farming in a controlled environment. Neutral
milk produced. Other studies have shown that carbon footprint (NCF) and low water footprint
breeding for cattle with high feed efficiency (LWF) resulted into chemicals-free, hormones
may also result in decreased daily enteric and genetically modified (GMO) free husbandry
methane generation, due to the strong genetic practice at a local facility in Damascus, Syria.
and phenotypic association between daily This study is a continuation of our applied
methane output and residual feed intake (9,10) . research, and it is worth mentioning that it is
On another side, profitability will rise due to the first to evaluate whether manure nutrients,
improved feed efficiency because feed NH3 emissions and milk quality were affected
expenses are the main expense on dairy farms. by feeding cows with MFD.
Feed efficiency are expressed in various ways,
including feed conversion efficiency (milk Material and Methods
output over feed intake). In theory, improved Mahjoub's feedstock diet
feed efficiency decreases daily methane Mahjoub feedstock (MFD) diet is an innovation
production due to a lower methane per primed for livestock feed. This innovation in
kilogram of dry matter intake (DMI) at a given feed ingredients covers efficiency, profitability,
production level (11) , while decreased methane environmental footprint, animal health, and
production (e.g., due to nutritional strategies) welfare. All chemical and physical analyses
does not necessarily improve feed efficiency. were conducted in Cumberland Valley
However, experimental data are inconsistent Analytical Services (USA) according to standard
on the link between residual feed intake (RFI) and accredited protocols. MFD, with Mahjoob's
and methane emission, while research has Intellectual Properties, is a clean fresh sprouted
primarily focused on beef cattle (12,13) rather diet produced in a controlled-environment
than on lactating dairy cows (14) . Recent vertical farming powered entirely by clean
developments in livestock nutrition have renewable energy resulting in a neutral carbon
primarily concentrated on three areas: footprint and a very low water footprint at a
improving our understanding of the nutritional local facility in Damascus, Syria .
needs of livestock, identifying the supply and
availability of nutrients in feed ingredients, and
developing the least expensive diets that Animals and Treatments
effectively combine nutrient requirements and We conducted our experiments in a
nutrient supply (15-17) . In line with this strategy, randomized complete block design. We fed four
the main objectives of our applied research are "Holstein" cows (average 506 ± 100 kg) on MFD
SJSI – 2023: VOLUME 1-1
