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This study aimed to investigate the effect of pre and/or postnatal supplementation of a dry whole cell algae (DHA-Gold) to goat kids, on in vitro methane (CH4) production, animal growth, and rumen morphology at the age of 6 mo. Furthermore, the in vitro retreatment effect of DHA-Gold was evaluated. Twenty pregnant Saanen goats giving birth to 2 male kids were used. Half of these does were supplemented (D+) with 18.2 g/d of DHA-Gold in the last 3 wk of pregnancy, whereas the other half was not (D-). After kidding, one goat kid per doe in both groups was supplemented daily with 0.28 g/kg of body weight of DHA-Gold (k+) until 12 wk, whereas the other goat kids were untreated (k-). This resulted in 4 experimental groups D+k+, D+k-, D-k+, and D-k-. In vitro incubations were performed at the ages of 4 wk, 11 wk, and 6 mo. At the age of 6 mo, goat kids were euthanized and additional incubations were performed supplementing 4 doses of DHA-Gold (0, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 mg/mL). Additionally, rumen tissue of the atrium ruminis, ventral rumen, and dorsal blind sac were collected to assess rumen morphology. Rumen inocula of 4-wk-old goat kids supplemented D+ showed lower (P < 0.05) in vitro CH4 production, however, this was mainly due to a reduction in the overall fermentation, while CH4 expressed relatively to total volatile fatty acids (VFA) was higher when goat kids were treated D+ or k+. The detrimental D+ effect on VFA production diminished at 11 wk old but remained a tendency (0.05 < P < 0.1). As for 4 wk D+ as well as k+ supplementation of DHA-Gold stimulated rather than inhibited in vitro CH4 production expressed relative to total VFA. Supplementation of DHA-Gold either D+ or k+ decreased density, width, and surface area of the ruminal papillae. However, no effect on animal growth was observed. Moreover, detrimental effects of D+ or k+ treatment on VFA production or stimulation of relative CH4 production were no longer observed at 6 mo old. Nevertheless, direct exposure of DHA-Gold to 6-mo-old inoculum linearly (P < 0.05) decreased CH4 and VFA production, which tended (P = 0.06) to be greater when using D-rumen inoculum. Accordingly, neither D+ nor k+ DHA-Gold supplementation showed potential for reduction of rumen methanogenesis. Furthermore, this early life intervention could represent some risk for impaired rumen papillae development, which, however, did not impair animal performance.

The aim of this study was to investigate the methane (CH4) reducing potential of a combination of prenatal and/or postnatal treatment with coconut oil medium chain fatty acids (CO MCFA) in goat kids. The hypothesis is that influencing rumen function during early life has more chances for success than in the adult life, related to the resilience of the mature rumen microbiota. Forty-eight pregnant does were split into two experimental groups: treated does (D+) received 40 g/d of CO MCFA in a test compound feed, while control does (D-) received a control compound feed, during the last 3 wk of gestation. Twin kids from 10 does of each group were split up into a treated (K+) and nontreated (K-) group, resulting in four experimental groups: D+K+, D+K-, D-K+, and D-K-. The K+ kids received 1.8 mL/d of CO MCFA from birth until 2-wk postweaning (11 wk). Irrespective of treatment, the experimental rearing conditions resulted in absence of rumen protozoa at all sampling times, assessed by quantitative PCR (qPCR). In vitro incubations with rumen fluid at 4 wk old showed 82% lower CH4 production of inoculum from D+K+ kids compared to D-K- kids (P = 0.01). However, this was accompanied by lower total volatile fatty acids (tVFA) production (P = 0.006) and higher hydrogen accumulation (P = 0.008). QPCR targeting the mcrA and rrs genes confirmed a lower abundance of total methanogens (P < 0.02) and total eubacteria (P = 0.02) in D+K+ kids at 4 wk old. Methanogenic activity, as assessed by mcrA expression by RT-qPCR, was also lower in these kids. However, activity did not always reflect methanogen abundance. At 11 and 28 wk old, prenatal and postnatal effects on in vitro fermentation and rumen microbiota disappeared. Nevertheless, lower milk replacer intake in the first 4 wk resulted in reduced BW in K+ kids, persisting until 28 wk of age. Additionally, differences assigned to postnatal treatment were found in papillae density, width, and length in different areas of the rumen, recorded at 28 wk old., Conclusion: prenatal and postnatal supplementation with CO MCFA reduced in vitro CH4 emissions until 4 wk old by depressing methanogen abundance and activity but at the expense of rumen fermentation and eubacterial abundance. Unfortunately, daily gain of K+ kids was suppressed. Some rumen papillae characteristics differed at 28 wk old due to postnatal treatment which ended at 11 wk old, indicating rumen papillary development can be affected by the early-life nutritional circumstances.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dose response on in vitro methane (CH) production of PUFA to which the inoculum donor animals had been exposed early in life. Sixteen Holstein calves (160 ± 3 and 365 ± 2 kg BW) at 6 and 12 mo of age were used as inoculum donors. Half of the calves were given increasing amounts of extruded linseed from birth (22 g/d) until 4 mo of age (578 g/d) first mixed with milk and then included in their concentrate. Linseed oil (LSO) was supplemented in vitro at 5 different doses (0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, and 4.8 mg/mL). Supplementation of LSO in the rumen inocula at both ages linearly decreased ( < 0.05) the in vitro CH production. Total in vitro VFA production was not affected by LSO supplementation. Inhibition of CH was smaller when using the rumen inoculum from calves that had received a similar treatment early in life ( < 0.05). Differences in response to in vitro supplementation of a type of fatty acids similar to those applied during early life suggest some "changes" in the functioning of the rumen microbial community.