Biochar has been used a feed supplement for Beef and Dairy Cattle in Australia and Europe. To date it has been used as an integrated systems approach to have a secondary benefit on soil and pasture health. Observations and written evidence also suggest that by feeding biochar at less than 1% of intake can provide substantial improvements to the animal health, weight gain, milk quality, carbon sequestration, a reduction in methane outputs and better feed conversion.
This project aims to feed biochar to dairy cattle at up to 1% of feed intake mixed with a formulated feed supplement daily. The feed ration is provided in addition to the grazing diet. The ration will be provided at 2 different rates to individual cows in a rotary dairy to 2 x dairy herds via the Fleurieu Milk Company. The hypothesis is that feeding biochar in a mixed ration in addition to the dairy cows grazing diet will result in beneficial changes in milk quality and quantity, including improved somatic cell count, a reduction in the incidence of mastitis and a reduction in ammonia smell from the dairies.