Can dairy farming ever be sustainable?

Re:Can dairy farming ever be sustainable? by jelliclesfarm on Tuesday December 15, 2020 @03:04PM (#25434439)

cow are ruminants. they are not meant to be fed seaweed. they turn grass and sunshine into protein and fat.

https://extension.umn.edu/dairy-nutrition/ruminant-digestive...

[..]The rumen (on the left side of the animal) is the largest stomach compartment and consists of several sacs. It can hold 25 gallons or more of material depending on the size of the cow. Because of its size, the rumen acts as a storage or holding vat for feed. Aside from storage, the rumen is also a fermentation vat.[..]

we get milk because their stomachs are basically fermentation vats. if cows dont fart, they are not rumen. what are we doing?

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy...

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Re:Can dairy farming ever be sustainable? by jnwatson on Tuesday December 15, 2020 @03:16PM (#25434617)

Not all ruminants produce methane at the prodigious rate that cows do. The fermentation process is a complicated mix of biota. Just a small change in diet of a few percent seaweed makes a huge difference in methane output.

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