Selenium supplementation improves nutrient intake and digestibility, and mitigates CH₄ emissions from sheep grazed on the mixed pasture of alfalfa and tall fescue

Abstract

Abstract Low selenium (Se) in soil and forage can adversely affect on the quality of animal‐derived foods, and hence on human health. Lambs grazed on mixed pastures of alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) and tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ) were supplemented with five levels of Se [0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 µg/kg body weight (BW)]. The intake of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) varied with the level of Se supplementation, with a peak at 6 µg Se per kg BW ( p ≤ 0.05). Gross energy (GE) intake, digestive energy (DE) intake and metabolic energy (ME) intake were higher at 6 µg Se per kg BW than at other Se levels ( p < 0.01); in addition, methane energy (CH 4 ‐E) output was lower at 6 µg Se per kg BW. Supplementation with Se significantly increased nitrogen (N) intake, faecal N and urine N, for which the peak values were 20.2 g N/, 5.62 g N/day and 7.92 g N/day, respectively, at 6 µg Se per kg BW. Se intake, blood Se, faecal Se, urine Se and retained Se were negatively correlated with forage crude protein (CP) content ( p < 0.001) but were positively correlated with the content of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) ( p < 0.001) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) ( p < 0.001). Thus, we recommend the addition of 6 µg Se per kg BW to sheep grazed on pastures in regions with low soil Se.