Investigation into the effect of commercially relevant chronic stressors for cattle, such as high stocking density and a challenging physical environment, on the rumen microbial community.

Previous research has shown that hormones released in response to stress can have deleterious effects on the balance of the microbiota present in the gut which can last long after stress hormone levels have returned to normal. Therefore these changes may have important consequences for ruminal fermentation and digestibility, leading to suboptimal use of nutrients and increased methane emissions. The body of knowledge is very limited in relation to the interactions between stress physiology, methanogenic microbiota and down-stream effects on environmental sustainability. This project aims to understand the mechanisms by which stress impacts the microbial community, and thus feed efficiency and methane emissions in beef cattle.