This study investigated the effects of acacia (extract
of Acacia mearnsii) and sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)
as condensed tannin (CT)-rich sources on ruminal and
manure methane (CH4) emissions in comparison with
non-CT silages characterized by different contents of
the cell wall and water-soluble carbohydrates. In a 3 ×
6 incomplete Latin square design, 30 Holstein cows (63
± 23 d in milk; mean ± SD; 33.8 ± 7.6 kg of milk per
day, body weight 642 ± 81 kg) were provided with ad
libitum access to 1 of 6 total mixed rations comprising
790 g of silage and 210 g of concentrate per kilogram
of dry matter (DM). The silages were either rich in
sainfoin [neutral detergent fiber (NDF): 349 g/kg of
DM], perennial ryegrass (NDF: 420 g/kg of DM), or
red clover (NDF: 357 g/kg of DM). Each silage was
supplemented with 20 g/kg (of total diet DM) of acacia
or straw meal. Feed intake and milk yield were recorded
daily. Milk composition and ruminal fluid characteristics
and microbiota were analyzed. The individual
ruminal CH4 production was determined using the
GreenFeed system, and CH4 emissions from the manure
of cows fed the same diets were measured in a parallel
experiment over 30 d at 25°C using a dynamic flux
chamber. The CT sources did not reduce CH4 yield
or emission intensity. Acacia reduced milk production
(from 26.3 to 23.2 kg/d) and DM intake (from 19.7 to
16.7 kg/d) when supplemented with ryegrass, and both
CT sources reduced the milk protein content and yield.
Acacia supplementation and ryegrass silage reduced the
ruminal acetate: propionate ratio. Furthermore, during acacia treatment, the abundance of Methanobrevibacter
archaea tended to be lower and that of Thermoplasmata
was higher. Acacia reduced the CH4 emissions
from manure for the ryegrass group by 17% but not for
the sainfoin and clover groups. Feeding sainfoin silage
resulted in the lowest manure-derived CH4 emissions
(−47% compared with ryegrass). In conclusion, acacia
reduced ruminal CH4 production by 10%, but not
emission intensity, and the mitigation effect of sainfoin
depended on the silage to which it was compared. Because
mitigation was partially associated with animal
productivity losses, careful evaluation is required before
the implementation of tanniferous feeds in farm practice.