Meet Hilda, the calf genetically modified to burp and fart less

Hilda the calf may look like any other cow in the herd, but her genes have been modified to stop harmful greenhouse gas emissions from burping and breaking wind.

Described as a ‘hugely important’ moment for the British dairy industry, Hilda was born using IVF to produce a much greener breed of cattle that emits less methane.

Cows are notoriously gassy, ​​and the methane produced by their burps warms the atmosphere 28 times more than carbon dioxide.

Because livestock produce about 5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, researchers have raced to find ways to reduce their impact.

The search for cattle that produce less gas can now be accelerated, as Hilda arrived eight months earlier thanks to IVF than previously possible with conventional breeding techniques.

Hilda is part of the Dumfries-based Langhill herd, which has been studied for more than half a century.

The Cool Cows project, of which Hilda is part, involves genetic selection of cattle that produce less methane.

To create Hilda, eggs were taken from Hilda’s mother and fertilized with sperm from specially selected bulls.

Hilda was born using IVF to produce a much greener type of cattle that emits less methane

The embryo was produced in the laboratory and transferred to Hilda’s mother.

Professor Richard Dewhurst from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), one of the partners in the project, said: ‘As global consumption of dairy products continues to grow, breeding livestock for sustainability is extremely important.

‘Hilda’s birth is potentially a hugely important moment for the British dairy industry.

‘We will use a new genomic assessment alongside existing production and environmental efficiency indices to select elite, methane-efficient heifers for breeding.

“The Cool Cows project will produce a greater number of offspring from these donors, quickly creating a core of highly methane efficient calves.”

First established in the early 1970s, the Langhill Herd is the focus of the Langhill breeding research, the world’s longest running livestock genetics project.

Hilda is part of the Dumfries-based Langhill herd, which has been studied for more than half a century

To create Hilda, eggs were taken from Hilda’s mother and fertilized with sperm from specially selected bulls

The herd has been used in a number of studies on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with dairy production, including the effects of different diets and the impact of different fertilizers on grasslands.

Rob Simmons of Paragon Veterinary Group, another partner in the project, said genetically improving the ‘methane efficiency’ of dairy cows was ‘key’ to improving the sustainability of the sector.

‘Genetic improvements in methane efficiency will be critical to continuing to provide nutritious food to the public, while controlling the impact of methane emissions on the environment in the future.’