Update from the ICAR Feed&Gas Wiki page

This resource offers comprehensive guidance on capturing methane emissions in ruminants for genetic evaluation. It presents a comparative overview - covering cost, labour, repeatability, animal behaviour impact, and throughput - ranging from high-precision respiration chambers to convenient breath sampling tools.

Measuring Methods Spotlight: SOPs for Sniffers and Portable Accumulation Chambers

Recent updates in the “Methane measuring methods” section highlight two practical tools:

Sniffer systems

Affordable and non-invasive, these systems deploy mainly within AMS to capture CH4 and CO2 in the breath every 1-5 seconds during milking or feeding, without altering animal behaviour. A new comparison table of commercially available sniffers with technical details is now available.

(Read more on the ICAR WIKI page: Sniffer SOP)

Portable Accumulation Chambers (PACs)

Developed in Australia/New Zealand and widely used in small ruminants, PACs are especially suited to grazing systems. In collaboration with the Sheep, Goats and Camelids working group, new information has been added. Ongoing trials are extending PAC use to large ruminants.

(Read more on the ICAR WIKI page: Portable Accumulation Chamber)

GreenFeed SOP

New content outlines experimental and feeding protocols for applying the GreenFeed device for measuring methane in sheep.

(Read more on the ICAR WIKI page: GreenFeed SOP)

Initiatives & Activities

This section highlights initiatives from across the methane research community. Currently, it features an overview of the Global Methane Genetics (GMG) initiative, a global collaboration working to standardise methane measurement and scale up genetic evaluations.

Would you like to see your project or activity featured here? Get in touch and share your contribution!

For more information or questions, please contact gmg@wur.nl.