Home › Cell Biology › The Use of an Automated System (GreenFeed) to Monitor Enteric Methane and Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Ruminant Animals
Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

The Use of an Automated System (GreenFeed) to Monitor Enteric Methane and Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Ruminant Animals

DOI: 10.3791/52904-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Operate an automated GreenFeed system to measure enteric methane emissions
  • ✓ Train ruminant animals to use the automated headspace capture system
  • ✓ Calibrate and validate gas measurement equipment for accurate greenhouse gas quantification
  • ✓ Interpret methane and CO₂ flux data from ruminant breath samples
Protocol

Accuracy and precision of the techniques used to measure methane emissions from ruminant animals are critically important for the success of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. This manuscript describes the principles and operation of an automated system to monitor methane and carbon dioxide mass fluxes from the breath of ruminant animals.

Difficulty
intermediate
Total time
~2-4 weeks (animal training phase) + ~5-10 min per measurement session
Model organism
Ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, goats)

Steps

1
Design experimental protocol for gas monitoring

Plan the experimental design including animal selection, measurement schedule, and data collection parameters for monitoring methane and CO₂ emissions from ruminants.

▶ 02:05
2
Train animals to use automated headspace capture system

Acclimate ruminant animals to the GreenFeed apparatus through gradual conditioning, allowing voluntary head insertion for methane measurement without restraint.

▶ 02:58
3
Calibrate the automated headspace capture system

Perform system calibration using reference gases to ensure accurate measurement of methane and CO₂ concentrations from animal breath.

▶ 04:31
4
Conduct carbon dioxide recovery validation test

Execute CO₂ recovery tests to verify system accuracy and precision in detecting and measuring gas mass fluxes.

▶ 06:09
5
Measure gas mass fluxes from animal breath

Monitor real-time methane and CO₂ emissions as animals voluntarily use the system, recording gas concentration and flux data.

▶ 07:53
6
Analyze sample methane production measurements

Review and interpret representative methane and CO₂ production data collected from ruminant animals using the automated system.

▶ 09:29
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