Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminants Slide 1 AN EASY METHOD TO MEASURE THE METHANE PRODUCTION OF RUMINANTS J. Madsen 1 , M. F. Bertelsen 2 , T. Hvelplund 3 , and M. R. Weisbjerg 3 1 Department of Large Animal Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark 2 Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark 3 Department of Animal Health and Bioscience, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark
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An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminants
Presentation by J. Madsen, M. F. Bertelsen, T. Hvelplun3, and M. R. Weisbjerg at the 5th All Africa conference on animal production, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-28 October 2010.
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Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 1
AN EASY METHOD TO MEASURE THE METHANE PRODUCTION OF RUMINANTS
J. Madsen1, M. F. Bertelsen2, T. Hvelplund3, and M. R. Weisbjerg3
1Department of Large Animal Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
2Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark
3Department of Animal Health and Bioscience, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 2
Background for the development of the method
Respiration chambers measurements:• can only be done on relatively few animals• animals are not in their natural environment
SF6 measurements:
• are not very reliable
• SF6 is a strong greenhouse gass
Another option exist based on:• measurement of the ratio between CH4 and CO2
• 3 facts
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 3
1. There is a relation between heat production and CO2 production
Nutrient Fat Protein Carbohydrate
kJ / l CO2 28 24 21
Fat Protein Carbohydrate kJ / l CO2
Diet 1 5 20 75 21,95
Diet 2 3 18 79 21,75
Diet 3 4 16 80 21,76
Diet 4 1 4 95 21,19
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 4
2.Breath contains much higher concentrations of CH4 and CO2 than air
Breath:CO2 = 38000 ppmCH4 = 1800 ppm
Air:CO2 = 380 ppmCH4 = 1,8 ppm
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 5
3.The heat production and/or utilization of
metabolizable energy by livestock has been
intensively studied and described.
The heat production can thus be established for
different animals with a reasonable accuracy!
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 6
Results from dairy cows
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 7
CO2 as a marker (instead of SF6)
for the amount of breath / air from animal
Example Wallaby (16 kg live weight)
Heat production for maintenance 385 kJ/ kg0,75
(Munn and Dawson (2003)
Wallaby: 16 kg0,75 = 8
8 * 385 = 3080 kJ/day
3080/21,75 = 142 l CO2/day
If we can measure the ratio between CH4 and CO2 in the breath / air from animal then we can calculate the CH4 production
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 8
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 21
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Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 23
Conclusions
It is possible to measure the CH4 production of individual animals or groups of animals if: - the concentration of breath in the air is above ~3% - the heat (and CO2) production of the animals can be calculated - the ratio between CH4 and CO2 can be measured
Wallabies produce only 25% of the methane produced by ruminants on the same diet
Many things can be investigated by having a fast, reliable and cheap method which produce - many results in a short time span - results from animal in their natural environment
The measurements can be done on individual animals for - testing the effect of different feeds - investigating the potential in selection / breeding - investigating the differences between breeds and species
or
Investigations can be made on whole animal houses (ruminants and other animals) for - testing the effect of different feeds, breeds and species - testing the effect of different production systems
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 24
Thank you for listening
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 25
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 26
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 27
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 28
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Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 30
Example of a dairy cow: Intake 18 kg dry matter/dayProduction 20 kg milk/day Weight loss 500 g/day
Undigested carbon1500 gDigestion
and metabolism
Milk Weight loss carbon carbon1300 g 100 g
Intakecarbon
7500 g
CO2 out
4200 gCH4 out
400 g
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 31
Methane production from various animals Champ et al 1990, Jensen, 1996)
Weight, kg
CH4/day l CH4/kg0,75
Cow 700 600 4,41
Cow 500 230 2,18
Sheep 40 30 1,89
Elephant 1700 110 0,42
Hippopotamus 1000 70 0,39
Rheino 800 60 0,40
Horse 500 80 0,76
Donkey 250 40 0,64
Zebra 200 20 0,38
Pig 100 10 0,32
Man 50 2 0,11
Warthog 45 4 0,23
Wallabe 16 1,8 0,23
Goose 0,4 0,05 0,10
Rat 0,3 0,001 0,00
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 32
”Bygningsberegninger”
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 33
”Fysiologi-, fodringsberegninger”
Madsen, et al. AACAA2010. Addis. An easy method to measure the methane production of ruminantsSlide 34