Technical Note: A flux chamber for measuring gas emissions from rabbits

Abstract

Atmospheric pollution related to gas emissions from livestock production has become an issue of increasing interest. International commitments bind countries to provide annual reports on national emissions, however there is a lack of information regarding the estimation of emissions from rabbit farms. There are several methodologies available to measure gas emissions, the flux chamber technique being one of the most commonly used. In this study, a flux chamber was designed to measure emissions from small farm animals and their manure, as well as the methodology to calculate ventilation fluxes appropriate for each experiment. After the chamber was constructed, two experiments were carried out to test its operation, design and construction. Firstly, carbon dioxide emissions from fattening rabbits were measured for 24 and 48 h. Emissions from fattening rabbit manure were then measured for one-hour periods. The operation of the flux chamber was satisfactory during both experiments and notes were taken of possible improvements in performance through future research. Recommendations for its use are also summarized.