Title:	A respirometry system designed for small ruminants.
Authors:	SILVA, C. S. DIAVÃO, J. MOTTA, E. F. SILVA, A. S. TONUCCI, R. G. TOMICH, T. R. MACHADO, F. S. CAMPOS, M. M.
Affiliation:	UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL RURAL DE PERNAMBUCO UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL RURAL DO RIO DE JANEIRO UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL JULIO DE MESQUITA FILHO RAFAEL GONCALVES TONUCCI, CNPGL THIERRY RIBEIRO TOMICH, CNPGL FERNANDA SAMARINI MACHADO, CNPGL MARIANA MAGALHAES CAMPOS, CNPGL.
Date Issued:	2025
Citation:	JDS Communications, v. 6, p. 669–674, 2025.
Description:	This technical note describes a small ruminant respiration chamber system designed to accurately quantify the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). The system consists of 3 open-circuit respiration chambers, flow meters, gas analyzers, and an accessible environmental control system. To validate its performance, gas recovery tests were conducted by injecting CO2 and CH4 at 4 constant flow rates: 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 standard liters per minute (SLPM) for CO2, and 0.16, 0.20, 0.24, and 0.28 SLPM for CH4. Each injection level was tested across the 3 chambers. The average percentage recoveries for CO2 and CH4 were 97.8% ± 1.46% for chamber 1, 101.1% ± 1.49% for chamber 2, and 104.1% ± 1.98% for chamber 3 and 98.7% ± 0.97% for chamber 1, 99.4% ± 2.06% for chamber 2, and 101.6% ± 2.90% for chamber 3, respectively, demonstrating the system’s accuracy in quantifying livestock GHG emissions from small ruminants, such as young cattle, goats, and sheep. Therefore, this system represents a viable methodology for nutritional and environmental studies with small ruminants. Future studies conducted in this facility can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic and flow of GHG emissions in small ruminants and target measures to increase the sustainability of small ruminant production systems.
Thesagro:	Bovino Ruminante
Keywords:	Câmara respiratória
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2025-0755
Type of Material:	Artigo de periódico
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Nota Técnica/Nota científica (CNPGL)