Deer methane emissions: Literature review

The methane emissions from deer as an agricultural ruminant species in New Zealand are part of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory calculations and farmers need to find ways to reduce or mitigate these emissions. The greatest amount of methane emissions in a deer farm system comes from the animal itself as enteric methane from the rumen fermentation of the animal’s feed.

Farmed deer science for the past decade in New Zealand has had very little focus on measuring and mitigating methane outputs from farmed deer. The previous decade involved some good foundation research as part of Natasha Swainson’s post-graduate studies at Massey University. In general, the findings of this research have not been incorporated into the New Zealand Greenhouse Gas Inventory. There are several aspects of this research that should be validated in respiration chambers, including age effects, sex, and diet impacts on methane outputs.