The Emission from Rabbits Breeding in Slovakia

Statistical surveys about rabbits in households brought interesting results about their breeding. The survey shows that approx. 8.3% of Slovak households breed rabbits, of which the majority are bred in the countryside (61%), followed by breeding in cities (35%), and 4% of households stated both options. As part of the investigation, information was also obtained on the method of breeding rabbits. The results showed that housing with the restriction of movement is the predominant breeding method. Housing without the restriction of movement is higher in cities compared to rural areas, while free breeding is absent in households for both options. The information on excrement recovery showed that approximately 59.5% of all farm waste is composted, 15.8% of respondents said that they apply farm excrement to the soil, and the remaining respondents did not answer. The post-processing survey results led to new estimates of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from domestic rabbit farming. The emissions were estimated using the methodology of the tier 2 approach outlined in the IPCC 2019 Refinement. The results indicated that rabbit breeding in households and farms in Slovakia generates an average of 0.51 Gg of methane and 0.13 Gg of nitrous oxide annually. Additionally, when free-range rabbit breeding is considered, emissions are 0.001 Gg of nitrous oxide. These greenhouse gas emissions from rabbit farming contribute to 7% of the total emissions from animal farming, ranking it as the third highest emitter after sheep. Consequently, it is imperative to prioritize the inclusion of this category in Slovakia’s national emissions report.