How much methane do goats and sheep emit per head?
IPCC Tier 1 defaults give 5 kg of enteric methane per head a year for goats, and 5 kg for sheep in developing countries. Multiply by head count and by 27, the AR6 GWP for non-fossil methane. Manure methane is a separate, smaller line.
Tier 1 factors
- Goats: 5 kg CH4 per head a year (IPCC 2006 Volume 4, Table 10.10).
- Sheep: 5 kg CH4 per head a year for developing countries, 8 kg for developed countries.
- Use the average head count over the year, not the peak.
When to go further
Tier 1 suits small herds. Large flocks or meat buyers asking for a product figure may need Tier 2, based on animal weight and feed intake.
Reporting
Enteric methane from animals you own is Scope 1 for the farm. For a buyer of meat, milk or wool it is part of Scope 3, Category 1.
Worked example: mixed flock (one year)
- Goats: 100 x 5 kg = 500 kg CH4 a year
- Sheep: 60 x 5 kg = 300 kg CH4 a year
- CO2e: 800 x 27 = 21,600 kg, about 21.6 t a year
Head counts are illustrative; factors from IPCC 2006 Volume 4, Table 10.10, AR6 GWP 27.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads diesel, electricity and fertiliser invoices into dated, fingerprinted records that support a farm or crop figure. Field emissions such as N2O and methane are calculated with IPCC defaults in your method note and labelled as estimates, not measured values.
Sources: 2006 IPCC Guidelines, Volume 4 AFOLU, Chapters 10 and 11, IPCC AR6 WG1, Chapter 7, Table 7.15 (GWP100), GHG Protocol Corporate Standard
Last reviewed 2026-10-21.