Infrared Thermography for Non-invasive Temperature Monitoring in Smallholder Beef Farm

Abstract

Infrared thermography (IRT) can measure the amount of radiation emitted by an object quickly, easily, and non-invasively. This study aims to find an alternative to rectal temperature in beef cattle by comparing the surface temperature measured by IRT with rectal temperature in different environmental stress index conditions. Body surface temperature was contactlessly measured by IRT in ten different regions, including the forehead, eyes, cheeks, muzzle, ears, neck, legs, costae, flank, and rump. Altogether, five Simmental-cross (SC) and five Limousin-cross (LC) cows raised on a local farm in Central Lampung regency, were examined twice a day, in the morning (07.00 AM, mild environmental stress index) and afternoon (12.00 AM, severe environmental stress index). Comparison of rectal and surface temperatures between morning and afternoon did not show any statistically significantly difference in both SC and LC cows. All body surfaces were statistically significantly lower (p<0.05) than rectal temperature. Among the body regions studied, the eye region exhibits the strongest corelation with a very weak corelation with the ambient temperature. We conclude that eye temperature measured by IRT can be used as an alternative to rectal temperature in beef cattle.