Factors Affecting the Applicability of Infrared Thermography as a Measure of Temperament in Cattle.

IF 2.3 2区 农林科学 Q2 VETERINARY SCIENCES
Paolo Mongillo, Elisa Giaretta, Enrico Fiore, Giorgia Fabbri, Bruno Stefanon, Lorenzo Degano, Daniele Vicario, Gianfranco Gabai
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Abstract

Animal temperament, defined as consistent behavioral and physiological responses to stressors, plays a crucial role in cattle welfare, productivity, and safety during handling. This motivates researchers to identify objective, non-invasive methods for temperament assessment. Infrared thermography (IRT) has emerged as a promising tool to detect superficial temperature changes associated with stress and temperament in cattle. This study aimed to evaluate how superficial temperature variations measured by IRT in fattening bulls are influenced by environmental temperature, humidity, and temperament. The study involved 223 bulls at approximately 7.5 months old, while thermal images of eye and muzzle regions were captured at baseline and during restraint in a squeeze chute. Temperament was assessed using chute score and flight time, and environmental conditions were recorded via a temperature-humidity index (THI). Results showed significant increases in eye and muzzle temperatures during handling. Notably, changes in eye temperature were independent of environmental THI but correlated with flight time, with more temperamental bulls displaying larger temperature increases. In contrast, changes in muzzle temperature were strongly influenced by ambient THI and its variation at handling, consistent with the region's thermoregulatory function. Temperament explained a small proportion of temperature variation. A follow-up experiment on a subset of 104 bulls around 11 months old showed no significant age effects on the IRT-temperament relationship. These findings indicate that IRT, particularly of the eye region, holds promise as a non-invasive, objective method to assess stress responses related to temperament in cattle. Careful selection of thermal regions and accounting for environmental influences are critical. While IRT alone accounts for limited variability, its integration with other behavioral and physiological measures could enhance temperament evaluation. This approach offers novel opportunities for improving animal welfare and management by identifying highly temperamental individuals without invasive procedures. Future research with higher temporal resolution and varied stressors is warranted to further elucidate temperature dynamics associated with temperament.

影响红外热像仪测定牛气质适用性的因素。
动物气质,被定义为对压力源一致的行为和生理反应,在牛的福利、生产力和处理过程中的安全中起着至关重要的作用。这促使研究人员确定客观的、非侵入性的气质评估方法。红外热像仪(IRT)已经成为一种很有前途的工具,用于检测与牛的压力和气质相关的表面温度变化。本研究旨在评估IRT测量的增肥公牛表面温度变化如何受到环境温度、湿度和气质的影响。这项研究涉及223头大约7.5个月大的公牛,同时在基线和在挤压滑道中被约束时捕获眼睛和口吻区域的热图像。通过降落伞得分和飞行时间来评估性情,通过温度湿度指数(THI)记录环境条件。结果显示,在处理过程中,眼睛和口部温度显著升高。值得注意的是,眼睛温度的变化与环境THI无关,但与飞行时间相关,脾气更暴躁的公牛的温度上升幅度更大。相比之下,口鼻温度的变化受到环境THI及其在搬运过程中的变化的强烈影响,这与该区域的温度调节功能一致。气质可以解释温度变化的一小部分。对104头11个月左右的公牛进行的后续实验显示,年龄对irt -气质关系没有显著影响。这些发现表明,IRT,特别是眼区,有望作为一种非侵入性的、客观的方法来评估与牛气质相关的应激反应。仔细选择热区和考虑环境影响是至关重要的。虽然IRT单独解释有限的变异性,但它与其他行为和生理测量的整合可以增强气质评估。这种方法为改善动物福利和管理提供了新的机会,通过识别高度喜怒无常的个体,而不需要侵入性的程序。未来的研究需要更高的时间分辨率和不同的压力源,以进一步阐明与气质相关的温度动力学。
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来源期刊
Veterinary Sciences
Veterinary Sciences VETERINARY SCIENCES-
CiteScore
2.90
自引率
8.30%
发文量
612
审稿时长
6 weeks
期刊介绍: Veterinary Sciences is an international and interdisciplinary scholarly open access journal. It publishes original that are relevant to any field of veterinary sciences, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in animals. This journal covers almost all topics related to animal health and veterinary medicine. Research fields of interest include but are not limited to: anaesthesiology anatomy bacteriology biochemistry cardiology dentistry dermatology embryology endocrinology epidemiology genetics histology immunology microbiology molecular biology mycology neurobiology oncology ophthalmology parasitology pathology pharmacology physiology radiology surgery theriogenology toxicology virology.
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