Speaker
Description
Infrared thermography is becoming increasingly popular in animal production, favoring non-invasive techniques for monitoring animal health and welfare. In dairy cattle, hoof diseases and lameness represent a major health and welfare concern, leading to reduced productivity and increased treatment costs. The application of infrared thermography offers a promising approach for the early detection of such conditions. According to our experiences and the experiences of other authors, sick cows’ hooves have a significantly higher temperature than healthy hooves.
The aim of this paper is to present the possibilities of applying thermography in farm conditions but also to present some of the challenges of their application. The studies were conducted on commercial dairy farms. Infrared thermographic images of the hooves were obtained using a stationary thermal camera under farm conditions. Surface temperature values were recorded at predefined regions of interest on each hoof. Based on the analysis of the thermal records and evaluation of the cow’s lameness score, the selection of cows was made for further examination. With the selection and examination of the suspected cows, we had the aim of early detection of the disease and prevention of lameness. The results were different, but still with a fairly high percentage of accuracy in the assessment, of at least 75% and above accuracy in selecting suspicious cows. While there is considerable potential, challenges remain, such as the farm differences, difficulties with animal identification, contamination of the hooves with impurities from urine and feces, splashing with water by farm workers, etc.
In conclusion, infrared thermography shows potential as a complementary diagnostic tool for the early identification and monitoring of hoof health, contributing to improved disease management and animal welfare on dairy farms. Further research is needed to develop optimal integration of different methods to improve the accuracy and efficiency of infrared thermography application and to find ways to overcome problems in practice.
