Application Of Infrared Thermography In The Field Detection Of Sow’s Skin Temperature

The experiment was conducted to explore the feasibility of infrared thermography that measures sows skin surface temperature and estimates body temperature in a fast, accurate, and safe measuring method, meanwhile discuss the feasibility of estrus diagnosis using infrared thermography in order to provide basis for estrus detection in sows intelligently.Under the condition of air temperature between 3.3 and 30.3 ℃ in pig barns, infrared thermography was used to measure the eyes, vulvas, and hips skin temperatures of 969 pregnant sows-time with normal body temperature(body temperature<39.5 ℃), and the correlations were analyzed between the skin surface temperatures, body temperatures and air temperatures. Results showed that body temperature of pregnant sows was affected significantly by air temperatures(P<0.01). Maximum and average skin surface temperatures of eyes, vulvas, and hips of pregnant sows were affected significantly by air temperatures(P<0.01). And maximum and average skin surface temperatures of eyes, vulvas, and hips of pregnant sows were affected significantly by body temperatures, too(P<0.01). Visible, using infrared thermography to monitor pregnant sows’ skin surface temperature, can reflect the variations of sows body temperature, and monitor the health condition of sows.Under the condition of air temperature between 22.5 and 30.0 ℃ in pig barns, infrared thermography was used to measure the eyes, udders, vulvas, and hips skin temperatures of 459 lactating sows-time with normal body temperature(38 ~ 39.5 ℃) and 228 fever lactating sows-time(body temperature above 39.5 ℃), and the correlations were analyzed between the skin surface temperatures, body temperatures and air temperatures. Results showed that body temperature of normal body temperature lactating sows was affected significantly by air temperatures(P<0.01).Maximum and average temperatures of eyes, udders, vulvas, and hips skin surface temperatures of normal body temperature lactating sows were significantly affected by air temperatures(P<0.01). Maximum and average temperatures of eyes, udders, vulvas, and hips skin surface temperatures of normal body temperature lactating sows were significantly affected by body temperatures(P<0.01). Except body temperature of fever lactating sows were not subject to the influence of air temperatures(P>0.05), others are identical to the results of normal body temperature lactating sows. Maximum and average skin temperatures of eyes, udders, vulvas, and hips of fever lactating sows were significantly higher than that of normal body temperature lactating sows(P<0.01). Visible, using infrared thermography to monitor lactating sows’ skin surface temperature, can reflect the variations of sows body temperature, and monitor the health condition of sows.Under the condition of air temperature between 3.3 and 30.3 ℃ in pig barns, vulvas and hips skin surface temperatures of 206 estrus and 206 pregnant sows were measured with the help of infrared thermography, and the correlations between vulvas/hips skin surface temperatures of estrus sows and air temperatures were analyzed, and the vulvas and hips skin surface temperature for estrus and pregnant sows were analyzed, too. Results showed that maximum and average temperatures of vulvas and hips skin surface temperatures for estrus sows were significantly affected by air temperatures(P<0.01). Maximum skin temperatures of vulvas and hips for estrus sows were significantly higher than that of pregnant sows(P<0.01), with a temperature difference of 0.92~0.96 ℃ and 0.55~0.75 ℃. Average skin temperatures of vulvas and hips of estrus sows were significantly higher than that of pregnant sows(P<0.05), with a temperature difference of 0.69~1.0 ℃ and 0.7~0.76 ℃. Visible, using infrared thermography to measure vulvas and hips skin surface temperatures, can distinguish estrus sows and pregnant sows, and detect sows estrus.