Evaluation of thermorregulatory capacity of dairy buffaloes using infrared thermography

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the thermoregulatory response of dairy buffaloes in pre-milking and post-milking. To identify animal thermoregulatory capacity, skin surface temperatures were taken by an infrared thermometer (SST), a thermographic camera (MTBP) as well as respiratory rate records (RR). Black Globe and Humidity Index (BGHI), radiating thermal load (RTL) and enthalpy (H) were used to characterize the thermal environment. Artificial Neural Networks analyzed those indices as well as animal physiological data, using a single layer trained with the least mean square (LMS) algorithm. The results indicated that pre-milking and post-milking environments reached BGHI, RR, SST and MTBP values above thermal neutrality zone for buffaloes. In addition, limits of surface skin temperatures were mostly influenced by changing ambient conditions to the detriment of respiratory rates. It follows that buffaloes are sensitive to environmental changes and their skin temperatures are the best indicators of thermal comfort in relation to respiratory rate.