Abstract
Simple SummaryEarly detection accompanied by effective treatment is vital to minimise the negative impacts of lameness in dairy cows. Locomotion scoring is commonly used for detecting lameness but can be challenging to implement effectively in cows at pasture-based systems. One potential alternative detection is measuring foot skin temperature using an infrared camera. Data were collected from a 940-cow dairy farm in New Zealand with cows observed at two consecutive afternoon milkings. Locomotion scoring was undertaken at the first milking and thermal imaging of the hind feet at the second milking. As the locomotion score increased, mean foot skin temperature increased, showing that measuring temperature could be a useful alternative to locomotion scoring. However, the process needs to be speeded up and automated if it is to be used widely.Lameness in cattle is a complex condition with huge impacts on welfare, and its detection is challenging for the dairy industry. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between foot skin temperature (FST) measured using infrared thermography (IRT) and locomotion scoring (LS) in dairy cattle kept at pasture. Data were collected from a 940-cow dairy farm in New Zealand. Cows were observed at two consecutive afternoon milkings where LS was undertaken at the first milking (4-point scale (0–3), DairyNZ). The next day, cows were thermally imaged from the plantar aspect of the hind feet using a handheld T650sc forward-looking infrared camera (IRT). The association between FST and locomotion score was analysed using a generalised linear model with an identity link function and robust estimators. ROC curves were performed to determine optimal threshold temperature cut-off values by maximising sensitivity and specificity for detecting locomotion score ≥ 2. There was a linear association between individual locomotion scores and FST. For mean temperature (MT), each one-unit locomotion score increase was associated with a 0.944 °C rise in MT. Using MT at a cut-off point of 34.5 °C produced a sensitivity of 80.0% and a specificity of 92.4% for identifying cows with a locomotion score ≥ 2 (lame). Thus, IRT has a substantial potential to be used on-farm for lameness detection. However, automation of the process will likely be necessary for IRT to be used without interfering with farm operations.
Highlights
Lameness is a complex multifactorial condition characterised by an abnormal gait, pain, and discomfort
There was no evidence of a meaningful difference between feet in skin temperature; left and right foot mean temperatures were 33.37 ◦ C and 33.58 ◦ C
Our results demonstrated that the plantar aspect of the hindfoot could be thermally imaged for measuring the hindfoot skin temperature
Summary
Lameness is a complex multifactorial condition characterised by an abnormal gait, pain, and discomfort. Numerous LS systems have been developed for use on-farm; SchlageterTello et al [18] identified 25 different LS systems that had been published in the peerreviewed literature by 2014. These systems vary in the features they use. The most commonly cited system is the 5-point (1 to 5) system proposed by Sprecher et al [10] as reported by Schlageter-Tello et al [18] While this system has been used in New Zealand [22], the current industry standard scheme is a 4-point (0 to 3) system based on a similar system used in the UK [23]
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