Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 32
Preliminary Study on the Relationship Between
Skin Temperature of Piglets Measured by
Infrared Thermography and Environmental
Temperature in a Vehicle in Transit
L. Nanni Costa, V. Redaelli, D. Magnani, S. Cafazzo, M. Amadori, E. Razzuoli,
M. Verga, and F. Luzi
Abstract During two 14-h journeys, carried out in July and September 2009,
respectively, the variation in skin temperature measured by infrared thermography
was examined on a total of 12 piglets. A thermal camera was placed in front of the
pen during the first journey and above the pen during the second. The temperature
inside the vehicle was registered throughout the journeys. A positive linear rela-
tionship was observed between skin and internal vehicle temperatures with an
R
2
of
0.44 and 0.57 in July and September, respectively. The results obtained in this
preliminary experiment showed the possibility of recording thermal images of
piglets in transit. Thus, thermography, coupled with other body-temperature-
recording techniques, could be valuable for assessing the adaptive efforts of pigs
to environmental conditions experienced during transport.
Keywords Pig • Skin temperature • Infrared thermography • Transport
32.1
Introduction
It is well known that the temperature control system of the pig is inefficient in
the presence of high environmental temperatures due to a limited sweating capacity
and poor heat dissipation. In addition,
the physical and psychological stress
experienced during transport
contributes
to increased body temperatures
L. Nanni Costa (
*
) • D. Magnani • S. Cafazzo
Dipartimento di Protezione e Valorizzazione Agro-alimentare, University of Bologna, Bologna,
Italy
e-mail:
leonardo.nannicosta@unibo.it
V. Redaelli • M. Verga • F. Luzi
Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
M. Amadori • E. Razzuoli
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
