Thermal sorting

摘要

Sorting cattle by thermal imaging holds promise for more efficient cattle feeding. Mark Spire, DVM, gets almost giddy in discussing the latest results on the use of thermal imaging in feedlots. Spire and his Kansas State University (KSU) colleagues,Jim Drouillard and Jan Sargeant, have been studying the use of infrared technology as a diagnostic tool for some time now ("Seeing What Cattle 'Feel," May 2001 BEEF Feeder). Now, they're exploring the use of thermal imaging of feeder cattle as a means of sorting cattle into more efficient feeding groups. "Our studies show that high-metabolism cattle (redder thermal images) gain lager, convert better and produce higher-quality carcasses than cattle with slower metabolisms (bluer thermal images)," Spiresays. "Using infrared to sort a cattle population into high- and low-metabolism groups for finishing promises some great efficiencies in feed efficiency, better outcomes and profits." Spire says the group has seen as much as a 16 deg C difference in thermal temperature in cattle. Every 1 deg of surface temperature difference translates to a 0.2-lb. difference in gain.