The use of infrared thermography in live animals to predict growth efficiency

摘要

A method for determining a measure of growth efficiency of an animal comprises generating a predictive model from a sample population selected from a group of animals and providing the predictive model to predict the growth efficiency in an animal from the same group and not selected from the sample population. The predictive model is generated by selecting a sample population from a group of animals and scanning each animal to obtain a thermographic image represented as an array of pixels providing temperature data. Each image is represented as an array of pixels providing temperature data representative of temperature information at the corresponding part of the image. A value of at least one statistical measure of the temperature data (input variable) is calculated wherein this value is treated as an input variable. A value of a measure of growth efficiency (output variable) is calculated wherein this value is treated an output variable. A relationship between the input and output variables is determined to generate a predictive model.