The syndroms mastitis, metrisis and agalactia are also called MMA. MMA appear with sows and it influences the growth of piglets in their first few days. With early and animal friendly MMA diagnose, we can increase the survival of the piglets and decrease the cost of medical bills. The aim of the research is to find out if its faster to find MMAs using the termal camera as using rectal temerature measurement and the comparison between two different price class thermal cameras. Measuring rectal temerature is causing stress to the sows while using the thermal camera is non invasive method. We used two differently price thermal cameras with equal conditions and we compared the results. On a pig farm 21 sows were measured, where the MMAs are common. We analysed over 10000 measurements and graphically displayed the results.
We found out the trend of rectal temperature and the temperature of milk glands after farrowing. The first of the milk glands are most warm. Sows in equal conditions and in the same time frame based on farrowing, we measured their individual milk gland temperature in the range of 7,5 °C. Thermal imaging compared to rectal temperature measurement could not be considered as a reliable tool for effective and preventive action for early detection of MMA. Due to large deviation of results temperatures of the mammary gland can't be uniquely linked to the occurrence of MMA. A better thermal camera has a smaller measuring error at the edge of the measured object. Correlations between the temperature of the mammary gland, the rectal temperature of the pig and the air temperature show from insignificant to very strong connections.
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