497 The automated and real time use of infrared thermography in the detection and correction of DFD and fevers in cattle.

Identifying cattle at risk of yield and quality grade reduction as well as high temperatures during the antemortem period would have considerable economic and welfare value in the beef industry. The objective of the current study was to test the efficacy of infrared thermography in identifying live animals at risk of beef quality aberrations, notably dark-firm-dry beef or dark cutting and animals displaying fevers. In addition, the study tested the ability of an antemortem nutritional therapy product to successfully treat animals at risk of such beef quality reduction. Analysis of data from 2,263 finished feedlot cattle demonstrated that an automated, non-invasive, RFID driven thermal detection system at a commercial plant can operate at line speed. Overall cattle displaying dark cutting conditions composed 2.4% of the population. The infrared systems identified 60% of these animals. Compared to cattle with normal orbital temperatures of 33.6 C animals displaying DFD showed temperatures of either cooler (30.4 ± 1.85) or warmer (35.8 ± 1.28 C) values. In addition, 2% of the cattle were found to display hotter thermal values or fevers averaging 37.6 ± 0.53C. The infrared thermography systems identified all of these high temperature animals. In terms of treatment, tests conducted on overnight held animals demonstrated that animals at risk of DFD could be reduced significantly by 50% (P<0.05). The data suggests that combining infrared detection systems with nutritional therapy treatment regimes can be used to detect high temperature animals and to reduce DFD beef at commercial processors.