Using an implantable microchip for measuring body temperature in dairy calves
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Animal Science
Minor
Biology
Institution
University of Kentucky
KY House District #
77
KY Senate District #
13
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Joao Costa, PhD; Mrs. Melissa Cantor
Department
Department of Animal and Food Sciences
Abstract
Using an implantable microchip for measuring body temperature in dairy calves
M.M. Woodrum1 and J.H.C. Costa1
*Presenting author
1Dairy Science Program, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
Rectal temperature is commonly used to measure the fever response accompanying illness, but is a labor intensive procedure. The objective of this study was to validate a location site for a passive temperature reading microchip against a rectal thermometer temperature in pre-weaned dairy calves. Before calf enrollment, a water bath study validated temperature readings between and within microchips against rectal thermometer readings. Holstein bull-calves (n=12) were implanted with passive radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips in three locations: subcutaneously behind the ear (EAR), subcutaneously by the upper scapula (SCAP), and intramuscularly in the trapezius muscle (NECK). One week after implantation, microchip temperature readings were recorded using a RFID reader hourly for 24 hours; a tympanic and rectal temperature were simultaneously taken. Pearson correlations between the microchip readings, the rectal, and the tympanic temperatures were performed. For the water bath, microchips readings were strongly correlated against the rectal thermometer (r = 0.963; P < 0.001). For the observational study, rectal temperature had negligible correlations to tympanic, EAR, NECK, and SCAP with the highest correlation between rectal and tympanic temperature (median r = 0.19; P ≤ 0.81). The correlations between the microchips SCAP vs NECK (median [Q1, Q3] r = 0.75 [0.60 – 0.84]; P < 0.02) and EAR vs NECK (r = 0.78 [0.73 – 0.84]; P < 0.003) were high. SCAP vs EAR were moderately correlated (r = 0.58 [0.45 – 0.73]; P < 0.44). These results suggest that an implantable microchip temperature readings are related independent of location, but not highly correlated with rectal temperature. Further research should investigate the implantable temperature reading microchip in large herd settings.
Using an implantable microchip for measuring body temperature in dairy calves
Using an implantable microchip for measuring body temperature in dairy calves
M.M. Woodrum1 and J.H.C. Costa1
*Presenting author
1Dairy Science Program, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
Rectal temperature is commonly used to measure the fever response accompanying illness, but is a labor intensive procedure. The objective of this study was to validate a location site for a passive temperature reading microchip against a rectal thermometer temperature in pre-weaned dairy calves. Before calf enrollment, a water bath study validated temperature readings between and within microchips against rectal thermometer readings. Holstein bull-calves (n=12) were implanted with passive radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips in three locations: subcutaneously behind the ear (EAR), subcutaneously by the upper scapula (SCAP), and intramuscularly in the trapezius muscle (NECK). One week after implantation, microchip temperature readings were recorded using a RFID reader hourly for 24 hours; a tympanic and rectal temperature were simultaneously taken. Pearson correlations between the microchip readings, the rectal, and the tympanic temperatures were performed. For the water bath, microchips readings were strongly correlated against the rectal thermometer (r = 0.963; P < 0.001). For the observational study, rectal temperature had negligible correlations to tympanic, EAR, NECK, and SCAP with the highest correlation between rectal and tympanic temperature (median r = 0.19; P ≤ 0.81). The correlations between the microchips SCAP vs NECK (median [Q1, Q3] r = 0.75 [0.60 – 0.84]; P < 0.02) and EAR vs NECK (r = 0.78 [0.73 – 0.84]; P < 0.003) were high. SCAP vs EAR were moderately correlated (r = 0.58 [0.45 – 0.73]; P < 0.44). These results suggest that an implantable microchip temperature readings are related independent of location, but not highly correlated with rectal temperature. Further research should investigate the implantable temperature reading microchip in large herd settings.