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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds
Published on: November 6, 2015
Heat Stress Assessment Using Multiple Thermal-Comfort Indices and Its Impact on the Reproductive Performance of Sows
Maria Chavez-Flores1,2, Abel Villa-Mancera1, José Manuel Robles-Robles1
1Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Tecamachalco 75482, Puebla, Mexico.
Abstract:
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of HS on sow reproductive performance using 11 different thermal indices calculated from environmental data in a temperate climate. Reproductive records, including live-born piglets, stillbirths, and mummified fetuses per litter, were obtained using farm management software. The overall means for live-born piglets, stillbirths, and mummified fetuses per litter from January to December 2023 were 13.7, 1.06, and 0.45, respectively, whereas the temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity were 24.08 °C, 63.70%, and 3.2 m/s, respectively. Temperature-humidity index (THI): THI2 and THI6 were significantly associated with the number of live-born piglets (p < 0.001) and mummified fetuses (p < 0.05) per litter, with optimal reproductive outcomes observed at values below 74. THI1 was significantly associated with the number of stillborn piglets (p < 0.05). Based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC) values, THI6 provided the best overall fit for evaluating the effects of HS on reproductive performance. Reproductive outcomes in sows respond to trait-specific thermal signals. THI2, THI6, and THI1 are recommended for assessing HS-related reproductive outcomes in sows raised under temperate climatic conditions.
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