Abstract
Heat stress is a leading cause of production and financial losses, not to mention decreased welfare, for animal industries globally. With climate change increasing the threat of heat stress to livestock enterprises, it is expected that these losses will become more apparent and significant in future years. Elucidating the impact of thermal challenges on cattle, and other species, has been a focal research area for many decades and is likely to continue in future years. Technological advancements have improved the capacity to collect large scale individualised datasets, however this then presents challenges for analysis and interpretation of data. Regardless, the increasing capability and sophistication of technology is changing the way that thermal challenges are being investigated. Two such technologies that have been increasingly utilised are infrared thermography (IRT) and rumen temperature (TRUM) via rumen boluses. Each of these technologies have been applied in various formats, with IRT in particular having inconsistent results. This chapter, will focus on the applications of IRT and boluses for the monitoring of heat stress in cattle and provide a perspective on the future opportunities and challenges for applying these technologies in the field.
