Case Study: Mitigation of heat stress in feedlot cattle by applying reflective pigments to the dorsal body surface

Abstract

ABSTRACT Heat stress in feedlot cattle has serious animal welfare and economic implications. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether a titanium dioxide coating applied to the dorsal midline of cattle would reflect solar radiation and mitigate heat stress. Feedlot heifers (n = 30; 269 ± 27.6 kg) were randomly assigned to a noncoated (control) or titanium dioxide–coated treatment. Coating was applied to the dorsal midline except for a control area over the dorsal anterior midline. Reflectance was measured with a suspended modified digital camera in a blue band, a green band, and a near-infrared band. Skin surface temperature was measured with a suspended infrared thermal imaging sensor. Vaginal thermometers recorded the internal body temperature of heifers. Reflectance in the blue, green, and red edge to near infrared bands were found to be 5.7, 8.8, and 10.3 times greater (P