Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the use of infrared thermography (IRT) for mastitis detection in dairy cows at the Kawasan Usaha Peternakan Rakyat (KUNAK), Bogor Regency, Indonesia. The accuracy of infrared thermography was evaluated by comparing udder surface temperatures with IPB Mastitis Test scores, a semi-quantitative indicator of somatic cell levels (-, ++, and +++). Thermal images of the udder and IPB Mastitis Test measurements were obtained in the morning prior to milking from eleven Friesian Holstein dairy cows in the mid- to late-lactation stage. Udder surface temperature was measured at three distances (50, 75, and 100 cm) and three points (upper, middle, and teat). The results indicated that neither the imaging distance nor the udder position affected the infrared thermal measurements. The udder surface temperature at all distances and positions tended to increase with higher IPB Mastitis Test scores up to the ++ category. However, no statistically significant difference was observed among groups based on IPB Mastitis Test scores. The small sample size (n = 11) may have limited the statistical power to detect differences among mastitis categories. It is concluded that IRT was not sufficiently reliable for detecting mastitis in dairy cows at small-holding farms in KUNAK, Bogor Regency, suggesting that further studies with larger sample sizes and improved protocols are required to evaluate its diagnostic potential.