Estimating thermal comfort in modern poultry production is important that acclimatization systems can be triggered at appropriate time reducing losses and increasing yield. Although current literature presents some thermal comfort indexes which are applied for this estimation those are based just on ambient thermal conditions and do not consider important factors inherent to the animals such as genetics and capability of adaptation, generally providing an inadequate estimation of the birds’ thermal comfort. This research developed the Fuzzy thermal comfort index (FTCI) aiming to estimate broilers’ thermal comfort considering that the mechanism used by the birds for losing heat in environments outside the thermoneutral zone is the peripheral vasodilatation, which increases the surface temperature. Measurements of surface feathers and skin temperature of birds were used. The FTCI was developed using the data of two experiments which provided 108 distinct environmental scenarios. Infrared thermal images were used for registering surface temperature of feathers and skin, as well as the birds’ feathering degree. For the same scenarios of thermal environment both FTCI and the temperature and humidity index (THI) were compared. Results validated the FTCI for estimating broilers’ thermal comfort, being specific for the estimation of danger conditions usually found in housing in tropical climate countries. This characteristic is advantageous in models which estimate broiler thermal welfare, as occurrence classified as dangerous may lead to economical downward in avoiding productive losses.
thermal comfort index; fuzzy logic; infrared thermograph; precision livestock production
