1. Investigación

En el presente trabajo se ha evaluado el efecto producido sobre diversos parámetros fisiológicos indicativos de salud ruminal, de la utilización de una mezcla homogénea de alimento concentrado y forraje, como sistema de alimentación para la finalización, o cebamiento, del toro de lidia, comparándolo con un lote de animales testigo mantenidos en extensivo y otro de individuos alimentados siguiendo el sistema tradicional, basado en la administración de alimento concentrado y forraje por separado. Para ello se tomaron muestras de la mucosa ruminal y del contenido del rumen de los animales inmediatamente después de su sacrificio para el análisis histológico de dicha mucosa y la determinación del pH ruminal. En el conjunto de los animales se observaron valores de pH compatibles con el padecimiento de una acidosis ruminal crónica (pH= 6,09 ± 0,49), siendo significativamente menor en los individuos alimentados con el carro mezclador (pH= 5,96 ± 0,43). Ambos métodos de manejo de la alimentación conducen a la formación de papilas de longitud reducida (43,09 ± 23,18 %) y excesivamente engrosadas (441,66 ± 140,74 μm). Además, se aprecia un efecto negativo de las dietas en las que el forraje se ofrece incorporado al concentrado, presentando abundantes pérdidas de materia con soluciones de continuidad en el epitelio del rumen y una cantidad importante de células en vías de degeneración. Esto puede ser debido al resultado pernicioso de la trituración excesiva del forraje, escaso tamaño de partícula, disminuyendo el efecto estimulante de la rumia y salivación. Por otra parte, el tiempo de cebo parece influir negativamente sobre la morfología de la papila ruminal en periodos mayores a 6 meses, mostrando un mayor acortamiento de su longitud.

En los últimos años, el comportamiento del ganado vacuno en pastoreo ha sido poco estudiado, en comparación con el comportamiento en granja. Además, en determinadas razas criadas en sistemas extensivos, la presencia humana puede modificar o interrumpir sus pautas etológicas: los animales se alejan de quien los observa. El uso de la tecnología GPS-GPRS en la monitorización de bovinos explotados en régimen extensivo nos permite disponer de datos de interés en tiempo real; proporciona información sobre desplazamientos, distancias recorridas, territorio pastoreado, zonas más frecuentadas, pautas de comportamiento, etc. En esta investigación, se monitorizaron, mediante la implantación de collares GPS, 21 vacas de diferentes edades, de tres ganaderías de la provincia de Salamanca pertenecientes a la raza bovina lidia. El estudio se llevó a cabo durante ocho meses, distribuimos a los animales en cercados de diferentes dimensiones y características orográficas, y recogimos datos de su posición geográfica cada 15 minutos. Además de corroborar el buen funcionamiento de los dispositivos GPS, se estableció el área de campeo para cada animal: la media fue de 56 ha. Elaboramos un gráfico de su ritmo circadiano con las distancias recorridas por horas, donde se observa una tendencia a iniciar la actividad diaria unas horas antes del amanecer, atenuar su actividad al anochecer y durante la noche, así como mantener una fase de reposo nocturno de aproximadamente siete horas. También analizamos la distancia diaria recorrida (3.15 km media/animal), donde encontramos diferencias sustanciales en función de la edad, la superficie/animal disponible en el cercado, el día y la noche, y la época del año. Nuestros resultados son valiosos para un mejor manejo de las superficies pastables con cercados en los que los animales utilicen toda la superficie disponible.

Minerals are inorganic substances present in all body tissues and fluids that directly or indirectly influence the maintenance of multiple metabolic processes and, therefore, are essential for the development of various biological functions. The Lidia bull breed may be considered an athlete, as during a bull fight it displays considerable physical effort of great intensity and short duration in a highly stressful situation. The objective of this study was to assess plasma minerals concentration (macro- and microminerals) in Lidia bulls after intense physical exercise during a bull fight. Plasma Ca, Mg, P, K, Na, Fe, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se and Mo concentrations were measured in 438 male Lidia bulls. Ca, P and Mg were measured using a Cobas Integra autoanalyzer, while Na and K were determined by ICP-AES, and Fe, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se and Mo were measured by ICP-MS. All macrominerals, (Ca: 2.96 0.31, Mg: 1.27 0.17, P: 3.78 0.65, K: 7.50 1.58, Na: 150.15 19.59 in mmol/L), and Cr (1.24 0.58), Ni (0.249 1.07), Cu (22.63 4.84) and Zn (24.14 5.59, in mol/L) showed greater mean values than the reported reference values in the published literature, while Co (0.041 0.07), Se (0.886 0.21) and Mo (0.111 0.08, in mol/L) values were lower than those reported for other bovine breeds. These increased concentrations could be justified mainly by muscle cell metabolism, hepatic need to provide energy, and intense dehydration and hemoconcentration by losses through sweat glands or urination.

Aim of study: The aim of this work was to study the effect of different length of physical activity carried out by the bull prior to the show during the final performance of the animal, analyzing the behavior and physical activity displayed in the ring. Area of study: There is no clear scientific evidence of physical capacity improvements during the lidia show or “corrida”, in Lidia cattle, as a result of previous training. Material and methods: A total of 233 bulls from eight farms were studied and classified, on each farm, into three groups according to the length of the training period: group 1 (no training), group 2 (training for 3 months prior to the show) and group 3 (training for 6-9 months prior to the show). Locomotion times or percentage of time the animals moved were quantified, and number of falls, their severity and distribution during the show were registered. Main results: Trained animals performed last phase of the “corrida” show with a significantly longer length compared to untrained animals. Furthermore, they remained longer in motion during the initial phase of the “corrida”. However, trained animals experienced more falls of type 1 and 2 during the last phase (“muleta”). Research highlights: A training period of up to 3 months before the show is positive, providing animals a greater physical performance, improving the quality of the lidia show. However, longer training periods over 3 months prior to the show, can negatively affect the performance of these bulls during the “corrida”.

There are limited published data in the bovine species on blood biological variables in response to intense work or after significant physical exertion. Lidia cattle, in addition to their exercise components, have some behavioral agonistic features that make them more susceptible to stress. The bullfight involves stress and exercise so intense that it causes significant changes in some metabolic variables. The study objective was to evaluate changes in blood biological variables in response to intense exercise and stress. After the fight in the arena, and once the bulls were dead (n = 438), blood samples were taken, and some biochemical and hormonal variables were determined in venous blood. A descriptive analysis was performed using the Statistica 8.0. computer program. The mean ( s.d.) results obtained were: total protein (85.8 10.8 g/dL), albumin (3.74 4.3 g/dL), triglycerides (39.65 0.16 mg/dL), cholesterol (2.44 0.03 mmol/L), glucose (22.2 9.6 mmol/L), uric acid (340 80 mol/L), creatinine (236.9 0.4 mol/L), urea (5.93 1.27 mmol/L), LDH (2828 1975 IU/L), CK (6729 10,931 IU/L), AST (495 462 IU/L), ALP (90 33 IU/L), GGT (50 34 IU/L), ALT (59 35 IU/L), cortisol (117.5 46.6 nmol/L), and testosterone (20.2 23.8 nmol/L). Most of the measured variables clearly increased; thus, we found severe hyperglycemia and increases in LDH, AST, GGT, and ALT enzymes, particularly in CK. The increases in all these variables are justified by the mobilization of energy sources, tissue/muscle damage, and dehydration due to continued stress and intense exercise.

The fighting bull breed is characterized by a genetic selection based on a certain behavior called "bravery". Making use of the etiological assessment computer software designed by the Department of Animal Production of the University of León, the behavior of 2577 animals aged from 3 to 6 years has been recorded. These animals have been grappled since 1991 to 2016 in different Spanish bullrings of 1st and 2nd category, in order to study the evolution of the selection carried out in the breed during the last 25 years and the influence on the behavior of the improvements implemented in the management of this type of livestock. Interesting results can be obtained that reflect the change in the selection of the fighting bull towards a nobler bull and "tolerable", corresponding to the information that gives us the starting point behavior of the animal and during the third of rods. In turn, there is an increase in physical activity developed by the animal, which leads to longer crutches, with more batches, probably due to improvements in feeding and the implementation of a physical training protocol in most of the farms.

Eye fluids (aqueous humour and vitreous humour) may be helpful in estimating ante-mortem blood levels, since some parameters measured in these fluids have proved to be stable or to change in a predictable way after death. This would help in diagnosing the cause of death in some diseases or to evaluate ante-mortem blood levels in certain animals not easy to handle or with difficult access. In order to establish reference values of some parameters in blood and eye fluids (aqueous humour and vitreous humour), as well as the possible correlation among these three different fluids, various minerals and electrolytes (Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se and Mo) were measured in 15 four to five year-old Lidia bulls, all dying after a period of significant stress and major exertion. Plasmatic values of Mg and P were much greater than reported in the literature. In general, mineral plasmatic values were greater than those found in ocular fluids (aqueous and vitreous), while Na, K and Cr were similar in the three fluids. We have verified the existence of correlations in P, Co and Mo among the three fluids measured, and between Se of plasma and vitreous humour. But the most marked correlations were observed in Mo (plasma -aqueous humour, r = 0.893, plasma-vitreous humour, r = 0.945, HA -HV, r = 0.849), in P (plasma-vitreous humour, r = 0.726) and in Co (plasma-vitreous humour, r = 879).

Se ha registrado la manifestación de caída de 2.225 animales de 3 a 5 años, de la raza de Lidia, desde 1991 en diferentes plazas de toros de 1ª y 2ª categoría siguiendo la metodología y software de valoración etológica de Alonso et al. (1995a). Se parte de un 99,56% de los individuos que presentaron caídas durante los años 1991-1993 con problemas graves en el 17,16% de los animales (caídas tipo 4, 5 y 6) mejorando situación en la actualidad (2014-2016) con un 79,82% de individuos que manifiestan el síndrome, de los que sólo un 8,23% experimentan caídas tipo 4. La manifestación de caídas se acentúa con el avance de la lidia, siendo las formas más leves (tipos 1 y 2) los tipos de claudicaciones más comunes registradas, fundamentalmente en el tercio de muleta, fruto del incremento significativo de su duración. A su vez, se observa una disminución gradual de las formas más graves, llegando a ser prácticamente inexistentes las caídas tipo 5 y 6 en los últimos años. Todo ello asociado a una mejora en la selección y en la alimentación, unida a la implementación de la preparación física del animal previa a la lidia mediante entrenamientos estandarizados. / There has been registered 2,225 events of falling syndrome in fighting bulls 3 to 5 years old since 1991 in different bullrings of first and 2nd category the study was carried out observing the methodology and software by Alonso et al.(1995ª). The present work started with 99.56% of the individuals who showed falls during 1991-1993, with serious problems for the 17.16% of these animals (falls-type 4, 5 and 6) improving the present situation (2014-2016) with a 79.82% of individuals that manifested the syndrome and which only 8.23% experienced the fall-type-4. The manifestation of falls increases during the bullfight, being the milder forms (falls-type 1 and 2) the most common claudication recorded, mainly during the “Tercio de muleta”, generated by the significant increase of its duration. At the same time, it is observed a gradual decrease of the most critical forms of fall, becoming almost non-existent fall-type 5 and 6 in recent years. All of this has been achieved thanks to an improvement in genetic selection and feeding, along with the implementation of the animal's pre-fight physical preparation through standardized training.