Animal Welfare evaluation in Lidia Cattle farms in Spain and Mexico

Abstract

Animal welfare (AW) of extensively managed cattle has been studied very little and within bovine cattle, the lidia breed is very interesting in this regard due to its ethological peculiarities and aggressive behaviour. An optimized assessment protocol is developed based on the Welfare Quality® project, in order to integrate and assess AW in the facilities, in group behaviour, in physiological signs and in management. For this, 6 different farms have been evaluated, 3 of them located in the Extremadura region (Spain) and 3 in the Querétaro region (Mexico). Ten animals were chosen from each subgroup, formed based on the productive moment and the batches of each farm: mother cows, stallions and batches of animals of different ages. Each AW indicator included in the protocol was rated on a scale of 1 to 5. The data collection methodology developed worked adequately. In general, the 6 farms present an optimal rating in all parameters, although it is worth noting differences in terms of approach distance, being less in those farms where animals are handled more frequently, also reflected in curiosity displayed by animals. It is important to highlight that the study reflects an appropriate nutrition, both in the long and short term (body condition and rumen fill) in the 6 herds. Regarding health (breathing and mucous membranes, condition of hooves and lameness index), optimal AW values were obtained. There is a certain difference between the farms in Spain and Mexico in terms of the body condition of the animals, being significantly lower in Mexico, where winter is the dry season, with less grass available.