The lidia breed has varied its exploitation system from a purely extensive management to a semi‑intensive system where the animals feed on the pasture of the cattle farm with specific supplements, except for males, which are subjected to a fattening prior to the show during their last productive year. Two critical points are detected: an underfeeding of the animal during the growth stage and a ruminal acidosis condition during the intensive fattening stage of the male. Several authors propose a new alimentary management, which adapts the type of concentrate to the physiological needs of the animal since weaning and rationalizes the nutritional supplements throughout the life of the bull. At the same time, new strategies are offered that could prevent the suffering of ruminal acidosis: increasing the percentage and quality of fiber in the ration, incorporating mixer carts or increase the frequency of food administration (between two and four times a days). There are also various palliative treatments such as the use of chemical and microbial additives or the treatment with certain antimicrobials. Finally, the sector needs more studies in order to clarify the factors that trigger ruminal acidosis in the fighting bull and confirm the strategies to be followed in order to prevent secondary pathologies to this pathology.

Lomillos JM, Alonso ME (2019). Revisión de la alimentación de la raza de lidia y caracterización de las principales patologías asociadas al cebo del toro en la actualidad. ITEA‑Información Técnica Económica Agraria 115(4): 376‑398. https://doi.org/10.12706/itea.2019.012