Water is a scarce resource in many regions, and managing its distribution for animal drinking in certain areas and seasons is crucial. To study the drinking behaviour and the use of artificial drinkers by extensive cattle, several camera traps were installed around the water troughs in three enclosures of a lidia farm in León (Spain), where concentrate feed was administered twice a day, except in enclosure 3.
Enclosure 1 (12 ha) contained 14 males aged 3‑4 years, enclosure 2 (26 ha) had 20 females aged 1‑2 years, and enclosure 3 (15 ha) housed 20 females aged 1‑2 years. A total of 1858 photographs and 4866 videos were captured over a four‑month period (September to December) using camera trapping.
The frequency of drinking episodes and the presence of animals remained stable throughout the period, with a circadian pattern observed at the water trough, determined by the administration of concentrate feed. Most of the water drinking occurred within two hours after feeding, both in the morning and in the afternoon, except in enclosure 3, where no supplementation was provided, and only a single morning drinking period was recorded. Similarly, consumption was influenced by solar radiation, ambient temperature, and relative humidity.
Different ethological patterns were observed: agonistic and social behaviours, with a notable low frequency of agonistic patterns, indicative of calm, considering the aggressive nature of the breed.

Lomillos J.M., Alonso M.E. (2025). Patrones de ingestión de agua en ganado bovino de lidia. ITEA‑Información Técnica Económica Agraria 121(3): 242-257. https://doi.org/10.12706/itea.2025.007

Autofinanciado por los autores