Evaluation of livestock health and reproduction in the highlands of Huaral province, Peru

© 2001 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. All rights reserved. This paper describes livestock production systems in the highlands of Huaral Province, Peru, an area and topic about which little is known. Land ownership is distributed in smallholdings used primarily for agricultura! production. Herding is the responsibility of men, most older than 50 years. Each small holder keeps from 1 to 20 cattle and 1 to 20 sheep, as well as pigs, poultry and Guinea pigs. No annual preventative treatment schedule is followed and only a few producers have access to sorne level of technical advice. In most holdings, the animals are dosed annually for parasites, especially liver fluke. Reproduction is not controlled and animals are naturally mated. Placenta retention is the most important problem with cattle.