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SHEEP AND ALPACA PRODUCTIVITY
ON HIGH ANDEAN RANGELANDS IN PERU1, 2
F. C. Bryant3, A. Florez 4 and J. Pfister5

Texas Tech University, Lubbock 79409

ABSTRACT
Sheep and alpaca production traits from the Andes of Peru show that peasant
communities, which have the lowest level of technological input, also have the lowest
productivity of sheep and alpaca. Comparative data from research trials conducted in Peru
emphasize the need for rangeland stocking rates to be reduced in line with ecological
realities. Range improvement strategies such as rotational grazing and integration of
cultivated pastures to supplement forage from native rangelands can increase output of
sheep, meat and wool. Likewise, alpaca wool production can be increased through
technological input, but increasing productivity of alpaca offspring will require further
research effort.
(Key Words: Sheep, Alpaca, Pastures, Stocking rate, Productivity, Rangelands.)
J. Aniln. Sci. 1989. 67:3087-3095

Introduction meat, fiber, and dung, and they play important

roles in risk management strategies of small
Indigenous camelids (alpaca and llama) and producers (Browman, 1987).
introduced sheep are the most important
Production systems in the high Andes vary
livestock species in Peru, particularly to the
from animal production on more formally
small Andean producer. Over 95% of the 13
organized communes (Sociedades Agricolas de
million sheep and almost 100% of the 3.1
Interes Social; SAIS), cooperatives
million domestic camelids are raised by
(Cooperativas Agrarias de Produccion; CAP)
campesinos at elevations above 3,500 m. The and social groups (Empresas de Propiedad
Andean peasant subsistence base ranges from
Social; EPS) to peasant communities (comun-
pastoralism to mixed agro-pastoralism to pure
cultivation (Browman, 1987); sheep and cam- idades campesinos). By far, peasant communi-
elids are integral components. They produce ties control the greatest number of animals
(72% of the sheep and 78% of the camelids)
and over half the native rangelands (12.8
million ha, 58% of the total rangeland). These
1presentedat a symposiumtitled "Sheepand GoatPro- native rangelands are extremely important
duction Systems-Lessonsfrom a Decade of Collaborative because they comprise about 95% of the land
Researchin Brazil,Kenya,Moroccoand Peru" at the ASAS area above 3,800 m and because, through
80th Annu. Mtg., New Brunswick,NL
2Research support was providedby the United States mismanagement and overgrazing, erosion is
Agencyfor InternationalDevelopment,TitleXII, SmallRu- increasing and rangeland productivity is de-
minant Collaborative Research Support Program, under clining rapidly.
Grant DSAN/XII-G-0049in collaborationwith Inst. Nac. Even though total production of wool from
Invest. Agraria y Agroindustrial,Peru. This is Texas Tech sheep and wool and meat from alpaca has
Univ. Collegeof Agric. Sci. Publ. No. T-9-547. We thank
RodneyPreston,BillE. Dahl and HenryA. Wrightfor their remained relatively stable over the last 10 yr
reviewof this manuscript. (Table 1), meat production from sheep has
3Dept. of Range and Wildl. Manage. declined markedly. Thus, in 1979 as part of the
4present address: Instituto Nacional de Investigacion USAID Small Ruminant-Collaborative Re-
Agr.ariay Agroindustrial,GuzmanBlanco 309, Lima,Peru. search Support Program, Texas Tech Univer-
3Pres~nt address: USDA-ARS, Poisonous Plant Re-
search Laboratory.Logan,UT 84321. sity began a research program to increase
ReceivedSeptember29, 1988. animal production on native rangeland while
AcceptedMarch 16, 1989. stabilizing rangeland productivity and condi-
3087
3088 BRYANT ET AL.
TABLE 1. SHEEPAND ALPACAPOPULATIONSAND PRODUCTIVITY
OF MEATAND WOOL(METRICTONS)

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IN PERU FROM 1978 to 1987a

Sheep Alpaca
Production Production
Year Population Meat Wool Population Meat Fiber
1978 15,000 22,500 11,000 2,380 8,100 2,600
1979 14,300 22,700 10,900 2,370 8,000 2,550
1980 14,700 20,700 10,500 2,385 7,700 2,570
1981 14,099 18,800 10,000 2,348 8,120 2,650
1982 14,277 18,500 10,500 2,458 8,161 2,850
1983 12,928 18,100 11,400 2,367 8,327 3,000
1984 12,701 18,900 11,000 2,412 8,428 2,700
1985 12,929 17,200 11,300 2,403 8,820 2,900
1986 13,060 16,900 11,400 2,435 9,151 3,000
1987 13,800 17,115 2,480 9,366
aSource: OSE-Ministeriode Agricultura, Lima,Peru.

tion. In 1981, an emphasis was added to
integrate costly, but productive, improved
pastures and forages properly. The objective of
this paper is to report sheep and alpaca
production data from controlled experiments
and to contrast these with results from sheep
under current husbandry/management prac-
tices.
Materials and Methods
Research was carried out at several loca-
tions in the high Andes of Peru. Studies were
conducted at altitudes of 3,800 to 4,200 m.
Rainfall is concentrated in a single wet season
(Oct. to Apr.); during the dry season prior to
October, almost no precipitation is recorded.
Annual precipitation varies from 1,200 mm per
annum in the central mountains to 800 mm in
the south. The mean annual temperatures are
less than 10*C and nocturnal frosts are
frequent, especially during the dry season
(Wilcox et al., 1987). Diurnal fluctuations can
be as much as 20~ in the mesic altiplano and
even greater in the desert altiplano. Vegetation
is dominated by herbaceous grasses and forbs.
Few trees and shrubs exist. Perennial
bunchgrasses dominate the landscape and
common genera include Festuca, Poa, Stipa
and Calamagrostis. Grass-like plants also
occur; common genera are Carex and Scirpus
(Wilcox et al., 1986). Soils of the central
Andes have been described by Wilcox et al.
(1988).
To obtain a broad perspective of animal
production in the sierra, Florez and Malpartida
(1985) conducted surveys on three different
types of production systems: 10 SAIS (five
from the Departments of Junin and Pasco and
five from the Departments of Puno and
Cuzco), 20 CAP (10 from the Departments of
Pasco and Junin and 10 from the Departments
of Cuzco, Puno and Arequipa), and 20
livestock-based communities (10 from the
Departments of Junin and Pasco and 10 from
the Departments of Puno, Cuzco and Arequi-
pa). All SAIS, CAP and communities then
were classified according to their level of
technological inputs as being high, medium or
low. To receive a classification of high,
production systems had to have 1) used
machinery and implements (tractors, disks,
etc.), 2) fertilizers, 3) planted improved seed,
4) irrigated pastures, 5) built fences, 6) used
artificial insemination, 7) improved genetic
stock, 8) provided medicines, 9) kept produc-
tion records, 10) sheared their animals each
year, 11) practiced genetic selection, and 12)
received a good rating for buildings and
equipment. For a production system to receive
a medium rank, it would have all but items 1),
2), 6), 7) and 9) and a minimum rating for
buildings and equipment fair. Low technologi-
cal input ratings were those production sys-
tems that had none of items 1 through 11 and
whose buildings and equipment were rated
"poor."
Applied and basic research reported herein
was conducted at SAIS Pachacutec, Depart-
ment of Junin (Gamarra et al., 1985; Jaramillo
et al., 1985; Lares et al., 1985; Florez et al.,
1986a, b,c,d; Wilcox et al., 1986, 1987; Carey
et al., 1988; Pfister et al., 1989), SAIS Ramon
Castillo, Department of Junin, South American
 SHEEP AND ALPACA PRODUCTIVITY IN PERU
Camelid Research Center of Instituto
Veterenario Investigacion Tropical y Altura at
La Raya, Department of Cuzco (Bryant and
Farfan, 1984; Jaramillo et al., 1985; Reiner and
Bryant, 1986; Reiner et al., 1987; Farfan,
unpublished data), and the Sheep Experiment
Station of Universidad Nacional de Tecnica
Altiplano at Chuquibambilla, Department of
Puno (Fierro et al., 1986; Reiner et al., 1987;
Blackburn et al., 1989; Fierro and Bryant,
1989). References above contain detailed de-
scriptions of study areas, research designs and
methodologies.
Resul~
Sheep and Alpaca Production:
Andean Averages
Sheep and alpaca production traits indicate
that peasant communities have the lowest net
lamb crops, lamb birth weights and fleece
weights and the greatest lamb and adult
mortality (Table 2). Also, age at first breeding
is as much as 14 mo later at peasant
communities than for first-bred ewe lambs on
SAIS and CAP with high to medium levels of
technological input.
The reason for observed deterioration of
native pastures is obvious based on sheep
stocking rates for peasant communities. Sheep
were stocked at a rate five times greater than
the natural resources could support (Table 2).
It should be noted that 2.8 sheep units/ha was
the average, but some were as high as 10 to 12
sheep units/ha. Almost none of the production
systems in Peru culls sheep because of lack of
reproductive performance (Table 2).
Regardless of production system and level
of input, alpaca were not as productive as
sheep (Table 2). Net percent lamb crops were
not markedly different among production
systems and level of technological input.
Neverflaeless, peasant communities had a poor
efficiency rating for producing alpaca (Table
2).
Sheep Production Research
on Native Rangeland
Stocking Rate Evaluations. At SAIS
Pachacutec, where range condition is good to
excellent based on plant species composition, 3
yr of data from grazing trials (Table 3) showed
3089
that levels of sheep reproduction were main-
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mined under rotational grazing (1 flock; 8
pastures; 7-d graze; 49-d rest) at stocking rates
of two, three and four sheep/ha, and productiv-
ity was greater than the Andean averages
(Table 2). Net lamb crops (%) in our studies
were almost twice those of the production
systems surveyed. Thus, if range condition
could be enhanced through long-term range
management and improvement practices, sheep
production could be increased dramatically in
Peru.
A stocking rate of six sheep/ha severely
depressed sheep production. Net lamb crops
were similar to production systems with
medium levels of technological input. Thus,
even on rangeland in good condition, excessive
stocking rates resulted in poor animal perfor-
mance.
Rotation vs Continuous Grazing. Compari-
sons of rotational grazing (1 flock; 8 pastures;
7-d graze, 49-d rest) with continuous yearlong
grazing at equal stocking rates of three sheep
units/ha showed that sheep production was
similar (Table 4). Thus, rotational grazing, in
contrast to continuous grazing, offers potential
to stabilize range conditions, provided that
animal performance is acceptable.
Improved range condition at SAIS
Pachacutec provided better net lamb crops and
lamb birth weights (Table 4) than the Andean
averages (Table 2). Thus, improved Andean
rangelands likely will support sheep produc-
tion even at high levels of stocking.
Sheep Production Research: Integrating
Native Range With Cultivated Pastures
The influence of improved nutrition using
cultivated pastures at breeding and during late
gestation and early lactation was studied for 3
yr in the central Andes. In contrast to ewes
grazing native pastures, ewes grazing culti-
vated pastures for 7 wk prior to breeding had a
greater (P < .05) percentage of lambs born
(Table 5). Lambs born to ewes that grazed
cultivated pasture during the last trimester of
gestation and early lactation had higher birth
weights (P < .05), weaning weights (P < .05)
and average daily gain (P < .05) than did
lambs in the other treatments (Table 5). The
nutritional influence of grazing cultivated
pasture was not important during late gestation
and early lactation, which coincides with the
3090 BRYANT ET AL.

late dry season. Strategic grazing of cultivated Sheep Production Research:

Dry Season Supplementation

pastures is most beneficial during critical
periods such as early lactation that overlap
with the latter portion of the nutritionally
stressful dry season.
By integrating cultivated pastures with
native range in good condition, the net lamb
crop was twice that of the Andean average on
the best production systems (88.5% vs 45%)
(Tables 2 and 5). Furthermore, flushing range
sheep resulted in lambs' being weaned 6 to 10
kg heavier (Table 6) than lambs under SAIS
management. Improved forages on cultivated,
irrigated pastures offers a strong potential for
improving sheep production in the high Andes.
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Ewe lambs at Chuquibambilla, monitored
during the 6-mo dry season, had greatest
growth rates 1) when they were allowed access
to ryegrass pasture 1 h per day and grazed
native range the rest of the day (Treatment 1,
Figure 1)
o r 2) when they grazed native range and
were supplemented with a 20% crude protein
commercial supplement (Treatment 3, Figure
1). Growth was fastest when ewe lambs were
on ryegrass pasture all the time (Treatment 4,
Figure 1). Treatment 2 (Figure 1) was for ewe

TABLE 2. DISTRIBUTION OF THE HUMAN POPULATION AND AVERAGE

ANNUAL SHEEP AND ALPACA POPULATION TRAITS OF THREE
ESTIMATED LEVELS OF TECHNOLOGICAL INPUT USED TO
RAISE ANIMALS IN THE HIGH ANDES OF PERU a

Level of technological input

High Medium Low
(Some SAIS and CAP) (Most SAIS and CAP) (Peasant communities)
Parameter Sheep Alpaca Sheep Alpaca Sheep Alpaca
1. Human parameters
a. Human population, % 17.0 20.0 13.0 8.0 70.0 72.0
2. Sheep production parameters
a. Rangeland stocking rate
(sheep or alpaca unit/ha)
(1) Recommended 1.2 1.2 .8 1.0 .5 .6
(2) Actual 1.5 0 2.0 0 2.8 0
b. Adult females in flock, % 51.0 45.0 46.0 43.0 38.0 40.0
c. Replacement females, % 25.0 22.0 20.0 18.0 15.0 18.0
d. Age at first breeding, mo 22.0 0 29.0 0 36.0 0
e. Female live wt, k~ 38.0 56.0 35.0 50.0 30.0 45.0
f. Fertility index, % 90.0 62.0 80.0 58.0 70.0 53.0
g. Gross lamb crop, %c 88.0 60.0 75.0 55.0 60.0 50.0
h. Net lamb crop, %d 45.0 25.0 35.0 22.0 23.0 20.0
i. Lamb birth wt, kg 3.5 9.0 3.2 8.0 2.9 7.0
j. Adult mortality, % 2.0 5.0 3.0 6.0 5.0 7.0
k. Lamb mortality, % 8.0 12.0 10.0 14.0 15.0 18.0
1. Cull for failure to reproduce, % .2 20.0 .2 0 0 0
m. Cull for slaughter, % 28.0 11.0 18.0 8.0 15.0 6.0
n. Average carcass wt at slaughter, kg 16.0 28.0 14.0 26.0 10.0 23.0
o. Animals sheared annually, % 70.0 60.0 60.0 40.0 40.0 30.0
p. Greasy fleece wt, kg 2.5 1.6 1.8 1.4 .9 1.2
q. Farm efficiency, %e 35.0 8.0 22.0 2.0 3.0 -5.0
aAdapted from Florez and Malpartida, 1985.
bFertility index = [no. of pregnant ewes/no, of ewes mated] x 1t30.
CGross lamb crop = [no. of lambs born/no, of pregnant ewes] • 100.
dNet lamb crop = [no. of lambs weaned/no, of ewes mated] x 100.
~ a r m efficiency = % net lamb crop - (% adult mortality + % lamb mortality).
 SHEEP AND ALPACA PRODUCTIVITY IN PERU 3091

TABLE 3. SHEEP PRODUCTION AT FOUR LEVELS OF STOCKING

UNDER ROTATIONAL GRAZING COMPARED TO SAIS

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PRODUCTION DATA AVERAGED OVER 3 YEARS
(1982 TO 1984) AT SAIS PACHACUTEC, PERU

Stocking rate
Parameter 2 ewes/ha 3 ewes/ha 4 ewes/ha 6 ewes/ha SAIS
Gross lamb crop, %a 80.0 87.0 90.0 52.0 62.0
Lamb birth wt, kg a 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.3 3.3
Net lamb crop, % 72.0 65.3 83.6 37.0
Weaning vet, kg a 28.2 24.1 23.3 26.0 17.2
Greasy fleece wt, kg b 3.2 2.9 3.0
Fiber staple length, cm b 9.6 8.9 10.3
Fiber diameter, micronsb 25.5 24.5 24.1
aData from Florez et al., 1986d.
bData from Carey et al., 1988.

lambs that had access to ryegrass pasture 1 d/
wk and native range the rest of the week.
Growth rates were only slightly greater under
Treatment 2 than for ewe lambs solely on
native range (Treatment 5, Figure 1).
30-
Sheep Production Research: Simulations
of Supplementation Strategies
In order to examine numerous supplementa-
tion strategies, Blackburn et al. (1989) simu-
lated corriedale production from nutrition and
forage data from Chuquibambilla, Peru. They
proposed that late dry season supplementation
(Aug.-Oct.) of ewes bred as yearlings would
decrease mortality of their lambs prior to
weaning from 14.5% (no supplement) to
11.1%. Best reproduction (ewes lambing/ewes
bred times 100) also was simulated at 84.5%
with August to October supplementation com-
pared with 76.3% with no supplement.

28'

/S
Tr3
26'
E- Tr2
24'
Tr5
"O
O TABLE 4. SHEEP PRODUCTION FROM ROTATION
m
22' AND CONTINUOUSLY GRAZED PASTURES
STOCKED AT THREE EWES/HA COMPARED TO
SAIS PRODUCTION DATA AVERAGED OVER
3 YEARS (1982-1984) AT SAIS PACHACUTEC, PERU

Rotational Continuous
18 ! ! ! i i i Parameter grazing yearling SAIS
JuI Aug Sep O..--t Nov Dec Gross lamb crop, %a 87.0 78.0 60.0
Month Lamb birth wt, kg a 3.7 3.6 3.3
Net lamb crop, % 64.8 65.7
Figure l.Body weight changes (kg) of ewe lambs under Weaning wt, kg a 23.9 24.1 18.8
dry season supplementation treatments at Chuquibambilla, Greasy fleece wt, kg b 3.1 3.4
Peru (data from Jaramillo et al., 1985). Trl =l-h daily access Fiber staple length, cm b 9.9 10.1
to cultivated pasture; Tr2 = 1 d/wk access to cultivated pas- Fiber diameter, micronsb 25.1 24.0
ture; Tr3 -- pelleted supplement provided 3 d/wk; Tr4 = total
diet from cultivated pasture; Tr5 = total diet from native aData from Florez et al., 1986b.
range bData from Carey ct al., 1988.
3092 BRYANT ET AL.

TABLE 5. REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE Another research project (Florez, unpub-

OF EWES AND LAMB WEIGHTS lished data) compared ewe lambs raised and

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UNDER THREE GRAZING TREATMENTS
IN THE PERUVIAN ANDES a bred on native range vs cultivated pastures
after weaning. Raising lambs on cultivated
Treatment b pastures from weaning through breeding to
Item BREED TRILAC RANGE SE lambing resulted in lambs that were able to
Lambs born, %c i01d 99 d 88e 3.2
breed 6 mo earlier and produce over 100% net
Net lamb crop, %f 89d 88d 75e 3.1 lamb crops.
Lamb birthwt, kg 4. Id 4.4e 3.9d .15
Lamb weaning wt,
kg 24.6 d 26.8 e 23.4 d 1.0 Alpaca Production Research:
Lamb ADG, g 152.2 d 167.1 e 145.9d 7.4 Cultivated Pastures
aAdapted from Pfister et al., 1989.
Few data exist from alpacas raised on native
bI'reatments were as follows: BREED is 7-wk access to
cultivated pasture prior to, and for 4 wk after, breeding;
range. Adult females (n = 85) placed on
TRILAC is 20-wk access to cultivated pasture including 7 ryegrass-white dover pastures for 20 mo prior
wk at breeding, plus 6 wk during late gestation and 7 wk after to parturition at La Raya had an 18% death
parturition; RANGE is grazing only native range yearlong. loss, a gross lamb crop of 55% and crias with a
CAs a percentage of ewes exposed to rmns. birth weight of 8.1 kg (F. C. Bryant, unpub-
d'~ in the same row with different letters differ (P lished data). Production data were similar to
< .05).
survey data from production systems with high
fLambs were weaned on March 2 or 3 each year of the levels of technological input (Table 2). How-
study.
ever, death loss was much greater than for
Andean averages. Young (4 to 5 mo) alpaca
females (n = 40) raised on the same cultivated
Sheep Production Research: Fattening pastures had 12% greater gross lamb crop than
Trials and Ewe Lamb Breeding adults, but their crias had lower birth weights
(6.5 kg). Death loss of young dams was only
At SAIS Ramon Castillo, a 3-yr study was 2% greater for adult dams. Weight gain of
established to fatten lambs on ryegrass-white males on cultivated pastures was 11.2 kg over
clover pastures. Because of similar average 6 mo (F. C. Bryant, unpublished data).
daily gain of lambs, fertilization apparently Adult alpacas raised on range and moni-
was not justified (Table 7). Stocking rates of tored for 1 yr had body weights and greasy
up to 40 lambs/ha could be maintained without fleece weights similar to those of adults given
dramatic declines in daily gain. partial and total access to cultivated pastures

TABLE 6. AVERAGE LIVE WEIGHT OF LAMBS AT BIRTH TIME AND WEANING TIME a

Live wt
Birth Weaning
Grazing systemb 1982-83 1983-84 1982-83 1983-~
Continuous
Range 3.76 3.49 21.32 21.12
Rushing 4.00 4.03 21.42 22.59
Last third 3.75 4.22 23.31 26.32
Rotational
Range 3.72 3.80 21.08 19.32
Flushing 4.07 3.93 22.98 19.86
Last third 4.12 4.70 23.93 22.84
SAIS (Range) 3.07 3.68 15.43 16.01
aAfter Pfister et al., 1988.
bTreatments were as follows: continuous is yearlong grazing; rotational is l-flock, 8-pasture rotation grazing system.
Range is grazing only on native range; flushing is 7-wk access to cultivated pasture prior to, and for 4 wk after, breeding; last
third is 20-wk access to cultivated pasture including 7-wk at breeding, plus 6 wk during late gestation and 7-wk after
parturition. SAIS (range): data from test animals of the production flocks of the SA/S where source of forage to sheep was
from rangeland only.
 SHEEP AND ALPACA PRODUCTIVITY IN PERU 3093

TABLE7. AVERAGEDAILY GAIN in peasant communities practicing communal

(GRAMS/DAY)OF LAMBS FATTENEDFOR 60

DAYS ON FERTILIZEDAND
UNFERTILIZEDRYEGRASS-WHITECLOVER
PASTURES AT SAIS RAMON CASTILLA,PERU
Stocking rate trials
Trial 1 Trial 2
20 30 30 40
Treatment lambs/halambs/ha lambsdhalambs/ha
Unfertilized 204a 196a - 204a
Fertilized 193a 198a 207a
a'bwithin trials, data with the same superscript in col-
umns or rows are not different (P < 0.05).
(Table 8). Control animals (SAIS Pachacutec)
had lower greasy fleece weights (Table 8).
Compared with Andean averages of better
production systems (Table 2), greasy fleece
weights were 20 to 40% greater under the
good range conditions of SAIS Pachacutec.
Greasy fleece weights were 50 to 100% greater
than production systems with low levels of
technological input (Table 2).
Compared with animals on native range (n
= 30), alpaca females (n = 30) raised on
cultivated pastures were weaned at 30.4 kg, 3
mo earlier. (A. Florez, unpublished data).
Moreover, they reached a breeding weight (50
kg) 1 yr earlier than females on native range.
Thus, females on cultivated pasture were bred
at 1 yr of age and had crias at 2 yr of age,
compared with females on native range that
were bred at 2 yr and gave birth at 3 yr.
Usually, peasant communities breed alpaca
females at 3 to 4 yr of age.
Disou~ion
Most sheep and alpaca producers (>70%) in
the high Andes of Peru are small landholders
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grazing on private land. Although these pro-
ducers own most of the livestock in the
Peruvian Andes, they do not control a similar
proportion of the rangeland, so the options
available for improving their herds often are
very limited and stocking rates are excessive.
These campesinos generally employ low levels
of technological input such as parasite control,
194b grazing management strategies or supplement
197ab feeding programs. The major responsibility for
herd care and management often falls upon
women and young children. Under these
circumstances increased levels of technological
input yield large returns in animal productivi-
ty.
Research on native range in good condition
demonstrated that an improved range condition
in the Peruvian Andes increased animal pro-
ductivity even at higher rates of stocking.
Results emphasize the need for Peruvian
pastoralists to control grazing (reduce stocking
rates and use rotational grazing) and to
implement range improvement practices to
enhance rangeland conditions. Improved range
conditions will not only provide greater animal
production over the long-term, but soil erosion
will decline.
Stocking rate studies (Florez et al., 1986d)
indicate that the optimum stocking rate for
Andean rangeland in good condition is about
three to four sheep units/ha yearlong. This
study was conducted in the central Andes, and
due to lower precipitation, the recommended
rate would be lower, at two sheep/ha for
southern Altiplano rangeland in good condi-
tion. The proper stocking rate will be lower for
rangeland in poor condition due to deteriora-
tion of the forage base. Lamb crops and
weaning w~ights are especially sensitive to
excessive stocking rates. Fleece characteristics
are relatively insensitive to stocking rate

TABLE 8. ADULT AND GREASYFLEECEWEIGHTSOF ALPACAAFTER 1 YEAR OF

DIETS FROM RANGE,RANGE AND CULTIVATEDPASTUREa,
CULTIVATEDPASTUREa AND THE SAIS RANGELANDAT SAIS PACHACUTEC,PERU

Initial wt, kg Final wt, kg Wt change, Greasyfleece

Feed source No. (6-19-84) (7-5-85) kg wt, kg
Native range 25 58.0 59.7 + 1.7 2.3
Native range + cultivated pastureb 25 55.0 59.8 + 4.8 2.2
Cultivated pasture only 25 54.0 60.0 + 6.0 2.4
SAIS 25 57.0 58.0 + 1.0 1.9
aCultivatcd pasture was orchardgrass and red clover.
bDiet source was native range plus cultivatedpasture during the last third of gestation.
3094 BRYANT ET AL.
changes (Carey et al., 1988). The dramatic
reduction in productivity that occurred at six
sheep units/ha in the study of Florez et al.
(1986d) illustrates the dangers of overstocking.
The problems caused by overstocking are
accentuated during periods of drought. During
1983, a severe drought in southern Peru
reduced cattle and sheep numbers by over 10%
because overgrazed rangelands had no reserve
forage.
Continuous yearlong grazing of native
ranges is the most common grazing manage-
ment scheme used by producers. Some rotation
of livestock occurs naturally as herders move
animals from place to place, but little planned
movement to provide adequate ungrazed
periods for forage plant regrowth is practiced.
Ungmzed periods (planned rest) permit plants
to restore carbohydrate and root reserves and
restore photosynthetic plant material. Such
practices rejuvenate vigor of better plants and
may ultimately lead to range improvement
through long-term changes in species composi-
tion. Comparisons of continuous and rotational
grazing management done in the central Andes
provided evidence that animal productivity
was similar under the two schemes (Florez et
al., 1986b). Fencing to provide smaller pas-
tures to use in a rotational grazing scheme
would be too expensive for adaptation by most
producers in the Andes. However, close
herding of animals is typical, and planned
movement of livestock to and from designated
areas certainly is feasible. Such planned
grazing would maintain animal production and
help maintain desirable forage plants in the
vegetation communities.
Integrating native range with cultivated
pasture holds great promise for sheep produc-
ers because of increased animal productivity.
However, establishment of cultivated pasture
costs about $400 (U.S.) per hectare. Plant
species commonly used are Lolium perenne
(ryegrass), Trifolium spp. (clovers), Medicago
sativa (alfalfa) and Dactylis glomerata (or-
chardgrass). To reduce fertilization costs, many
cultivated pastures are mixtures of perennial
grasses and legumes.
Because of the high cost of establishing and
maintaining cultivated pastures in the Andes,
much of the research has emphasized using
cultivated pastures as a supplemental forage
source for animals grazing native range. Fierro
and Bryant (1989) recommended nutritional
supplementation for sheep in the southern
Altiplano. Moreover, Pfister et al. (1989)
found that improved nutrition immediately
before and after breeding in the central
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jas/article-abstract/67/11/3087/4697195 by Washington University, Law School Library user on 25 February 2019
Altiplano enhanced the number of lambs born
by 13% (Table 5). The largest production
increases in weaning weights and lamb gains
were noted in ewes given access to cultivated
pastures during the last trimester of gestation
and during the peak lactation period. The peak
lambing period in the central Andes is during
October, and the majority of wet season
precipitation falls from January to March, so
strategic use of cultivated pastures during the
transition period from the dry to the wet
season can improve productivity.
Sheep weight gains also can be increased
using cultivated pastures only for short,
1-h grazing periods each day (Jararnillo et al.,
1985; Figure 1). Such strategic grazing of
cultivated pastures is feasible because of the
close herding practiced by most producers.
Besides increasing weight gains, cultivated
pastures may be used to accelerate develop-
ment in ewe lambs. Florez (unpublished data)
decreased the age at first breeding by 6 mo in
ewe lambs and by 1 yr in alpaca females by
allowing them to graze cultivated pasture for 6
mo to 12 mo after weaning.
The potential for dramatic increases in
animal productivity was not demonstrated for
alpacas in Peru, except for fiber production or
in cases where low levels of technological
input were found. Cultivated pastures can be a
key component in such productive increases.
Peru has nearly a world monopoly on alpaca,
and 70 to 80% of alpacas are found in small
herds. Yet, most alpaca products come from
larger commercial herds (Jaramillo et al.,
1985). Currently defined high levels of techno-
logical input (Table 2) probably underestimate
the productive potential from well-managed
alpaca flocks. Camelids generally exhibit low
fertility, partially due to copulation-induced
ovulation and high embryonic mortality (War-
ren et al., 1968). However, effects of nutrition
have been documented (Reiner and Bryant,
1986; Reiner et al., 1987),and stress may be
responsible for some reproduction problems
(Astorga, 1981). Thus, use of cultivated
pasture has accelerated alpaca reproductive
development by a full year. Female alpacas
generally are bred at 2 yr of age because they
reach the proper weight for breeding (40 to 50
kg) only after the breeding season is over, but
females raised on cultivated pasture were
successfully bred at 13 mo of age when they
reached a target weight of 50 kg.
 SHEEP AND ALPACA PRODUCTIVITY IN PERU
Conclusions
L i v e s t o c k producers with small landhold-
ings in the A n d e s o f Peru h a v e several range
m a n a g e m e n t options to i m p r o v e animal pro-
ductivity. Proper stocking rates are essential to
p r o v i d e sustainable grazing o f native pastures,
especially with periodic droughts. A l t h o u g h
herd size m a y diminish, individual animal
productivity can i m p r o v e dramatically, and
production per unit o f land actually can
increase. Currently there are social constraints
that must be o v e r c o m e in order to reduce herd
n u m b e r s in accordance with e c o l o g i c a l reali-
ties.
Grazing m a n a g e m e n t can be i m p r o v e d
through planned m o v e m e n t o f livestock by
herders. Such m o v e m e n t need not be detrimen-
tal to animal production and will be o f benefit
to the forage base.
Integrating native range with cultivated
pasture s h o w s great e c o n o m i c p r o m i s e (Jara-
millo et al., 1985). Strategic grazing o f
cultivated pastures at times o f nutritional stress
or p h y s i o l o g i c a l d e m a n d can greatly increase
productivity. A l t h o u g h not generally feasible,
under s o m e circumstances f e m a l e animals can
be raised on cultivated pastures or placed there
after w e a n i n g to accelerate the onset o f puberty
and to facilitate breeding.
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