Role of the Veterinarian in technological transfer in three areas of Chile(1984-1994)

An analysis of the services provided by practitioner veterinarians to 57 sm all farmers of the Cachillahue, Cayurruca and Pindaco areas, Rio Bueno, was carried out. To achieve this, two documents were used. The first, correspo nds to the "Veterinarian Visit Report" for the 1991-1994 period, and the se cond one to the reports written by the veterinarian, on each visit, during the same period. The routine activities were gestation diagnosis and post p artum inspection. The results indicate that the practitioner palpated more cows than the farmer had and that the percentage of pregnancies and post de livery inspections were deficiently calculated. The professional remained i n contact with the small farmer for a very short period of time, around two seasons. The notes that the veterinarian made were disorderly and did not follow any pre-established model. Although the identification of animals is very rare ly done using earmarkers, the professional did not insist on the diffusion of this practice. Prescription of drugs was widespread; vaccines being the most popular (30.5%) together with antiparasitic treatment both of internal (29.1%) and external (16.4%) use. Prescriptions were incomplete, lacking a n important amount of components, thus making their comprehension difficult for the small farmer The veterinarian Visit was not totally efficient, since the time spent on t he farm was dedicated to solving punctual problems of the herd, leaving onl y a shea period of time for planning management strategies with the small f armer.