Management practices and occurrence of liver fluke (Fasciola spp.) on ruminant livestock in Tanudan, Kalinga

Liver fluke is a common endoparasite that occurs in ruminants. The study aimed to determine the management practices and prevalence of liver fluke (Fasciola spp.) on ruminant livestock in Tanudan, Kalinga. The descriptive and percentage methods were employed in the study to ascertain the management practices and demographic profile. SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the data. There are 46% of the raisers who are between the ages of 51 and 60, are married, mostly at the elementary level, and work in farming with an estimated yearly income of 21,000 to 30,000. The majority of respondents owned one carabao and one cattle and had been keeping ruminants for one to five years, primarily for additional income. 74% of the raisers did not participate in training related to animal production. Some grazed in rice fields, mountains, and even riverbanks, while the ruminant livestock producers used a tethering system. Half of the farmers’ housing is fair and good for their feeding practices, while the other half is rated as extremely poor for housing management. Occurrence of liver fluke (Fasciola spp.) is high, with ruminant livestock in Barangay Dupligan and Lower Taloctoc at 50 percent, while Barangay Pangol had 20 percent, Upper Taloctoc had 10 percent, and Mabaca had 0 percent. The presence of other endoparasites such as Trichostrongylus spp., Haemonchus spp., Ostertagia spp., Eimeria spp., Trichuris spp., and Paramphistomatidae spp. was evident. Very poor feeding practices were identified as the primary cause of occurrences of liver flukes based on correlation analysis.