Caracterización del manejo en el ordeño de sistemas doble propósito del distrito de Los Santos

Abstract

The aim of the study was to characterize the milking management in dual-purpose farms in the district of Los Santos. Information from a probabilistic sample of 46 producers was gathered through semi-structured interviews and direct observation, during the period from March to June 2014. The information comprised socio-economic aspects, characteristics of farms and milking management. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results show that 72% of farmers do not wash the udder of the cow at milking time. Most support their cows with calves, while 7% used injection (oxytocin) for support. 89% dry the udder at milking time, but with inappropriate practices such as drying of the teats with the cow's tail. The infrastructure for milking consists of a galley with floor for 35% of producers, a galley without floor for 33% of them, and 33% milked in the corral. 80% sanitize utensils used after milking (sewers, jugs, buckets, liners and wipes). 96% clean the jugs of milk every day. 35% reported having mastitis problems, mainly related to mechanized milking. We conclude that the producers showed inadequate management practices in both udder hygiene and the type of infrastructure, a situation that could compromise product quality and productivity of the herd.