Milking management diagnosis identifies key hygiene and infrastructure risks in regional dairy production
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v20n4e1944Keywords:
Bovine mastitis, family farming, food safety, milking hygiene, raw milk qualityAbstract
Dairy farming is a cornerstone of rural development and food security in family agriculture; however, its economic viability depends heavily on milk quality, which is often compromised by inadequate milking hygiene and the high prevalence of bovine mastitis. This study aimed to evaluate milking management practices, including hygiene protocols, facility infrastructure, and herd health monitoring, on family-farming properties in the Southern Cone region of Rondônia, Brazil. Forty small- and medium-sized dairy farms were randomly selected for evaluation across six municipalities. Data were collected through technical visits using structured checklists based on Brazilian federal regulations, covering pre-milking procedures, facility infrastructure, milking practices, and post-milking management. Manual milking (65%) and natural calf-at-foot stimulation (82.5%) were the predominant practices in the region, whereas only 17.5% of farms used oxytocin to stimulate milk let-down. Significant sanitary deficiencies were identified: 85% of producers did not perform pre- or post-dipping disinfection, and 75% did not carry out strip cup tests for mastitis detection. Although 90% of milking areas were covered, 60% lacked impermeable flooring, resulting in the accumulation of organic matter. Furthermore, 60% of producers improperly reused milk from sick cows for animal feed instead of discarding it. While 92.5% correctly identified treated animals, 55% remained unaware of milk-borne zoonoses. These findings reveal a critical gap between traditional farming practices and the technical standards required, posing risks to food safety and the competitiveness of the regional dairy sector. Improving milk quality in this production system requires targeted technical assistance and low-cost structural adjustments to align family-based dairy farming with industrial safety standards.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Eduarda Carinta Coimbra Faria, Mariana Santos Vieira, Deise Renanda Campos Ferreira, Carla Ramos Oliveira, Louise Vilela Felippe, Aline Karolayne Ferreira Valim, Odair Antônio Barbizan, Matheus Nogueira
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