VIABILIDADE ECON MICA DA TERCEIRA ORDENHA EM SISTEMAS DE PRODU O DE LEITE COM ORDENHA MANUAL

This study aimed to analyze the economic viability of the third milking in milk production systems using hand milking, aiming to provide information to technicians and farmers to help in the decision-making process. Specifically, we intended a) to estimate the cost of a milking; (b) to estimate, by means of simulation, the cost of the third milking using hired or family labor; (c) to develop a mathematical equation that allows estimating the minimum amount of milk produced in two milkings, from which it will be economically feasible to carry out the third milking. The data were collected in three milk production systems from November 2010 to March 2011, in a routine of two milkings per day, with three collections of data in each one, totaling nine. Considering the average data, it would be feasible to hold the third milking if the productivity of daily average lactating cows would be equal or greater than 157.75 and 9.20kg of milk, with hired or family labor, respectively. The mathematical equation developed may help the technician and the farmer to estimate quickly and precisely the minimum quantity of milk produced by a cow in two milkings, from which it will be economically feasible to keep the third milking.