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 semistructured
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