A survey was performed on milk production costs of three farms which supply milk for the same milk processing line, on the fluminense mountain region and Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, in the year of 2002: Capril Pedra Branca (CPB), Capril Vale da Braúna (CVB) and Capril Via Capri (CVC). The Capril Pedra Branca and Capril Vale da Braúna represented confining production systems whereas Capril Pedra Branca bought all the feed while Capril Vale da Braúna produced part of the forage on the farm. In the Capril Via Capri animals were kept on pasture during the day, but received feed supplementation at evening. Technical indexes obtained of those farms were compared and used to identify which components caused more influence on the total costs of the production activity. Herd feeding was the most important item on the productive systems, varying between 60 and 70 percent of the total cost. The production system of Capril Vale da Braúna showed the best profitability because of their own forage production that decreased the costs with feeding, and supplied the nutrients necessary according to the production levels of the animals.
costs; goat; intensive; milk; pasture
