Buyer protection
Contents
The 2017 guide recommends, among other things, starting milking 20 to 90 days after the foal is born and not extending lactation beyond 270 days.
We report what the source states and evaluate it critically. Donkey milk is a food.
The source in brief
- Author: The Donkey Sanctuary (Great Britain) and Università degli Studi di Milano; Francesca Dai, Emanuela Dalla Costa, Michela Minero, Faith Burden, Andrew Judge
- Work: Dairy donkeys: Good animal management practices for donkey milk production
- Pages: p. 2 (Disclaimer), p. 6 (Purpose, Stakeholder Platform), p. 14 (Weaning), p. 37 (Breeding), pp. 58–60 (Milking Management)
- Time and place: 2017 · Great Britain / Italy
- Type of source: Practical guide (NGO/University)
Verbatim
Milking should start from 20 to 90 days after foaling in order to support the neonatal growth of the foal
Milking should start 20 to 90 days after foaling to support the growth of the newborn foal.
English, 2017 guide, p. 60
This document is not legally binding. Should a conflict occur, current acting legislation always has priority.
This document is not legally binding. In the event of a conflict, current law always takes precedence.
English, 2017 guide, p. 2
German version: free, faithful translation by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team.
Background
The Donkey Sanctuary is a British foundation founded in 1969 that works with donkeys and mules worldwide. Together with the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Milan, it developed a project from 2015 to 2017 on keeping donkeys for milk production.
According to the project website, literature was reviewed, farms were surveyed, and 257 donkeys on twelve farms were assessed using animal-related indicators. The guide was published in December 2017.
What the source reports
The guide is divided into feeding and water (pp. 10–22), housing and handling (pp. 23–36), breeding (pp. 37–39), veterinary care (pp. 40–54), behavior (pp. 55–57), and milking procedures (pp. 58–63). It expressly presents itself as a non-legally binding recommendation.
Regarding milking, it recommends starting 20 to 90 days after foaling so that the foal is cared for during its first weeks. Milking twice a day with eight hours between milkings yields the greatest daily milk volume; lactation should not last longer than 270 days, followed by a dry period.
For weaning the foals, the guide recommends an age of four to six months, and for the first breeding of a donkey, a minimum age of 30 months.
Numbers and facts
- 20–90 days – after foaling: recommended start of milking
- 2 × daily – milking with 8 hours between
- 270 days – recommended maximum duration of lactation
- 4–6 months – recommended weaning age for foals
- 30 months – minimum age of the donkey at first breeding
- 29 – professionals on the Stakeholder Platform
Critical evaluation
- Type of source: Practical guide by a foundation and a university. The recommendations are based on literature, farm surveys, and expert consultation; they are not legally binding.
- Data basis: The farm survey included twelve farms in Italy. Transferability to other countries, breeds, and housing systems is limited.
- Significance: The guide describes housing and milking management, not the properties of the milk for consumers.
- Importance: It is a freely available, systematically developed recommendation specifically for keeping donkeys for milk production.
Our evaluation
The guide shows what questions arise in donkey milk production: foal care, milking rhythm, lactation duration. We present it as a guide, not as a description of a specific farm.
Original quotes, all facts, and the complete evaluation: 2017 guide: Keeping dairy donkeys. Further sources and studies in the research archive.
Proof: Guide as PDF (The Donkey Sanctuary) · Summarized by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team, as of November 2026.
End of source summary. The source does not refer to DON DONKEY'S® or our products. Our donkey milk is a food.
