The dairy donkey farming in Italy

In the last few years, the breeding of donkeys for the production of milk has created a lot of interest. This product is of growing relevance and scientific interest in Europe, where it is used for different purposes. It is proven that it can be a useful substitute foodstuff for children affected by cow's milk protein allergy or multiple food intolerance (Monti et al., 2007; Monti et al., 2012). In addition, ongoing research at the Italian National Council (CNR) is aimed at investigate other potential uses and benefits in infant nutrition, with particular regard to preterm infant nutrition. These potential uses of donkey milk have caused a positive trend in donkey population, with an increase of the number of animals bred in Italy. The situation of the milk breeding farms in Piemonte, Italy is presented and the actions to protect the animal welfare conducted by the Department of Veterinary Science of the University of Torino, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale and CNR are explained.