Horse and donkey milk has been used successfully as an alter-native food for infants with food allergies, e.g., cows’ milk protein allergy (CMPA), a common food allergy in childhood with a prevalence of approximately 3% during the first 3 years of life.

Children with CMPA fed supplemented donkey milk showed significant increases in weight and other growth related parameters, but a case of growth impairment and nutritional deficiencies has been described in a five month old baby with CMPA underfed unmodified donkey milk. Although results from clinical studies on the nutritional adequacy of equid milk need to be confirmed, its use must be balanced in a varied diet, according to child growth and age.

Technologies of milking on donkeys dairy farm of "La Valledegli Asini" (the South of Italy) and a kumysny farm of Dibrovsky horse-breeding center No. 62 are considered. Twenty lactating jennets Martian-Franca breed and twenty lactating mares Novoaleksandrivskoy draft breed. Technologies of contents and milking of jennets are similar to technologies in horse breeding, the same loose housing group contents; the beginning of milking since the 2nd month of a lactation, the  morphological structure of an udder is similar, and from here and process of milking in two phases (tsisternalny and alveolar) at an interval of 2-3 hours. For the horse, the average length of gestation is 335-345 days while in donkeys it is 360-375 days or more. The estrous cycle of jennets ranges from 23-30 days, whereas the mare has a slightly shorter cycle of 21-25 days.  Donkeys tend to be more fertile than horses, having an average conception rate of 78 % while mares average 65 %. Considering biological features of jennets we can't receive every year a foal from her in difference from mares.

Horse and donkey milk production differs greatly from that of conventional dairy species, especially in terms of milk supply. The equid mammary gland has a low average capacity (max. 2.5 L in heavy-horse breeds) so that milking may be carried out 2 or 3 h after separation from the foal. Kinetics of milk ejection shows 2 peaks: the first represents the emission of the cisternal milk, while the second represents the emission of alveolar milk (75 - 85%) as natural response to oxytocin release during milking, which is often insufficient for complete milk removal from the udder of dairy equids.

For a maximum response of milk ejection in heavy-horse breeds the presence of the foal during milking is recommended. However, when foals are not physically present, the milking routine is more manageable in terms of both human and animal safety, and for optimal milk extraction, according to previous experience with donkeys. In addition, other optimised parameters of the mechanical equipment for horse milking also apply to donkey (42 - 45 kPa of vacuum level).

According to  the lactation curve in heavy-horse breeds gradually declines from approximately 13 kg a day to 5 kg a day, and the peak is reported to be within the 3rd month of lactation but more frequently it is considered to occur at the 2nd month of lactation. It is also estimated that light horses, such as the Murgese breed (average 480 kg body weight), produce approximately 14.0 kg milk per day, while for heavy horses, such as the Tiro Pesante Rapido (average 880 kg body weight), the daily yield is 22 kg milk at the peak of lactation. However, in light-horse breeds, such as Haflinger, dams in good body condition and machine milked twice a day produced 0.9 ± 0.25 L milk per milking during mid-late lactation.

The average milk yield per mechanical milking in non-pregnant Martina Franca donkeys (average body weight 280 kg) shows an initial decline from d30 to the 4th month of lactation with an estimated persistency of 85 - 90% per month. Subsequently, milk production stabilizes at 600 - 800 ml until the 9th month of lactation. This trend is confirmed by data on Ragusana population that show seasonal variation of milk yield, presumably due to foaling period.

 Jennets also, as well as mares, hold milk for foals on the first milking and send him to the subsequent milkings. Ratio of daily milk from the first milking to the second and third at mares 55,8 % and 55 %.  Ratio of daily milk from the first milking to the second and third at jennets 62 % and 56 %.The time of weaning for the level of the first milk yield had no influence. The coefficient of variability is greater in mares than in donkeys.

Jennets, are accustomed to give milk in the milking hall without foals dueto their calm nature.

The technology of keeping jennets and obtaining milk from them on the "La Valledegli Asini" dairy farm is similar to horse breeding technology, excluding the individual properties of animals, such as the gestation and the estrus.

Key words: technology, donkeys, mares, milking, udders.