Influence of Animal Health, Breed, and Diet on Non cow Milk Composition
Abstract Non cow milk is the predominant source of nourishing food in many parts of the world. In this review, the importance of the milk and its characteristics and animal udder health, the major factor that affects milk quality, are considered in major non cow milk producing species: buffaloes, yaks, camels, donkeys, sheep, and goats. Each of these species has a unique milk composition that provides exceptional opportunities to exploit for human benefits. Buffaloes, camels, and yaks produce milk in extreme environments. Buffalo milk is used to produce dairy products with unique characteristics, camel milk for producing medicinal food, and donkey milk for producing hypo allergic milk for infants. Qualitatively, the same factors that affect milk composition are common to all species. The effects of subclinical mastitis on milk composition are considered in detail since it is a major factor affecting milk quality. However, because the immune system is species specific, we stress the need to increase knowledge of the factors affecting milk quality in non cow species.