Thirteen documented milk-producing animals are cattle, water buffalo, goats, sheep, camels, yaks, horses, donkeys, reindeer, moose, musk oxen, llamas and alpacas. Cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels supply almost all milk traded or consumed worldwide, while the other species are important in particular landscapes and food traditions. The list is curated, not exhaustive: many mammals produce milk biologically, but only some are regularly milked or used as human food sources.
What it means for an animal to “produce milk”
All female mammals normally produce milk after giving birth so they can feed their young. That biological fact is broader than the dairy question most readers are asking. A species can lactate without being a practical or customary source of milk for people. Size, temperament, access to the animal, local traditions, climate, feed, water and market demand all determine whether people actually milk it.
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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) identifies cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels as the main global dairy species. It also documents less common sources including yaks, horses, reindeer and donkeys, plus milk from moose, musk ox, llamas and alpacas. “The presence and importance of each species varies significantly among regions and countries,” FAO notes.
The major species in world milk production
| Animal | Share of world milk production reported by FAO |
|---|---|
| Cattle | 81 percent |
| Water buffaloes | 15 percent |
| Goats | 2 percent |
| Sheep | 1 percent |
| Camels | 0.4 percent |
These percentages appear on FAO’s overview without a reference year beside the figures in the retrieved text. They show the relative dominance of the five major species, not the value of the less common animals to the communities that keep them.
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13 animals that produce milk
1. Cattle (cows)
Cattle are the world’s dominant dairy animals and the source of most familiar fluid milk, butter, cream and cheese. Dairy cattle are managed in systems ranging from small household herds to large commercial farms. Their importance reflects a combination of substantial milk volume, established milking technology, widespread breeding programs and reliable markets.
Cattle are adaptable, but production still depends on feed, water, climate, breed and stage of lactation. A cow’s milk is not chemically identical from one animal or farm to another, so a species average should not be treated as a guarantee for every glass.
2. Water buffalo
Water buffaloes are the second-largest contributor to global milk production. FAO associates them particularly with wet tropical regions, where their tolerance for hot, humid conditions and ability to use available forage can fit local farming systems. Buffalo milk is notably rich in fat—on average about twice the fat content of cow milk—making it valuable for concentrated dairy products.
Buffalo milk is used for drinking and for products such as rich cheeses, butter and other processed foods. High fat does not make it automatically healthier or safer; it is a compositional characteristic that affects texture, yield and processing.
3. Goats
Goats provide milk in many smallholder systems and are especially useful where land is rocky, soils are poor or households cannot maintain large cattle. FAO links their dairy importance with parts of Africa and other regions where goats can browse plants that larger livestock cannot easily use.
Goat milk is broadly similar in composition to cow milk, although the exact profile varies with breed, diet, age and lactation stage. It is consumed fresh and made into cheeses and fermented products. Individual tolerance differs, and compositional similarity does not establish that goat milk is suitable for a particular medical or dietary need.
4. Sheep
Sheep milk is strongly associated with semi-arid Mediterranean regions and with pastoral and mixed farming traditions. Ewes generally produce less fluid milk than dairy cows, but their milk is comparatively rich in fat and protein. That concentration makes it particularly suited to cheeses and cultured products.
Many well-known regional cheeses begin with sheep milk, but the milk can also be consumed in other forms. Breed, feed, season and the number of births an ewe has had can all change its composition, so “sheep milk” describes a category rather than one fixed formula.
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5. Camels
Camels are important dairy animals in arid and semi-arid lands, where they can travel long distances for forage and cope with heat and limited water better than many other livestock species. Both dromedary camels and Bactrian camels are documented in FAO’s species inventory.
People use camel milk fresh and in fermented products. Supply can be seasonal and closely tied to grazing conditions and herd mobility. Camel milk’s composition differs among breeds, environments and stages of lactation, so figures from one camel population should not be generalized to all camel milk.
6. Yak
Yaks support dairy livelihoods in high mountain areas, including environments where cattle may struggle with altitude, cold and sparse pasture. Their milk can be processed into butter, cheese and fermented products, helping households preserve calories and value when transport to markets is difficult.
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FAO describes yak milk as high in total solids, fat and protein. Those traits are useful for making dense, storable foods, but the actual composition changes with breed, feed, season, altitude and management.
7. Horse (mare)
Mare’s milk has a long history in Central Asian steppe cultures, where horse keeping and seasonal movement shaped food traditions. It is commonly associated with fermented beverages rather than the thick cream or cheese familiar from cow, buffalo or sheep dairying.
FAO groups horse and donkey milks together as relatively low in fat and protein compared with many other dairy milks. That broad comparison does not describe every mare, and it is not a recommendation to use mare’s milk for infants or as a treatment for any condition.
8. Donkey
Donkeys are milked in some regions on a small scale. Their milk is compositionally similar to mare’s milk and likewise relatively low in fat and protein. Production is usually limited by the animal’s size, the modest amount available per milking and the labor required to handle a small, protective dam and foal.
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9. Reindeer
Reindeer milk comes from herding and subsistence traditions in northern environments. Reindeer are valuable for transport, meat and hides as well as milk, so milking is part of a broader relationship with the herd rather than a single-purpose dairy operation.
Access, season and the need to keep enough milk for a calf limit production. Reindeer dairy use is therefore much less widespread than cow, goat or sheep dairying, even though it is an established practice in some northern communities.
10. Moose
Moose milk is documented as a human food source but remains highly specialized. A small number of managed operations have milked moose, generally for local or niche use rather than a large commercial supply.
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Moose are large wild animals with demanding handling and seasonal reproduction, which makes routine dairying difficult. Their inclusion on a list of milk-producing animals recognizes documented use, not a claim that moose milk is widely available.
11. Musk ox
Musk oxen live in cold Arctic and sub-Arctic environments. FAO’s human-nutrition material includes musk ox among the minor dairy species, reflecting documented use in northern settings.
Milking a musk ox is uncommon and logistically demanding. Herd management, animal behavior, climate and the short seasonal window all constrain production. The species is therefore culturally and regionally significant without being a major contributor to world milk volume.
12. Llama
Llamas are South American camelids traditionally valued for carrying loads, fiber and meat. FAO documents llama milk among lesser-known animal milks, although it is not a mainstream commercial dairy source.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchSmall-scale use depends on local husbandry and whether milk is needed for the young. As with other minor species, published data are less extensive than for cattle, buffaloes, goats or sheep, so detailed numerical comparisons should be treated cautiously.
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13. Alpaca
Alpacas are best known for their fiber, yet FAO also lists them as a documented milk-producing species. Any dairy use is generally local and secondary to fiber production.
Milk availability is constrained by the animal’s size, lactation pattern and the priority of feeding its offspring. The existence of alpaca milk in a nutrition inventory does not mean it is commonly sold or routinely available to consumers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why different regions keep different dairy animals
Dairy species are matched to landscapes and household needs rather than selected by a single global ranking. FAO associates:
- sheep with semi-arid Mediterranean regions;
- goats with poor soils in parts of Africa;
- horses with Central Asian steppes;
- camels with arid lands;
- buffaloes with wet tropical regions; and
- yaks with high mountain areas.
Feed and water availability, climate, disease pressure, market access, cultural food preferences and household economics all influence the choice. A species that contributes little to global tonnage can be indispensable where it is the animal best adapted to local conditions.
How milk differs among species
Milk composition varies within every species. Breed, age, diet, lactation stage, number of births, farming system, environment and season can all alter fat, protein, lactose, minerals and total solids. Comparisons between species are therefore broad tendencies, not fixed specifications.
- Buffalo: especially high fat, which supports rich dairy products.
- Sheep: generally higher in fat and protein than cow and goat milk.
- Goat: broadly similar to cow milk in composition.
- Yak: high total solids, fat and protein.
- Horse and donkey: similar to each other and relatively low in fat and protein.
Processing traditions reflect these differences. Sheep milk is often directed to cheese; buffalo milk can produce rich, high-yield products; yak milk is made into butter, cheese and fermented foods; and equine milk is associated with fermentation. None of these compositional patterns, by themselves, establish a health benefit, allergy treatment or infant-feeding recommendation.
Are all 13 milks suitable for people?
“Suitable for human consumption” depends on more than whether an animal lactates. The milk must be collected hygienically, handled safely and used in a context where local regulations and food traditions permit it. Minor dairy species have received less research attention than common species, so detailed nutrient data may be limited or historical.
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Is this list exhaustive?
No. FAO’s 2013 composition chart names 15 species, including mithun in addition to several animals listed above. The broader FAO nutrition material also documents milk from species such as mithun. This article selects 13 recognizable examples to answer the question directly; it is not a complete catalog of every mammal that can lactate or every animal ever used for dairy.
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