How is Donkey milk produced and is it done humanely?

We source our donkey's milk for our Hydrosil Turmeric Butter & Hypoallergenic Milk Salve from a Greek supplier who practices very gentle and humane treatment of the animals. They breed and live freely and are only brought in for milking which we understand can only be done by hand.

The background is that donkeys in Greece have declined from over 500,000 in 1955 to around 14,000 in 2008. The sad aspect of donkey's lives was that animals that serve no economic purpose or historically were used as pack animals or working animals, were treated unforgivably harshly. This was partly due to the impoverished nature of the owners and a general disregard for animal welfare. So donkey numbers had dropped by 97% due to dying off due to neglect.

But a few farms with around 20 donkeys milked them for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes. This business has grown and academic studies of donkeys in Greece show that these are quite probably the best cared for donkeys in the country with proper veterinary care and nutrition.