Background. The aim of the study was to compare the chemical composition, physicochemical properties and microbiological quality of milk from three animal species. The experimental  material was raw cow’s, goat’s and donkey’s milk. The basic chemical composition was analyzed (total protein, casein, whey protein, fat, lactose, dry matter, ash content). In addition, the profile  of fatty acids and the content of mineral compounds, as well as the microbiological quality of each type of milk were determined.
Results and conclusion. Donkey’s milk was characterized by the highest content of lactose (7.30 %), a low concentration of total protein (1.63 %) – with a high share of whey proteins (0.56 %) and the lowest fat content among the examined types of milk (0.38 %) – with the highest content of linoleic acids (6.95 %) and linolenic acids (9.38 %). Significant differences in the  microbiological quality of donkey’s milk were found, with the lowest total number of microorganisms (3.53 log cfu/cm³), psychrotrophic bacteria (2.26 log cfu/cm³) and coliform bacteria (1.97 log cfu/cm³). The results obtained in this study exhibit significant differences between donkey’s milk and cow’s and goat’s milk. Moreover, donkey’s milk could be an alternative for children  suffering from allergies to cow’s milk protein, as well as a raw material for the production of new types of fermented beverages.