Analysis of miRNAs in milk of four livestock species

Milk samples were collected from herds of several Italian regions throughout the entire year for B. bubalis, C. hircus, E. asinus, and O. aries. In detail, individual milk samples (150 ml) for each species were taken from 5 herds for B. bubalis, 4 farms for C. hircus, 2 farms for E. asinus, and 6 farms for O. aries.
Specifically, individual milk samples (about 150 ml) for each dairy species were collected from 5 farms for B. bubalis (ranging from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 28 buffaloes per farm), 4 farms for C. hircus (ranging from a minimum of 27 to a maximum of 48 goats per farm), 2 farms for E. asinus (ranging from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 28 donkeys per farm) and 6 farms for O. aries (ranging from a minimum of 27 to a maximum of 50 sheep per farm).