dairy farming is a branch of animal husbandry whereby dairy animals are raised for their milk. the cow is mainly used throughout the world to produce milk and milk products for human consumption. other animals used to a lesser extent for this purpose include sheep, goats, camels, buffaloes, yaks, reindeer, horses and donkeys. in the past, cows were kept in small herds on family farms, grazing pastures and fed hay in winter, nowadays they are kept in larger herds, more intensive systems and the feeding of silage.