🦌 Moose cow
Also known as: female moose, elk (Europe), Alces alces
A female moose (moose cow); her milk is rare and very nourishing: 10.5 g of protein and 8.6 g of fat per 100 g (FAO). Moose cows are milked at Älgens Hus (“Moose House”) in Sweden.
The moose cow is a female moose, the largest member of the deer family. She feeds her calf milk, and this milk is extremely nourishing: according to FAO tables (2013), 100 g contains 10.5 g of protein, 8.6 g of fat and about 129 kcal. That is roughly three times the protein and 2.6 times the fat of cow's milk. Scientists describe its consistency as creamy.
Moose milk is low in lactose — on average 2.6 g per 100 g, almost half the amount in cow's milk, and in some samples only 0.6 g. That is why FAO suggests it could become a dairy product for people who tolerate lactose poorly. It contains about 280 mg of calcium per 100 g and more polyunsaturated fatty acids than cow's milk.
Moose are milked very rarely. The best-known place is Älgens Hus (“Moose House”) in Bjurholm, northern Sweden. A 2020 review mentions that about 300 kg of cheese was made there from the milk of three moose cows. According to journalists, the moose are milked only in summer, a few litres a day, and only tame animals used to people; a startled moose cow does not let her milk down straight away.
Why it matters to you. You won't find moose milk in an ordinary grocery store: it is a rare product of a handful of farms. Be wary of promises of “healing” moose milk: neither FAO nor other official sources confirm such properties — all that is known is that it is very nourishing and low in lactose.
How it connects to milk
🦌 Moose cow → gives → 🥛 Milk
Links
- What milk it gives
- 🥛 Moose milk
- What it gives
- 🥛 Milk
- Feeds with milk
- 🍼 Moose calf
- Belongs to
- 🔬 Mammal
- What it contains
- 🧪 Milk fat, 🦴 Calcium
- Where it is milked
- 🌍 Northern Europe
- Which peoples keep it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Swedes
- Part of
- 🦌 Cervids
- Similar and different
- 🦌 Reindeer
Frequently asked questions
Can a moose cow be milked?
Yes, but only a tame animal used to people. At Älgens Hus in Sweden, moose cows are milked in summer, a few litres a day.
How fatty is moose milk?
According to FAO, it has 8.6 g of fat and 10.5 g of protein per 100 g — 2.6 times the fat and three times the protein of cow's milk.
Is it true that moose milk cures diseases?
There is no evidence. FAO notes only its nutritional value and low lactose content; official sources do not confirm any healing properties.
Is moose milk suitable for people with lactose intolerance?
It contains on average 2.6 g of lactose per 100 g — almost half as much as cow's milk. FAO sees it as a possible alternative, but it is not lactose-free.
What is made from moose milk?
Mostly cheese: at Älgens Hus in Sweden about 300 kg of cheese was made from the milk of three moose cows.
What to read next
- 🍼 Moose calf — A moose calf is the young of a cow moose: born in May or June at 13 to 16 kg, it suckles at once and grows more than tenfold in five months.
- 🌍 Northern Europe — Scandinavia, Finland, Denmark and Iceland: a cold land of cows, Icelandic skyr, Norwegian brunost and Danish cheeses with protected names.
- 🔬 Mammal — The class of animals that feed their young with milk.
- 🧪 Milk fat — ~3.5% in cow's milk.
- 🦌 Reindeer — The reindeer is the domestic animal of the Sámi: its milk is very rich (≈ 16% fat, up to 21.5%), but milking has almost vanished.
Similar
🦌 Reindeer · 🐈 Cat · 🐋 Whale · 🦭 Seal · 🐴 Jenny · 🦔 Hedgehog
Sources
- FAO. Milk and dairy products in human nutrition (2013), Tables 3.3–3.4
- Faccia M. et al. Milk Products from Minor Dairy Species: A Review. Animals, 2020
- Gantner V. et al. Comparative analysis of milk composition of cervids and domesticated dairy species. Mljekarstvo, 2026
- Älgens Hus (Bjurholm, Sweden) — official site
- Culture: the word on cheese — Farm Animal: Moose (2020)