Milk Composition Trial

A total of 36 rabbit does (9/diet) weighing 4.30 ± 0.05 kg and with an average litter size of 10.6 ± 0.1 rabbits were used to determine the milk composition of DM, ash, CP, fat, and fatty acids profile. Five days after the first parturition, the area of the proximal mammary glands was shaved, disinfected with ethanol, right after, 0.3 ml oxytocin (Oxiton, Laboratorios Ovejero, León, Spain) was injected i.v. in the ear, and at least 8 ml of milk was collected in sterile tubes (scrapping the first jets). Samples were freeze-dried and stored frozen to determine milk composition.