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This literature review focuses on the milk yield and milk composition of rabbits and the non-nutritional factors affecting both quantity and quality. Actual highly efficient hybrid does have an average daily milk yield of 250 g or 60 g/kg of live weight during the 4-weeks lactation period. However, compared with cow and sow milk, rabbit's milk is much more concentrated in fat (12.9 g/100 g), protein (12.3 g/100 g) and energy (8.4 MJ/kg) which explains the extremely rapid growth of the young (weight × 6 after 3 weeks). Characteristic of rabbit milk is also the nearly absence of lactose (<2 g/100 g). At peak lactation, protein output per kg metabolic weight (13.4 g/day/kg 0.75 ) exceeds even those of Holstein milk cows. The non-nutritional factors having the largest impact on the milk yield are the number of suckling kits, the parity order (primiparous vs. multiparous) and the gestation overlapping degree (rapid decline after 17-20 days of gestation). However, also through the reduction of feed intake, heat stress has a detrimental impact especially when the night temperature remains above 25°C. Rabbit milk lipids are highly saturated (70.4% SFA) due to the high content of C 8:0 -C 12:0 (50% of total FA) and further characterised by nearly equal quantities of oleic and linoleic acid and an w-6/w-3 ratio around 4. Finally some data about the amino acid, milk proteins including the immmunoglobulins, mineral and vitamin composition are presented.

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These results suggest that jump training can increase muscle capabilities of strength and stiffness in fast-twitch mixed muscles with pennate architecture (EDL, RF). This increase is essentially mediated by a rise in cross-linked collagen fraction, coupled with a relative decrease in soluble collagen. The collagen covalent cross-links improve resistance and stability in force transmission processes during stretching.

This chapter considers the health troubles (mainly digestive) linked to the balance of dietary components and the presence of nutrients in excess, mainly in relation to the initial composition of feed ingredients. The feeding strategies, particularly the control of feed intake for the young rabbit to reduce post-weaning digestive troubles, is discussed. The health consequences of non-nutritional components that are frequently associated with feed ingredients, such as mycotoxins, are also presented. Emphasis is also given to water quality, since water is also able to induce nutritional disorders when certain soluble components are too concentrated.