When selecting a feed for your rabbit, you need to review three main ingredients on the feed tags: protein, fiber and fat.

Protein is the source of growth and energy in the feed. Choose a diet too low in protein, and your rabbit will lack fleshing condition and vigor. Diets too high in protein can result in diarrhea or cause your pet to become too fat and flabby. Protein levels in rabbit feeds range from about 14 to 20 percent, depending on the type of feed. Rabbits kept outdoors in winter will need at least a 2-percent higher protein level than the same animals kept indoors in a heated area.

Buyers should beware of one pitfall in the analysis of protein on feed tags. Some feeds only state that protein is not less than a certain percentage (15 percent, for example). Such a tag does not tell you how high the protein level is. It may be 15 percent, or it may be 20 percent. Good-quality feeds will list a protein level and guarantee it to be within 1 to 2 percent of the tag analysis.

Fiber satisfies the bulk and forage requirements a rabbit must have in its diet to remain healthy and active. Fiber analysis on feed tags will vary from about 12 to 22 percent. Like the protein analysis, fiber analysis data can be deceptive. Some feed tags again will state fiber not more than 18 percent. The actual analysis may be 12 percent (which meets the requirements of "not more than" 18 percent).

Like protein, look for tags that guarantee the feed's fiber content to within 1 to 2 percent of the tag values. A diet too low in fiber can cause severe diarrhea as well as lack of appetite and increased chewing on foreign materials to satisfy fiber needs.

Fat content is the least important of the three analytical data sections. Fat contents in rabbit feeds do not show much variation. Fat is usually considered a conditioner of rabbits. It adds luster and gloss to the animal's appearance and helps retard constant shedding. The main pitfall to watch for on fat levels is that it doesn't exceed 3 percent.

Author(s): Tex Thomas, 1996 Rabbits

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