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05 Jul 2014
FEDIAF’s Rabbit Feeding Advice
Posted By : Guest Filed Under : Nutrition | Rabbits | Rabbit Food
Are you up to date with rabbit feeding requirements? The European Pet Food Industry Federation, also known as FEDIAF, publish animal feeding guidelines – so we’ve compiled a handy summary for you.



FEDIAF strives to ensure high standards for all pet food products manufactured and sold in Europe, through consideration of safety, nutrition and palatability.

Last year, the organisation teamed up with the UK-PFMA (Pet Food Manufacturing Association) and a panel of renowned experts, including Professor Anna Meredith , to produce new guidelines for responsible rabbit ownership and feeding.

So, here’s our run-down of the most important points:

Rabbits must have a high-fibre diet
  1. Fibre is needed to maintain gut movement and normal fermentation, prevent  GIT (gastrointestinal tract) stasis and help wear down teeth.
  2. Hay and grass are ideal sources of fibre for rabbits.
  3. Amounts of different fibres must be monitored, including fermentable fibre  (digestible); non-fermentable fibre (indigestible); neutral detergent fibre (hemicellulose, lignocellulose); and acid detergent fibre (cellulose and lignin).
  4. Full details and minimum requirements can be found in FEDIAF’s document.
Energy levels and food intake must be carefully maintained
  1. Rabbits obtain essential energy from food, but many become obese as a result of overfeeding.
  2. Monitoring is highly advised, including food intake, body weight and body condition scoring. The PFMA website features a useful rabbit size-o-meter .
  3. Recommended nutritional sources include ingredients such as soya beans (for protein) and linseed (for omega 3), which explains why they are included in many rabbit nugget recipes.
  4. To ensure the right balance of energy, a formula can be used: Maintenance energy = 100kcal ME x body weight (kg) to the power of 0.75
Issues to consider when advising owners
  • Rabbits should eat between 3% and 5% of their own body weight, each day.
  • Put fibre first – mainly hay.
  • Keep an eye on weight and food intake and note any major changes.
  • Don’t feed muesli to rabbits – in line with their campaign.

Please click here for the FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines for Feeding Pet Rabbits
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