Is there such a thing as "too much fibre"?

[nicolevins]

I remember someone on the forum saying that X amount of fibre is ideal but, X is too much.

I was browsing the internet and I saw someone said they feed their rabbits 22% fibre (as far as I know, it was crude fibre)

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

You'll get varying opinions here.

Many people, especially in more recent years, are really pushing fiber. Those who feed diets containing small amount of timothy pellets, unlimited amounts of timothy hay, and salads are feeding lots of fiber. Or sometimes no pellets, but just hay and salad.

The older (although still continuing) diets generally include alfalfa pellets as a large portion of the diet, and a daily ration of timothy hay (varying from person to person). This diet includes more equal amounts of protein and fiber, but still pushes more fiber than protein.

Then there is the oldest diet which is exclusively alfalfa pellets. Most people do not use this anymore, though some still do. This diet includes equal amounts of protein and fiber, usually.

I prefer option #2 in the middle paragraph. I feel that this diet provides enough protein and fat for the rabbit to be in good flesh and fur condition and good weight, but also provides enough fiber to maintain a healthy digestive system.

In my opinion, option #1 includes too much fiber and not enough protein and fat, and option #3 includes too much fat and protein and not enough fiber.

I know that doesn't help much with exact fiber percentages, but I tend to think that the balance of protein and fiber is what's important, and it tends to be that the diet you choose is what helps to balance that. The rabbit's condition is usually all-telling. A rabbit who has coarse, dull fur or is molty all the time is indicating a bad diet. A rabbit who has softer, vibrant, shiny fur that molts once or twice a year is indicating a better diet.

 

[Flash Gordon]

i wanted to bump this and see if anybody else has any thoughts on it...if a bun was fed alot of fiber and very little protein ..what kind of probs could it cause a bunny down the road?.

 

[tamsin]

Different rabbits need different balances, a growing baby/breeding rabbit need more protein than a middle aged neutered rabbit. If you are feeding an average pet rabbit their natural diet - grass (or hay) plus a selection of other plants (or veg) you are unlikely to OD on fibre because you are feeding exactly what their bodies were developed to work with.

The only time an issue would arise is if you feed poor quality hay (old n brown) as that will have lost the nutrients to go along with the fibre or you don't feed a good select of plants with the hay to provide other nutrients.

The issue isn't so much too much fibre (excess fibre is just poopeed out) as not enough everything else.

To give you an idea, grass is around 25-35% fibre and 8-14% protein (it varies on type of grass & time of year).

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Flash Gordon wrote:

i wanted to bump this and see if anybody else has any thoughts on it...if a bun was fed alot of fiber and very little protein ..what kind of probs could it cause a bunny down the road?.

The effects of a diet with too little protein depends on the age of the rabbit, the environment, and the purpose of the rabbit.

In general, a younger rabbit's growth and development will be significantly delayed if they don't recieve enough protein. An adult rabbit may already be grown and properly developed, but needs correct amounts of protein to maintain normal body function. Too little protein may cause the fur to fall out. They have to eat a LOT of hay to try and make up the same amount of protein they'd get from pellets or another source, so the rabbit often becomes pot-bellied or gets a "hay-belly". Senior rabbits will lose weight quickly if they don't get enough protein and can have similar problems with fur loss.

Those are the most common problems (slower or lack of growth and development, fur loss, pot belly). Obviously a severe lack of nutrition can cause illness and death as well. In breeding rabbits or rabbits that live outside, a lack of protein can have more drastic effects since they require a higher level of protein to nurse their kits or generate body heat, depending on what their situation is. So their protein balance may be slightly more fragile than a house rabbit.

The best diet has a balance of fiber and protein. Opinions vary on percentages, but like I mentioned before, I have found the best results when I used a diet that was about equal in both, but with a slightly higher emphasis on fiber because of digestive health. I do this by feeding pellets that are about 2-3% higher in fiber than protein, plus supplementing with a handful of hay.

 

[golfdiva]

A rabbit who has coarse, dull fur or is molty all the time is indicating a bad diet

I wouldn't say Hershey's fur is excessively dull or coarse, but he sure seems to molt a lot! Does this mean he needs more protein?

He gets unlimited pellets, which are 16% protein and fiber. He eats very little hay. His favorite thing is to eat tons of leafy greens. He prefers the greens over pellets even.

Should I switch to a higher protein pellet?

 

[tamsin]

How old is Hershey? In an adult I would limit the pellets to encourage hay eating. I definitely wouldn't switch to higher, 16% is already on the high side (what your feed a growing baby).

Does he live indoors? Indoor rabbits moult more because the 'weather' isn't very natural. As long as his fur is in good condition in between that's normal.

 

[golfdiva]

Hershey just turned 3 years old. He is an indoor rabbit in the winter, but in good weather he has a pet door to an outside run.

He really doesn't eat too much pellets even though he always has them available. He much prefers his veggies! I just changed his letter box and as I'm typing that he doesn 't like hay, he is sitting next to me chewing on his hay! lol!

Thanks for the reply. I will keep him on his normal diet and just keep offering hay. Maybe he will get used to it and start eating more!

 

[pamnock]

Feeding excess roughage can result in nutritional deficiencies. A "balanced" diet is the key!

 

[MikeGrahamT21]

I read somewhere the other week when I was researching Rabbit Diets, that a rabbit can survive solely on hay and water for 2 weeks, I know that is an absolute extreme, but just goes to show.