Fiber percentage alone does not predict digestive success in rabbits. Rabbits depend on long strand, physically intact fiber to stimulate chewing, saliva production, and continuous gut movement. This structural demand is what keeps the digestive tract active and prevents slowdown.Finely ground meals, powdered fibers, or highly processed pellets may meet fiber targets on paper, but they shorten chewing time and reduce the physical push that keeps food moving through the gut. When structure is lost, digestion slows, fermentation becomes uneven, and stool output becomes less predictable.For rabbits, fiber structure determines how consistently the gut moves, how stable fermentation remains, and how reliably nutrients are absorbed. The shape and integrity of fiber matters as much as the number on the label.

Rabbit digestion is designed around steady intake and continuous movement, not rapid energy extraction. Calories and protein must be delivered within a framework that preserves gut motility rather than competing with it. When calorie dense ingredients, excess protein, or rapidly fermentable carbohydrates displace structural fiber, chewing demand drops and digestive flow slows. This creates conditions that increase digestive stress, disrupt cecal balance, and raise the risk of gastrointestinal stasis. A diet built around structural fiber allows protein and calories to be utilized gradually within a stable digestive system. In rabbits, nutritional success comes from supporting movement first, then meeting metabolic needs within that moving system.