The Five Step Feeding Plan – The beating heart of our Excel range

We recognize the importance of providing optimal care for small herbivores, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. As dedicated partners in promoting the health and well-being of these adorable companions, we have designed the Burgess Excel Five-Step Feeding Plan. This comprehensive plan is designed to ensure the vitality, longevity, and happiness of these beloved companions.

Understanding the digestive system of small herbivores

Before we delve into the specifics of the Five-Step Feeding Plan, it's essential to grasp the unique digestive system of rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. These animals are herbivores, but we at Burgess like to call them “fibrevores” as fibre is probably the most important part of their nutrition. Specifically they need two types of fibre to keep their gut moving: Digestible and Indigestible fibre. Digestible fibre is moved up into an organ called the caecum – which is like a giant appendix. Good bacteria in the caecum ferment the fibre, making it easy to digest. This emerges in the form of clumps of sticky droppings – we call these droppings caecotrophs. The animal then re-eats the caecotrophs directly from their bottom and the essential nutrients are then absorbed when the digestible fibre passes through for the second time. Indigestible fibre is moved through their digestive system and excreted as separate, round, hard droppings. This type of fibre keeps the digestive system moving and appetites stimulated.

Beneficial fibre – A measure for balanced nutrition in small animal foods

At Burgess we call the mix of those two types of fibre “beneficial fibre” and you can find this on every Burgess Excel product. Crude fibre levels have to be reported on pack but are not the best representation of the nutritional needs of small herbivores as they don’t capture all the fibre they need and are therefore not a great measure for the quality of a product.

The Five-Step Feeding Plan

Our Excel Feeding Plan has been designed by nutritional experts and is recommended together with our Excel range by 92% of vets in the UK. Let's have a look at each step of our feeding plan and why it is so important for small herbivores. 

Step 1: High-quality feeding hay or fresh grass

High-fibre hay is the cornerstone of your small herbivore's diet and should be 85-90% of their daily food intake. It promotes dental health, keeps the digestive system running smoothly, and promotes emotional health. Ensure a constant supply of quality hay, such as Burgess Excel Long Stem Feeding Hay. Provided in hay racks, near their litter box and around their enclosure will keep small animals happy and healthy.

Step 2: Nuggets for nutritional balance

Supplement the hay with Burgess Excel Nuggets, specially formulated to provide balanced nutrition for rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas. These nuggets contain essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, and are high in essential fibre to ensure that small animals receive a well-rounded diet. At Burgess, we offer many nugget options for different life stages of rabbits, indoor- as well as outdoor living rabbits and guinea pigs and different flavours to cater for all needs of small animals.

Step 3: Suitable fresh greens

A hand full of fresh, washed, leafy greens provides additional nutrients and mental enrichment in their diet. Start with small portions and gradually increase to not upset their sensitive digestive system. More information on suitable greens, vegetables and fruits can be found on our pet care advice page.

Step 4: Healthy treats

An occasional healthy treat can build a strong relationship between owners and their pets and can provide emotional enrichment. At Burgess, we offer different hay- or grass-based treats with no added sugar that can be handfed or sprinkled over hay to encourage natural foraging behaviour.

Step 5: A constant supply of fresh water

Keeping small animals hydrated is really important to keep them happy and healthy. Water should be available at all times in suitable water bottles and/or water bowls and changed daily.

Promoting the Excel Feeding Plan worldwide

As distributors and resellers, you play a vital role in spreading awareness about providing the correct diet for small animals across the globe. As small animal experts yourself, you can support retailers and owners to provide the best diets for small animals in your market to help them live happier and longer lives. Here are some strategies to effectively promote the plan in different countries:

• Collaborate with vets or vet groups: Building a network of veterinary professionals is a great way of building trust in you and the brands you represent as well as having access to information about small animal health and their welfare needs. To build a network of vets, we recommend offering free materials like posters for vet clinics around small animal welfare, which are available on our Burgess Excel marketing resources.
• Support small animal welfare campaigns: At Burgess Excel, small animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do! This is why we organise campaigns which can be easily shared on social media as well as offering free educational material for instant downloads on our websites. The campaigns we currently run annually are Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW), which runs usually in June and Guinea Pig Awareness Week (GPAW) which runs usually in September. Look out for our emails including download packs and instructions on how you can get involved.

• Digital marketing: Leverage social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to create informative videos and infographics about the feeding plan. You can utilize our in-house export marketing team and graphic designer to support you with individual content.

• The Feeding Plan as a USP: Our Excel Feeding Plan is a crucial part of what makes Burgess Excel products so special. Compared to other small animal products on the market, we know that small animals need these five elements in their diet for complete and balanced nutrition. Especially if you are offering Hay, Nuggets and treats in your portfolio, the Excel Feeding Plan is a great way to increase small animal welfare and your category as a whole at the same time. Statistics from wholesalers in the UK have shown, that by introducing Excel products with the Excel feeding plan, basket spend has increased significantly, which is good for business and an indicator that owners are providing the correct diet for their small animals.

By effectively promoting the Burgess Excel Five-Step Feeding Plan, not only do you contribute to the well-being of small herbivores but also establish yourself as a reliable source of pet care knowledge and products in your region.

Send us an email if you want to know more about the Excel Feeding Plan and how you can promote this in your specific market. We offer bespoke marketing material as well as training about our products and small animal nutrition to our global partners