Technical note: attempts to harmonize chemical analyses of feeds and faeces, for rabbit feed evaluation

Abstract

The aim of this document is to describe harmonized procedures of some basic chemical analyses useful for rabbit compound feeds and faecesthat have been approved within the six teams forming the EGRAN group. For each criterion (dry matter, ash, energy, nitrogen, fat, fibre), we report a brief definition, its main interest, and some general references used in animal research (ISO or AOAC standards). We also report the principle of the analytical determination, a brief description of the practical procedures, some suggestions, the among laboratory variability recently measured in a collaborative study on digestibility of feeds for growing rabbit, and the recommended level of tolerance.