Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Mini Breed Formula Dry Dog Food, 5.5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Mini Breed Formula is a dry food built around chicken, formulated for mini breed dogs.
This formula offers good protein quality from chicken, providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like chicken fat and herring oil, which is a marine oil rich in EPA and DHA. The addition of dried whole eggs and herring further boosts the protein diversity and bioavailability.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for mini breed dogs. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating weight management. Working in its favor: L-carnitine listed (supports fat metabolism). Caloric density is not declared. The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 71/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. The supporting beat: fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (18.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest carb quality in Farmina's lineup (11/16)
- Top quartile for DMB protein in grain-free dry kibbles (37.4%)
- Bottom 1% for crude fiber in grain-free dry kibbles (2.9% DMB)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken & Ancestral Low-Grain Mini Breed Formula Dry Dog Food, 5.5-lb bag
Scores 8 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Farmina N&D Tropical Selection Chicken Adult Medium & Maxi Dry Dog Food, 22 -lb bag
$3.00/lb vs your seed's $7.09/lb (58% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2dehydrated chicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 4pea starch
Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6pork fat
Real animal fat from a named species. Clean energy source.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7dehydrated pork
Real meat. Dense protein and fat, though less common in dog food than chicken or beef.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 9dried whole eggs
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 10herring
Whole fish, naturally high in omega-3s and very digestible protein. Common in premium formulas.
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11dehydrated herring
Whole fish, naturally high in omega-3s and very digestible protein. Common in premium formulas.
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12herring oil
Concentrated omega-3 from herring. Same role as salmon oil, skin and coat support.
Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 13fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
Position 13. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 14dried carrot
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants. Same as carrots, sometimes singular on labels.
- 15suncured alfalfa meal
Sun-dried alfalfa, preserving more of the natural vitamins than heat-dried versions.
- 16fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
- 17fructooligosaccharide
Prebiotic fiber, often abbreviated FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
- 18dried pomegranate
Antioxidants, real. Like other fruit additions, the dose in kibble is mostly cosmetic.
- 19dried apple
Whole apple with the moisture removed. Real fruit, fiber, modest nutrition contribution.
- 20dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 21psyllium seed husk
Soluble fiber. Supports stool quality. The same fiber humans use for digestive regularity.
- 22dried sweet orange
- 23dried blueberry
- 24mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 25brewers dried yeast
Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.
Showing first 25 of 59. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
N&D Chicken, spelt, oats and pomegranate recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.