The Farmer's Dog (US) Instant Chicken

Dry Baked complete

51out of 100

Average

our rating

Is The Farmer's Dog (US) Instant Chicken a good dog food?

We score it 51/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

Why this score?

We scored this recipe out of 100 and arrived at 51. Undeclared ingredient shares, meaning ingredients without printed percentages, contributed -10.6. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +7.4. The processing format contributed -6.7, while being labelled nutritionally complete contributed +2.3.

Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.

100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

Recipe
51
Nutritionallow
97
Transparency
55
Safety
100
Evidence
Not recorded

The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.

Why you might choose it

Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

Meat makes up an estimated 4% of the dry matter (7% as fed); carbohydrates dominate.
100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.

View the source page

Estimated composition

supplement25.7%

veg25.1%

carb20.0%

oil11.5%

meat7.3%

other6.5%

additive4.0%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein: 37%
Fat: 9.50%
Fibre: 3%
Moisture: 7.50%

Energy: 352 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Tricalcium Phosphate; Potassium Chloride; Salt; Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate; Zinc Amino Acid Chelate; Iron Amino Acid Chelate; Potassium Iodide; Selenium Yeast; Copper Amino Acid Chelate; Manganese Amino Acid Chelate; Choline Bitartrate; Taurine; Vitamin E Supplement; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2); Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1); Vitamin D3 Supplement; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6); Folic Acid

Technological additives

Mixed Tocopherols (For Freshness); Rosemary Extract

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, feed within 3 months. Once prepared with water, serve right away; lasts up to 2 days in the fridge.

Feeding guide

Add equal amount of water to measured portion, stir. Starting portions for adult dogs by weight: 5 lb = 1/3 cup (full) / 1/8 cup (half); 8 lb = 1/2 / 1/4; 13 lb = 2/3 / 1/3; 22 lb = 1 / 1/2; 36 lb = 1.5 / 3/4; 50 lb = 2 / 1; 75 lb = 2.5 / 1.25; 95 lb = 3 / 1.5; 110+ lb = add 1/4 cup per 10 lb. Adjust based on breed, body condition and activity level.

Reviews

Trustpilot: 3.9/5 · 1,711 reviews

Who is this food for?

Suits

Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken breast
Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon oil
Your dog avoids grain: the label lists oats
You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein

These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.

Ingredients (18)

#	As declared	Matched	Category	Tier	Declared %	Est. %
1	Chicken Breast	Chicken Breast	meat	good	-	7.3
2	Oats	Oats	carb	medium	-	7.1
3	Potatoes	Potatoes	carb	medium	-	6.9
4	Chicken Fat	Chicken Oil and Fat	oil	medium	-	6.7
5	Chicken Broth	Cooking broth	other	medium	-	6.5
6	Carrots	Carrots	veg	good	-	6.3
7	Sweet Potatoes	Sweet Potatoes	carb	good	-	6.1
8	Pumpkin	Pumpkin	veg	good	-	5.9
9	Minerals [Tricalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide, Selenium Yeast, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate]	Tricalcium phosphate	supplement	good	-	5.7
10	Choline Bitartrate	Choline	supplement	good	-	5.5
11	Taurine	Taurine	supplement	good	-	5.3
12	Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid]	Pyridoxine hydrochloride	supplement	good	-	5.1
13	Salmon Oil	Salmon Oil	oil	good	-	4.8
14	Spinach	Spinach	veg	good	-	4.6
15	Chia Seeds	Chia Seeds	veg	good	-	4.4
16	Dried Yeast	Yeast	supplement	good	-	4.2
17	Mixed Tocopherols	Tocopherols	additive	good	-	4.0
18	Rosemary Extract	Rosemary	veg	good	-	3.8

Brand

The Farmer's Dog (US)

Website: https://www.thefarmersdog.com/
Phone: (877) 414-8444

Trust and provenance

Recall history: No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked: 2026-09-17
Scored with: Model v3 (methodology)
Product page: www.thefarmersdog.com

Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.

Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Scored with model v3 on 2026-09-26. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

Component	Input	Coefficient	Contribution
Base score	-	30.909	+30.91
Average ingredient quality	0.8	9.191	+7.44
Carb share of dry matter	16.4%	-0.115	-1.89
Oil share of dry matter	19.8%	-0.092	-1.82
Vegetable share of dry matter	12.3%	-0.005	-0.06
Additive share of dry matter	6.3%	0.163	+1.03
Supplement share of dry matter	41.0%	-0.012	-0.50
Other share of dry matter	0.6%	-0.375	-0.21
Undeclared quantities	100.0%	-0.106	-10.56
Complete diet	yes	2.294	+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)	yes	-3.158	-3.16
Additive penalty	-4.85	0.222	-1.08
Processing multiplier	0.98	33.786	+33.11
Processing: Dry Baked	yes	-6.713	-6.71

Show all 40 components

Component	Input	Coefficient	Contribution
Base score	-	30.909	+30.91
Average ingredient quality	0.8	9.191	+7.44
Meat share of dry matter	0.0%	0.096	+0.00
Carb share of dry matter	16.4%	-0.115	-1.89
Oil share of dry matter	19.8%	-0.092	-1.82
Vegetable share of dry matter	12.3%	-0.005	-0.06
Additive share of dry matter	6.3%	0.163	+1.03
Supplement share of dry matter	41.0%	-0.012	-0.50
Other share of dry matter	0.6%	-0.375	-0.21
Unrecognised share of dry matter	0.0%	-0.027	+0.00
Recipe graded poor	0.0%	-0.065	+0.00
Poor-quality meat in recipe	0.0%	-0.179	+0.00
Number of poor ingredients	0	-0.876	+0.00
Largest single poor ingredient	0.0%	0.060	+0.00
Undeclared quantities	100.0%	-0.106	-10.56
Prints ingredient percentages	no	0.000	+0.00
Complete diet	yes	2.294	+2.29
Frozen or chilled fresh	no	0.000	+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)	no	0.707	+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)	yes	-3.158	-3.16
High carb and low meat	no	-1.180	+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages	0.0	0.000	+0.00
Meat share × fresh	0.0	0.000	+0.00
Fresh × high meat	0.0	11.084	+0.00
Additive penalty	-4.85	0.222	-1.08
Processing multiplier	0.98	33.786	+33.11
Processing: Raw	no	-0.054	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilled	no	-2.354	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozen	no	-2.354	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigerated	no	0.000	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelf	no	-0.672	+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Dried	no	6.629	+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Dried	no	6.331	+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressed	no	-6.713	+0.00
Processing: Dry Baked	yes	-6.713	-6.71
Processing: Dry Extruded	no	-6.713	+0.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moist	no	-6.174	+0.00
Processing: Dry Muesli	no	-10.146	+0.00
Processing: Wet Pate	no	-0.672	+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunks	no	-0.672	+0.00

Processing-type offset: +0.02
Additives declared on label: +2 transparency bonus
Subtotal: 50.8
Final score: 51/100

Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.

Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges

How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.

Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.

Nutrient	As fed (label)	Dry matter (scored)	Score
Protein	37	40 (band 18 to 40%)	100
Fat	9.5	10.3 (band 5.5 to 20%)	89.7
Fibre	3	3.2 (band 0.5 to 5%)	100
Energy (kcal/100g)	352	380.5	100

Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.

Low confidence: partial analysis or moisture estimated from the food type.

This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.

Transparency: what the label discloses

How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.

Item	Points
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)	10/10
✗ Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file	0/20
✗ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file	0/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)	10/10
✓ Energy value declared (voluntary)	5/5
✓ Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)	5/5
✓ Feeding guidance given (mandatory)	10/10
✓ Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory)	5/10
✓ Country of manufacture stated (voluntary)	10/10
✗ Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file	0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared, Batch and date labelling).

Safety: recall history

Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.

No recalls recorded in our database.

Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it

The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.

Claims on file; none we can check against the label

Claim	Type	Check	Substantiation
Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Adult Maintenance (on page)	Nutrient	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Made to the same quality and safety standards as human food (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
human-grade food (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
dry in the bag, made fresh in the bowl (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Just add water and Instant Fresh transforms into a real, freshly made meal (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Our Low-Heat Drying Technology™ avoids ultra-processing (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Developed and tested by our Board-Certified Vet Nutritionists (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
complete and balanced with all the vitamins and minerals your dog needs to thrive (on page)	Nutrient	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
shelf-stable (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion

The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.

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