Blanc de Bouscat diet advice — hay and pellets

A Blanc de Bouscat — that's a genuinely rare breed, so it's completely understandable you're questioning whether the usual advice holds. The short answer is: the fundamentals are the same for every domestic rabbit regardless of breed. Hay should make up around 80% of your rabbit's diet — not as a rough guide, but as the non-negotiable foundation. It keeps the gut moving and continuously wears the teeth down, which prevents the painful molar spurs that can develop if rabbits eat mostly soft food. Pellets are a small supplement, not the main event. Before I say anything more specific, can you tell me — how old is your Blanc de Bouscat, does she seem healthy, and what does her current daily diet actually look like?

That's a really common setup, and it's also the main thing I'd want to change. The Blanc de Bouscat is indeed a large breed — typically 5 to 6 kg — but size doesn't change the equation. If the pellet bowl is generous, she has no reason to bother with hay. She's full, so she ignores it. The problem is that over time, without enough long-stem fibre, GI motility slows and molars stop wearing evenly. At 3 she's still young, but this is exactly the age to fix the habit before dental or gut issues develop. Can I ask — what pellets are you currently using, and roughly how much per day are you giving her?

Right — two things to address there. First, muesli-style mixes are a real problem because rabbits selectively eat the sugary, starchy pieces and leave the nutritious bits. That's not a quirk, it's every rabbit's instinct, and it leads to an unbalanced diet and dental issues faster than plain pellets would. Second, 150–200g is far too much for any rabbit, including a large breed. For a 5–6 kg Blanc de Bouscat, around 60–80g of plain pellets per day is plenty — and that's a ceiling, not a target. The fix is to cut the pellets right down, switch to a plain extruded pellet, and let hunger do the work of pushing her toward hay. Once she's actually relying on it, most rabbits come around quickly. I'd strongly recommend Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food — plain uniform pellets, no selective eating possible, good nutritional profile, and widely used by rabbit rescues and vets in the UK. It's on Amazon UK. Pair that with good quality Timothy hay available constantly — Oxbow Western Timothy Hay is an excellent choice. Would it help to know how to transition her without causing digestive upset?

Genuinely, it's mostly standard rabbit care. The Blanc de Bouscat doesn't have the exaggerated skull shape you see in lop or dwarf breeds, so there's no extra dental risk from anatomy — but they're still rabbits, and all rabbits are vulnerable to molar problems from low-fibre diets. Their size does mean they need more space and more enrichment than people expect, but nutritionally you're working from the same rulebook. For the transition: reduce pellets gradually over two weeks rather than cutting them overnight, and make hay more appealing by trying a hay rack at ground level or mixing in a small amount of fresh herbs like dried chamomile or a sprig of fresh parsley alongside it. Most rabbits increase hay intake within a week once pellets are rationed. If she drops weight noticeably or stops eating altogether, that's the one flag to take seriously — stop the transition and see a rabbit-savvy vet.

That sounds like a solid plan. The main thing is patience with the transition — she may sulk for a day or two when the pellet bowl shrinks, but she'll eat the hay when she's hungry. At 3 years old with good energy you're in great shape to get this right before it becomes a problem. One last thing worth knowing: once she's eating hay properly, aim for a daily portion that, if compressed, would be roughly the size of her body. It sounds like a lot but it's exactly what she needs.