This is a specific conversation about Rabbit food and hay — getting the diet right — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Hay should make up around 80% of a rabbit's diet — it's not a nice-to-have, it's the whole foundation. It keeps the gut moving and wears the teeth down continuously, which is the only natural mechanism rabbits have for that. Pellets should be a small daily supplement, not the main event. So before we get into finding you good value hay: how old is your Bourbonnais, are they in good health, and what are they eating at the moment?
She's six years old, generally healthy, the vet said her teeth are fine and her weight is good. Right now I'm giving her a mix of supermarket hay and some pellets. The hay is okay but it smells a bit dusty and she leaves a lot of it. I can't justify spending a lot on the premium brands, but I want something better than what I'm buying now.
inparticular.ai
That dusty smell is a real flag — it usually means the hay has been stored too long or dried poorly, and rabbits will reject it precisely because their instincts tell them it's not right. At six, your rabbit is a senior, so consistent hay intake matters even more because gut motility tends to slow with age. The good news is you don't need a premium brand to get clean, fresh Timothy hay. What you need is good sourcing. Can I ask roughly how much hay she gets through in a week, and are you buying in small bags or larger quantities?
She goes through quite a bit — probably a medium bag a week. I've been buying the small bags from pet shops which works out expensive. I'd be happy to buy in bulk if the quality is there.
inparticular.ai
Then bulk buying is absolutely the right move and it's where you'll save the most without compromising on quality. My recommendation is Hay Farmers Premium Timothy Hay — it's available on Amazon UK in larger quantities, it's grown and dried properly so it comes out green, sweet-smelling and dust-free, and it's consistently well-reviewed by rabbit owners who've switched from the big pet shop brands. The price per kilo is significantly lower than Oxbow or Supreme Science Selective hay, but the quality is comparable. For a six-year-old rabbit who's already showing you she's selective about freshness, this should make a noticeable difference. She'll eat more of it, which is exactly what you want.
That sounds good. Should I change anything else in her diet at her age?
inparticular.ai
The main thing is making sure the hay is truly unlimited — always available, never rationed. Keep pellets to around one tablespoon per kilogram of body weight per day, no more. For a senior rabbit you can also offer fresh leafy greens daily — dark romaine, fresh herbs like parsley or basil, a little kale. Avoid sugary treats, dried fruit, and muesli-style mixes entirely. The dusty hay being replaced with something she actually wants to eat is probably the single biggest improvement you can make right now. Everything else sounds like it's in reasonable shape.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll order the Hay Farmers hay and see how she gets on.
