Feeding a 4-month-old Champagne d'Argent rabbit

A 4-month-old Champagne d'Argent — lovely breed, and you're at exactly the right age to get the feeding routine locked in. Juniors under 6 months have different needs to adults: they're still growing fast, so they need a higher-protein pellet and slightly more generous portions than you'd give a fully grown rabbit. Rabbits are often underestimated as complex animals — space, hay as 80% of the diet, social time, and enrichment all matter — but diet in these early months genuinely shapes long-term health and gut function. So, one rabbit or two, and are they living indoors or out? And are you mainly after pellet recommendations, or do you want the full junior feeding picture too?

Perfect — indoor single rabbit, 4 months old. At this stage, unlimited hay is still the non-negotiable foundation; that never changes. For pellets, juniors under 6 months should get a higher-protein alfalfa-based pellet, not the adult timothy-based kind, because they need the extra calcium and protein while they're building bone and muscle. In terms of quantity, a good guide for a growing medium-large breed like Champagne d'Argent is roughly 25–30g of pellets per kilogram of body weight per day — so if he's around 1.5kg right now, you're looking at about 40–45g daily. Can I ask: what pellets are you currently using, if any? That'll tell me whether a switch makes sense or just a portion adjustment.

That's really common and worth sorting now. Adult mixes — especially muesli-style ones — are two problems in one for a junior: wrong nutritional profile, and rabbits pick out the sugary bits and leave the rest, which causes gut and dental issues. For a 4-month-old Champagne d'Argent, I'd switch him onto Supreme Science Selective Junior Rabbit. It's an alfalfa-based mono-component pellet — meaning every pellet is identical so he can't selectively feed — with the higher protein and calcium a growing rabbit needs. It's also one of the most consistently recommended junior pellets by rabbit-savvy vets and rescue centres in the UK. Transition slowly over 10–14 days mixing old and new to avoid gut upset. Once he hits 6 months, you move him onto the adult version.

For Supreme Science Selective Junior, the packet guidance is generous — I'd follow their junior feeding chart but aim for the lower end, around 25g per kg of bodyweight daily, and let unlimited hay do the bulk of the nutrition. So if he's 1.5kg now, roughly 35–40g of pellets a day split across two feeds is sensible. Weigh him monthly — Champagne d'Argentss are a medium-large breed and can reach 4–4.5kg fully grown, so portions will increase as he grows, but you should still be measuring rather than estimating. At 6 months, swap to the adult Selective and reduce pellets to around 20g per kg — adult rabbits need far less than most people think. Fresh leafy greens can start in small amounts from about now too, introduced one at a time.

Great choice — he'll be well set up on it. Just remember: hay always available, pellets measured, and once he's neutered and fully grown at around 6–9 months, reassess portions again because activity levels often drop a little post-neuter. You're clearly thinking about this properly, which makes a real difference at this age. Good luck with him.