Feeding a Fauve de Bourgogne: hay, greens and measured pellets
Fauve de Bourgogne : Coming from farm lines selected for growth, the Fauve de Bourgogne converts food very efficiently and gains weight easily once adult: ration pellets according to its actual weight and rely on unlimited hay and greens.
In our shop, for this use: Wooden hay rack with tray for rabbit, guinea pig and chinchilla (€21.90) · the whole shop
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In short: Between 3.5 and 5 kg as an adult, short golden-red coat, hardy and even temperament. A hardy French breed with a steady temperament, robust, and fond of digging and foraging. This muscular 3.5 to 5 kg rabbit calls for large, sturdy equipment: a pen of at least 3 square metres, a big carrier and toys that stand up to its jaw.
Hay first, pellets second
A strict herbivore, the Fauve de Bourgogne lives on unlimited hay — 80% of its ration — topped up with daily greens and a controlled 60 to 100 g of fibrous pellets at 3.5 to 5 kg. Pellets are measured; hay never is.
What is specific to the Fauve de Bourgogne at mealtimes
Keep the hay rack full, introduce greens gradually (one novelty at a time), and ban bread, seed mixes and sugary shop treats. A rabbit that snubs its hay is a rabbit to watch: it is the first signal of a dental or digestive problem.
Gut health: watch-point number one
GI stasis is the classic rabbit emergency: a Fauve de Bourgogne that stops eating and producing droppings for 12 hours needs an exotics vet, not waiting. Prevention comes down to three words: fibre, water, movement. The rest of the profile is on the full Fauve de Bourgogne profile.
Frequently asked questions
How many pellets for a Fauve de Bourgogne?
60 to 100 g a day for an adult of 3.5 to 5 kg — alongside unlimited hay, which remains the bulk of the diet.
Which greens can a Fauve de Bourgogne eat?
The safe bets: endive, carrot tops, coriander, basil, celery leaves — always one novelty at a time. Iceberg lettuce, potato and fermenting vegetables stay in the fridge, and doubt means abstention.
The guides that apply to you
- Rabbit refusing to eat hay: what solutions should you try?
A rabbit that ignores hay in favour of pellets doesn’t necessarily have a health problem: it’s often a well-documented selective-feeding behaviour. Here’s how to turn it around.
- Healthy treats for rabbits: which to choose, which to ban
Which healthy treats can you give a rabbit? Dried flowers, herbs, tiny fruit portions: our criteria, the pet-shop traps to avoid and typical prices.
- Pellets on demand: what effect does that have on a rabbit’s weight and feeding behaviour?
Does unlimited access to pellets really change how much a rabbit eats? What a study comparing several feeding regimes shows.
- Calcium and Urinary Stones in Rabbits: Getting the Diet Right
Why rabbits are prone to calcium-related bladder sludge and stones, and which dietary adjustments genuinely reduce the risk.