Feeding a Flemish Giant: hay, greens and measured pellets
Flemish Giant : A Flemish giant eats several times the ration of a dwarf rabbit: plan for large quantities of hay, roughly 100 g or more of pellets per day depending on weight, and a generous portion of greens. The monthly food budget is closer to that of a small dog.
An accessory from our shop for this use: Wooden hay rack with tray for rabbit, guinea pig and chinchilla (€21.90) · the whole shop
Our products don’t ship to you yet, but the PDF practical guide is instant: The Pet Rabbit Handbook (€17)
In short: Between 6 and 10 kg as an adult, dense short coat, placid and very docile temperament. An easy-going colossus with a settled temperament, often compared to a companion dog. Up to 10 kg and 70 cm long: standard rabbit gear never fits — think medium-dog sizing for everything.
Hay first, pellets second
Like every rabbit, the Flemish Giant is a strict herbivore: unlimited quality hay (80% of the diet), fresh greens daily, and only 100 to 150 g of fibre-rich pellets a day for its 6 to 10 kg build. Pellets are measured; hay never is.
What is specific to the Flemish Giant at mealtimes
Its outsized frame demands serious hay volumes — bale after bale — and a long growth phase on young-rabbit pellets until 12-18 months. 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 Flemish Giant 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 Flemish Giant profile.
Frequently asked questions
How many pellets for a Flemish Giant?
100 to 150 g a day for an adult of 6 to 10 kg — alongside unlimited hay, which remains the bulk of the diet.
Which greens can a Flemish Giant eat?
Start with endive, coriander, basil, carrot tops or celery leaves, introduced one by one. Off-limits: iceberg lettuce, potato, anything that ferments — and any plant you are unsure of.
The guides that apply to you
- Why does your rabbit eat at almost exactly the same times every day?
Feeding and caecotrophy follow a surprisingly precise internal clock in rabbits. What a chronobiology study changes about how you schedule meals.
- Can Rabbits Eat Aubergine (Eggplant)? Risks and Amount
Can you give aubergine to a rabbit? Solanine, toxic leaves, how much ripe flesh and why hay stays the base of a rabbit's diet.
- Rabbit probiotics: a study finally puts numbers on disease and mortality effects
Beyond the supplement aisle and its vague promises, a 2022 study measured the effect of a specific probiotic strain on disease incidence and mortality in rabbits.
- Can rabbits eat carrots? The myth under scrutiny
Contrary to the cliché, the carrot is a sugary vegetable to ration for rabbits. Root, tops, amounts: what science says about real needs.