When breeding, you should be especially careful about what chinchillas eat, as well as the organization of their diet. Quality food is the key normal development and animal growth. In general, the list of foods that rodents can eat is very limited. Therefore, you should prepare in advance approximate diet for chinchilla.
The natural habitat of chinchillas is desert highlands. IN wildlife Rodents consume a minimum of water and food. This is due to the scarcity of vegetation growing in the mountains and its high calorie content.
- The diet should be balanced.
- You should include sufficiently high-calorie, but not fatty foods in the menu.
- The rodent should receive the necessary vitamins and minerals not only from vitamin mixtures, but also from everyday food.
- Your diet should include at least 5-7 different foods.
| Useful substance | Functions | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Potassium | Normalizes the functioning of the urinary system, promotes the regulation of water-salt balance in the body, ensures muscle tone, including the heart | Dried apricots, beans, raisins, lentils, peanuts |
| Magnesium | Normalizes the functioning of the immune system, stimulates defensive reactions body, tones blood vessels | Oatmeal, greens, nuts |
| Iron | Necessary for transporting oxygen to tissues | Apples, greens, cereals |
| Folic acid | Stimulates lactation in females, improves intestinal function | Strawberry leaves, cereals, cereals, fruits |
Chinchillas change their taste preferences quite often. To some extent, this is due to the ability of animals to independently determine which beneficial substances they need to survive. this moment. However, it should be taken into account that rodents are very fond of treats: fruits, berries, some herbs. Animals can consume them in large quantities, which is harmful to their health. Therefore, the quantity of these products should be limited.
Chinchillas are quite picky eaters. To prevent the animal from losing its appetite, it is necessary to make its diet varied. At the same time, the menu must be changed every 4-6 months. In this case, pregnant or sick animals must receive special nutrition.
Features of care
- An enclosure for an adult rodent must have dimensions of at least 100x50x55 cm. This must also be taken into account if several individuals live in one cage.
- It is necessary to equip the enclosure with various houses, stairs and labyrinths. Chinchillas are very active, especially during the mating period.
- Rodents need to have their fur cleaned regularly. To do this, you need to install a sufficiently deep and wide container filled with clean sand in the cage. Chinchillas enjoy bathing in it. The sand bath should be removed from the enclosure when the female is preparing to give birth.
- The cage must have a sufficiently voluminous bedding of shavings or hay. Do not use animal litter or newspapers for these purposes.
- Chinchillas are pack animals. Males tolerate loneliness especially poorly: they begin to refuse food, lose their fur, and get sick. Therefore, it is recommended to have two or more rodents.
Chinchilla's daily routine and diet
Chinchillas are nocturnal animals. They sleep during the day and begin to be awake after 6-8 pm. This should be taken into account when organizing the feeding of the rodent. The animal must have access to food at night.
Chinchillas need to constantly have their teeth ground down. Their incisors become dull and renewed over time. Therefore, the enclosure must have wooden logs made from apple, birch or linden, special chalk or mineral stones, wooden toys, etc.
Chinchilla diet
A complete diet for chinchillas must necessarily include roughage, that is, hay and twig food, bark feeding, fresh herbs, various vegetables and fruits, etc. The menu for rodents should be drawn up taking into account the following factors:
- the daily requirement of chinchillas for a certain amount of nutrients;
- sex and age of the individual;
- the health status of the animal;
- physiological characteristics: pregnancy, lactation;
- time of year.
It is necessary to carefully select the products that are included in the diet of animals. Hay, grass and bark must be clean, free from dust, rot and rot. Before giving food to chinchillas, you need to check its smell: it should not smell rotten or damp.
Rodents are very sensitive to various fungi and bacteria that often infect undried hay or grains. Required Products can be prepared in advance in large quantities, taking into account the fact that per year one individual consumes about 10 kg of ready-made combined feed and approximately 7 kg of hay.
Animals' diets should be dominated by foods high in fiber and protein. In addition, chinchillas need adequate amounts of minerals, vitamins, fluids and fatty acids. Lack of various nutrients leads to increased morbidity in animals and their early mortality. Deficiency of protein and calcium is especially dangerous for pregnant females, as it causes various malformations in the offspring.
What to feed a chinchilla at home?
On average, an adult eats 50-65 g of food per day. In this case, the quantitative content of the diet is as follows:
| Diet | Grams |
|---|---|
| Combined feed | 20-25 |
| Hay and twig food | 20-25 |
| Vegetables and herbs | 5 |
| Treats | 3-4 |
In addition, a healthy animal should consume at least 20 ml of water per day.
The daily diet of a rodent includes basic food, additional feeding and treats, which the animal should receive in unlimited quantities:
- main food: combined feed, hay and branches, water;
- complementary foods: greens, fruits and vegetables, grains;
- treats: nuts, berries, special treats for chinchillas;
- vitamins and minerals in the form of granules, tablets or solutions.
Daily diet
Basic daily ration rodent includes a combination of food and hay. These products and fresh pure water must be freely available in the enclosure at all times.
Combined feeds
Ready-made feeds vary in type; they can be granulated or extruded, that is, compressed under pressure and high temperatures. Preference should be given to products from well-known, reliable brands specializing in the production of food for chinchillas.
Animals should not be fed formula guinea pigs, rabbits or other animals. It is also not recommended to purchase such food in bulk or make it yourself.
In the wild, chinchillas consume a strictly limited amount of different plants, so a violation of the composition of the food or its proportions can cause intestinal disorders, liver disease and a number of other pathologies in the rodent.
Mixtures can be either homogeneous in composition or contain particles of vegetables, grains and other food components. If the animal prefers to choose from the feed some of its favorite products, then it is worth purchasing homogeneous mixtures. Otherwise, the chinchilla will not receive the necessary nutrients.
An optimal combination food for a rodent should contain about 20% fiber, 15% protein, 5% fat and about 6% minerals. This balance is necessary to provide the chinchilla with sufficient nutrients. The most popular foods among breeders are Beaphar, Vitakraft, Versele-Laga, etc.
Hay
Hay is the main source of fiber in a chinchilla's diet, and animals should always have free access to it. Before placing it in the feeder, you must make sure that there are no sticks, debris or other foreign matter in the feed. To make hay, you should use clover, cereals and legumes, buckwheat, etc. These plants contain sufficient amounts of proteins, phosphorus and various vitamins. The hay should be dry, elastic, without rotten or damp grass.
Grass pellets should not be substituted for hay. For their production, dry dust and waste obtained from packaging hay are used. This food does not provide animals with a sufficient amount of nutrients and weakly stimulates the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract of rodents.
Legumes are high in protein, and cereals are rich in all kinds of vitamins. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare several different types of hay and mix them before feeding the animals. This will allow the chinchillas to get enough nutrients.
A big advantage is the ability to harvest and dry plants yourself. Timely mowed legumes and cereals contain the necessary for normal operation vitamins A, E and B for the nervous and vascular systems of rodents. Plants should be dried in dark, drafty rooms: in open sheds, attics or haylofts. This measure will prevent vitamins from being destroyed by sunlight.
Water
When organizing an enclosure for chinchillas, it is recommended to install a special drip drinker. In cups and other open containers, water quickly becomes clogged with sawdust and sand. In addition, chinchillas are very active; while jumping around the cage, they can overturn the drinking bowl.
Important! Do not use mineral, carbonated or medicinal water. It is also prohibited to give chinchillas unboiled water from various reservoirs or from the tap.
Tap water contains a huge number of different substances and impurities, including chlorine, which has a detrimental effect on the rodent’s body.
Lure
Supplementary food makes up about 20% of a chinchilla's daily diet. It includes a variety of different herbs and leaves, grains and rolled oats.
Herbs
Fresh or slightly dried tree leaves and various herbs allow the chinchilla to receive a huge amount of vitamins necessary for health. The most nutritious leaves are legumes and strawberries, dandelions, nettles and rhubarb.
Please note that you cannot completely replace your chinchilla’s regular diet with green food. Excess of fresh food is fraught with the development of intestinal dysfunction in rodents.
Most chinchillas love fresh tree leaves:
| Tree | Beneficial features |
|---|---|
| Birch | Its leaves almost contain vitamin C, fatty acids, substances with antimicrobial effects and other useful components. |
| Oak | It is not recommended to place oak logs in the enclosure, since its wood is very resinous. But oak leaves can be used for feeding. They are nutritious, easily digestible and have an anti-inflammatory effect on gastrointestinal tract rodents |
| Aspen | Leaves, shoots and tree bark are suitable as complementary foods for chinchillas. At the same time, you can give aspen leaves to animals throughout the year. |
| Pine | The needles of this tree contain a huge amount of vitamin C. Young shoots and seeds are suitable for feeding rodents. Before giving the chinchilla branches, they must be cleared of resin. |
Leaves of willow, pear, blackberry and sea buckthorn are also used for feeding. Under no circumstances should you offer animals branch feed made from elderberry, almonds and bird cherry. The bark and shoots of these plants contain toxic substances.
Other plants
In addition to tree leaves, rodents enjoy drinking tea, rose and rose hip buds, hawthorn fruits, dried fruits and rolled oats. These foods should be limited in the chinchillas' diet, as animals can eat excess amounts of such complementary foods.
Dried fruits should also be included in the diet of chinchillas. Rosehip and hawthorn berries can be given to animals in almost unlimited quantities. The fruits of these bushes contain many nutrients, which is especially important for growing chinchillas and young animals. You can treat your rodent to blueberries and pieces of dried fruit once a day. And raisins, which animals love very much, are introduced into the diet no more than once a week.
Rose hips are one of the most useful types of complementary foods for rodents.
For the full growth and development of chinchillas, rolled oats and sprouted cereals should be added to their diet.
You should check the food in advance: make sure that the grains are clean and free of mold and mildew. Hercules, sprouted oats or barley can be given to animals one teaspoon per day.
Diet of a sick chinchilla
A sick animal most often refuses to eat. In this case, you need to independently feed the rodent with a water-salt solution. In this case, 1 teaspoon of salt should be stirred in 250 ml of water.
If a chinchilla feeds on its own but is losing weight, it is recommended to use various high-calorie feeds, gels and pastes for rodents. These products can also be given to the animal from a syringe or pipette.
If the rodent cannot chew hard food, you can grind the food in a coffee grinder. It is recommended to add crushed vitamin C and a few drops of vitamins A and E. This mixture is given to the chinchilla from a syringe, spoon, or placed in a feeder if the animal is able to eat it on its own.
Vitamins
Animals obtain most of their vitamins and minerals from food. However, in winter time or a period of illness, chinchillas need to receive additional amounts of nutrients. For normal development of musculoskeletal and nervous system Rodents should receive B vitamins, which are contained in special powder complexes or drops.
In early spring, vitamin C deficiency will help to compensate ascorbic acid. When purchasing it at a pharmacy, please note that the drug should not contain flavorings, glucose or flavoring additives.
Treats for chinchillas
Chinchillas are very fond of various treats. Treats for rodents include all kinds of fruits and berries, as well as specially made feed additives. Animals give the greatest preference to the following products:
- fresh fruits: apples, pears and melons;
- dried fruits: prunes and dried apricots, raisins;
- hawthorn, rose hips.
Fruits - delicious treat and a source of vitamins for rodents
You should alternate the use of different fruits and berries in your chinchilla’s diet. As a reward or for training purposes, you can also use various cereal or fruit treats that are sold in pet stores. However, you should strictly limit the number of treats your rodent receives. Otherwise, you can overfeed the animal and harm its health.
Products prohibited for rodents
Some feed additives are prohibited for use in chinchillas. These are not only poisonous plants, but also various overly sweet or high-calorie vegetables and fruits.
The diet of rodents should not include the following products:
- Almonds and pine nuts - they are high in calories and have a high percentage of fat. In animals, such complementary feeding causes disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Raw vegetables: beets, cabbage, peppers, as they contribute increased gas formation and indigestion.
- Any products of animal origin. Digestive system chinchillas are unable to digest the protein found in meat and dairy products.
- Poisonous plants: buttercup, fern, St. John's wort, etc. An animal that consumes them can be poisoned and even die. You should carefully study the plants that you harvest for feeding rodents.
Video - Food and feeding chinchillas
Catering for chinchillas is a responsible event that requires taking into account various species and individual characteristics rodents A properly selected diet is the key to the health and long life of an animal.
For Shushi, food is the main pleasure in life. He is ready to do anything for food. In general, it is easier to feed a chinchilla than a husband, since the diet of the animal (I mean Shusha) is standardized and very diverse. However, if the husband's stomach is able to digest everything, then the chinchilla cannot be fed to everyone.
Shushik is a fastidious comrade, but we managed to find the key to his stomach and we hope that he is pleased with us, although he is silent. Looking at how much energy he has in the evenings, when I personally can barely move my legs and hang on every thought, you involuntarily start thinking about trying chinchilla food.
Features of feeding chinchillas
Before telling what chinchillas can and cannot do, I would like to focus on the nutritional features of chinchillas.
1. In their bowl, there should always be concentrates in the form of a grain mixture or ready-made food for chinchillas in an amount of about two to three tablespoons per day for adult animals. Well, to be completely honest, I put two zhmen, because Shusha still spits out half.
2. Hay and fresh water must be present in the cage at all times. Shushik drinks about 100 grams. water per week and eats several bundles of hay. I noticed that he loves Belarusian hay most of all, apparently he feels his native meadows. He also likes to steal hay while I clean his cage. Shusha quietly creeps up from behind, pulls a straw from the bag, hides under the sofa and sharpens it. It tastes better this way.
3. Complementary foods and treats are offered in extremely small quantities. In general, I noticed that Shushik has a well-developed sense of satiety. For example, he senses very well when I eat a banana, runs up, quickly takes a couple of bites and runs away, full and satisfied. Never overeats.
4. When feeding, you should take into account the nocturnal lifestyle of the animals. That's why we give our chinchilla food before we put him in his cage. This makes our life enormously easier, because as soon as Shusha sees that the bowl of food is already in the cage, he happily runs there himself in anticipation of a meal. This way, we don’t have to go through additional tricks to lure him there.
5. It is rare to see a chinchilla greedily pounce on food. Most often: he will eat a seed, jump, look, eat a seed, jump around the cage and run to the plate again.
6. A stable diet is also important for a chinchilla’s well-being. You should not change the food to which your chinchilla is accustomed too often, and it is better to switch to new food within one to two weeks.
7. There is always a mineral and salt stone hanging in Shusha’s cage, which is gnawed as needed.
What to feed your chinchilla: Ready-made food - granules and grain mixtures
We buy ready-made Polish-made food for Shusha. It is not particularly praised on the forums, but Shushik eats it with pleasure. He tasted the more expensive German and Belgian analogues and refused to eat them. Our chinchilla food includes grains, legumes, seeds, cereals, dried fruits, bone and grass meal, corn flakes, and granular supplements. Shushik nervously throws many components of this food out of the bowl, but on the whole he eats the mixture willingly.
It’s also worth always checking the food when purchasing for the presence of any ugliness and mold.
The following grains are suitable for chinchillas: oats, barley, corn, millet, wheat. Sprouted grains, which contain a lot of vitamin E, can be successful. You can also give raw cereals: rice, buckwheat and barley.
Food for chinchillas: Legumes, seeds, nuts, dry berries and fruits
All of the following foods can be given to chinchillas in very limited quantities.
Seeds. The food we buy already contains raw sunflower seeds, but in too large quantities. So I pick them out and throw them away. Despite the fact that seeds contain many fatty acids that have good action on the condition of the coat, they are extremely harmful to the liver. You can't give them too much because of their high fat content. About once a week Shusha receives an additional pumpkin or sunflower seed. He's so big with important look cleans it of husks, and only then eats it. During the watermelon season, he happily eats watermelon children.
Legumes. Chinchillas can be given peas, lentils, soy and beans.
Nuts. There is conflicting information about nuts. Some people do not recommend giving them at all, others write that you can give almost all types of nuts. But knowing the delicate structure of a chinchilla’s digestion, I give Shushik a quarter of a hazelnut once every two weeks. A nut is for Shushi like valerian is for a cat. After eating the nut, he jumps after me for a long time and faithfully looks into my eyes, hoping for more. The main thing here is to show fortitude and, in joy, not to feed the animal everything you have.
Dry berries and fruits. Shusha loves dried rosehip and hawthorn, dried apples, bananas, and he is crazy about raisins, dried apricots, and prunes.
What to feed a chinchilla: hay, twigs, bark
Do you love dead wood as Shushik loves it? Chinchillas need to be given roughage. This is hay, twig food, tree bark.
The most suitable hay for a chinchilla is legume-cereal hay, containing a lot of clover, alfalfa and other legumes. There must be hay good quality, clean and dust-free. Chinchillas rarely eat a large number of hay, but it must always be in a cage. Dry nettle brooms are very useful and contain many vitamins.
It is useful to hang branches of apple, pear, linden, and aspen in a cage for grinding down teeth. Oak and willow branches are useful for mild diarrhea. Shushik chews twigs well, but prefers cage bars for grinding down his teeth, and is probably planning a big escape.
Chinchilla nutrition - Juicy food
Juicy food includes various vegetables, fruits and herbs. I spent a long time watching what Shushik liked best.
Chinchillas can be given cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi, and lettuce. Fruits - apples, pears, figs, bananas, grapes. Plus some berries - rose hips, hawthorn. Large fruits need to be divided into several servings. Our fluffy eats wheatgrass, clover, dandelion, nettle, alfalfa, carrot tops, turnip tops, Jerusalem artichoke, peas, and fruit tree branches with leaves with pleasure.
You also need to be careful when feeding grass. For greater safety and better storage, it is advisable to slightly dry it.
When the summer season comes, we prepare fresh herbs and twigs for Shushika, and pick dandelions. It’s good for Shusha, and we’re ridding the garden of weeds. At the end summer season We dry apples and pears, rosehips and hawthorns, and sometimes we store some hay.
What not to give to chinchillas
Chinchillas should not be given anything baked. Twice Shushik snuck onto the kitchen table and stole first a liver the size of his butt, and then a piece of candy, not just a simple one, but a chocolate one, Aeroflot. Fortunately, we noticed in time and prevented sabotage.
Chinchillas should not be given white cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, red beets, persimmons, and peppers. These foods may cause gastrointestinal illness. Rye is very poorly digestible by all animals.
Poisonous herbs: bindweed, buttercup, spurge, crow's eye, horsetail, sweet clover, lily of the valley, henbane, hemlock, etc.
Unsuitable trees: almond, apricot, black acacia, any conifers, cedar, cherry, plum, chestnut, citrus, cypress, elderberry, eucalyptus, myrtle, nectarine, peach tree, plum, walnut wood. Chinchillas should never use branches from stone fruit trees.
Excess fresh vegetables or fruit can also cause harm to the animal's delicate digestive system. You can’t feed chinchillas only treats, no matter how desperately they demand them.
Make sure your furbabies don't eat houseplants- most of them are poisonous to chinchillas. Our Shushik loves window sills very much. Therefore, the first thing that suffered was our orchids. And once, back at his previous place of residence, Shusha ate all of his mother’s seedlings, which she carefully stored on the window for transplanting into the greenhouse. It’s even scary to remember what happened. No, well, everything was fine with the little animal, but mom couldn’t come to her senses for a long time.
In general, be careful, and if you are in doubt about what and how much to give, and what is possible and what is not, it is better to look on the Internet once again.
Choosing a chinchilla: boy or girl?
If you decide to get one chinchilla, then it is worth considering that girls and boys have slightly different characters. Females are big bosses with a temper. They are more capricious and can even release a stream of urine at the enemy, that is, at you, if they don’t like something. So, they are actively rebuilding their borders. Chinchillas have a matriarchy, so the girl will quickly take the place of the mistress and dictate her terms.
Boys are more peaceful and inquisitive. Not a single new product will pass by our Shushik and not a single room will remain unvisited. As soon as he sees the door opening, he flies towards it and bursts into the room, no matter how hard you try to hold him back. If you decide to get a male, remember that they have one feature - hygiene procedure washing the chinchilla's main organ, which is hidden most of the time, but if necessary reaches a great length. And the way they wash it can cause awkward questions in children and unprepared persons.
If you decide to have a couple, be prepared for the fact that they will not communicate with you as actively as bachelors. They will be focused on playing with each other, and you will have the role of observer. If you have a different-sex couple, this will entail additional troubles. The cage should be larger, with the possibility of being divided into two halves in case the female is expecting offspring or gives birth. It is also worth considering what you will do with your offspring. My friend couldn’t part with her chinchillas for a very long time, not because there were no people willing, but because she was afraid of giving them into the wrong hands.
In general, much in the character of chinchillas depends on their parents and heredity, and they are all very funny.
IN last years It has become very popular and fashionable to keep chinchillas at home. This cute pet furry animal has become a real favorite of both children and adults. If you already have a chinchilla in your home, or you are just going to get to know one better, here are a few useful recommendations regarding how to care for this animal at home...
First of all, let's figure it out what kind of animal is this chinchilla... The chinchilla belongs to the order of fur-bearing animals; its maximum height can reach thirty-eight centimeters, and its weight can be up to five hundred grams. Chinchillas have very beautiful fur of a wide variety of colors, from white to velvety black. At proper care these small animals live from fifteen to twenty years.
So, we already have a general idea about the chinchilla, now let’s talk about how to provide this pet with the most comfortable living under the same roof with a person. A chinchilla, like any domestic animal, needs its own home. A chinchilla’s home can be a spacious metal cage (the approximate dimensions of such a “house” are 70x50x70). For ease of cleaning, it would be nice if the tray of the cage is retractable. Many chinchilla owners let their animals roam around the house or apartment, but even with this regime of free movement, the animal needs a home where it can rest or hide from prying eyes.
Chinchillas love sawdust. Therefore, stock up on these. The tray in the cage is lined with sawdust. Sawdust can be anything except oak. It is necessary to change such a carpet in a chinchilla’s house as needed, but the more often you do this, the cleaner it will be in your pet’s cage and in your home.
Now, about what must be in the cage... This is a special drinking bowl that must be clean drinking water(it’s better to change the water twice a day), a food plate, a “bathing bath” or bath and a shelf or special platform on which your chinchilla will sleep. Wet cleaning cleaning cells (but! without using chemical cleaning products - replace them with ordinary soda) should be done twice a week. Then the chinchilla will not bring any smell, no garbage and no microbes into your home.
We mentioned that the cage should have special bath- “bathing suit”. But don’t rush to fill it with water. This can cause harm to the animal's health. irreparable harm. Fill the bath with special fine sand. It is sold in specialized pet stores, or you can take ordinary sand, sift it and calcinate it. After such sand procedures, the animal’s fur shines and shimmers. You cannot bathe a chinchilla in water!!! Zoologists explain this intolerance to water by the fact that the chinchilla’s homeland is an arid climate zone with low humidity. Therefore, high humidity can cause chinchillas to become ill and even die. Chinchilla owners are advised to take care to provide their animal with suitable mode temperature and humidity. The most optimal and useful indicators for a healthy and happy life for a chinchilla are considered to be temperatures not lower than twenty degrees Celsius and not higher than twenty-five degrees Celsius, the humidity level should correspond to fifty-five to sixty percent.
Despite the fact that the chinchilla is an affectionate, sweet, domestic furry animal, Don't pick him up too often– this can cause harm to your pet’s health. Try to express love and care in other accessible ways.
The diet of this animal should consist exclusively of plant products.- grains, herbs, vegetables. You can give your chinchilla crackers to chew on. Chinchillas love to chew branches of trees and bushes, so pamper your pet with such a delicacy for him. The chinchilla not only receives nutrients from the branches, but also sharpens its teeth. Speaking of teeth... Your chinchilla's cage must have a special stone with which the animal will grind down its teeth. Otherwise, dental problems various diseases can shorten a chinchilla's lifespan.
How many times a day should a chinchilla be fed?
Veterinarians and specialists in breeding these animals at home come to a common opinion on this issue - one meal a day for a chinchilla will be enough. By overfeeding an animal, you do not benefit it; rather, on the contrary, it causes harm.
In order for a chinchilla to look luxurious, its fur needs to be looked after. If she is able to carry out the sand procedures herself, then you should definitely help her with combing the fur. Special combs with long teeth are perfect for this.
Don’t also forget that your pet is a nocturnal animal that is used to being quite active at night and, on the contrary, sleeping quietly during the day. Therefore, you should not place a cage with a chinchilla in the bedroom or in the nursery, of course, if the rustling of the chinchilla does not have a soothing effect on you.
People who are allergic to animals and small children should not get a chinchilla. The latter must grow up a little more in order to understand that a chinchilla is not a toy, but a living creature.
Any a pet in your home is responsibility, care and care, but it is also joy and positive emotions.
Shevtsova Olga
Chinchillas are two species of malt rodents native to the Andean Cordillera in South America. These animals have very soft fur, large hind legs, tiny front legs, big eyes and ears. Previously, these animals lived in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile, but today their colonies in the wild are found only in Chile.
In nature, chinchillas eat dry grass., leaves and bark of fruit bushes and trees. In the high mountainous regions of the Andes, the vegetation is usually dry and for the same reason, a diet of dry plants is recommended for chinchillas living at home. Their digestive system is designed to absorb most of the dry food offered in their habitats, so the length of the intestines can reach a length of 2.5–3 m, which is quite a lot considering the size of these rodents.
Today, chinchillas are popular pets, but they require special care, so it is best to buy them from experienced pet owners who know everything about the needs of these animals.
Power supply has a very large impact on the health of chinchillas, since dental and intestinal diseases are the leading cause of death for these animals, which require more consistency in their diet than other small mammals. Because a chinchilla's microflora (the microbes that live in the intestines and play a critical role in digestion) are delicately balanced, your pet's health can be seriously compromised if it daily diet will change dramatically or you will offer him too much food.
These rodents require a lot of roughage, and their diet should mainly consist of good quality hay along with pellets made specifically for chinchillas. Any diet changes should be gradual.
What can you feed a chinchilla at home?
Food prepared specifically for chinchillas should contain 16–20% protein, 2–5% fat and 15–35% fiber. Chinchillas have special dietary requirements that differ from other rodents, and their health will suffer if they are not fed a high-quality, chinchilla-specific food.
Hay is the staple diet of chinchillas, and the main components of hay are tough, fibrous stems and grasses. They provide the bulk of the fiber. Without fiber, movement through the long intestines of these rodents can slow down or even stop completely. This dangerous condition, known as gastrointestinal stasis, often proves fatal in a very short time.
There are two types of hay intended for chinchillas. These are alfalfa hay and grass hay. The main difference between alfalfa hay and grass hay is that alfalfa has more protein and calories. There are other differences, such as differences in the ratios of phosphorus, calcium and vitamins. Grass hay is better for teeth, and alfalfa hay should be given to young animals, pregnant, lactating, and sick animals. Both types of hay can be purchased at any pet store.
In the wild, these animals are adapted to eating vegetation high in coarse fiber, so in percentage terms, chinchilla food should consist of 80-90% hay, 10% pellets and about 2% fruits or vegetables. The pellets must contain all the nutrients in the correct percentage.
Remember that the granules must be specific for chinchillas and should not contain grains and seeds, milk and dairy products, eggs, waste products, fruits and vegetables. When purchasing pellets, even if the packaging shows a chinchilla, always read the ingredients listed. Daily amount of granules for adults it is about 30 grams (two tablespoons).
Pelleted diets are better than bulk food mixtures. Bulk formulas can be balanced, but only if your chinchilla eats all parts of the mixture (and chinchillas tend to choose what they like from the mixture).
If you choose to feed these animals a free-form formula (with pellets, seeds, corn, etc.), be aware that there is a concern that feeding corn may cause digestive upset and bloating, although many chinchilla foods contain processed corn in them. as an ingredient. From a scientific point of view, little is known regarding the ideal diet for chinchillas. Perhaps because corn is starchy and likely largely indigestible for chinchillas, whole corn should be avoided as a major part of the diet.
Some of these vegetables - such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, parsley, celery and spinach should not be given frequently as they contain high levels calcium. Apart from carrots, other vegetables should be given in a dried state.
Fruits can be given as dessert in small quantities. It can be:
Preferably dried fruits, since fresh ones can lead to diarrhea. Citrus fruits should not be given.
Sticks and branches are a necessary element in any chinchilla diet. For these animals, gnawing on sticks is not only a pleasure, but also huge help in the fight against continuous tooth growth.
Make sure the wood you use has not been treated with pesticides. In addition, you should not give branches of coniferous trees, as they contain resins. The following tree species are recommended:
These types of wood do not contain resins and essential oils, which are harmful to these animals.
There should always be water in the cage, which should be changed according to at least, once a day, especially in summer.
What not to feed
Do not feed wet food musty smell hay.
Do not give acidic fruits and vegetables - lemons, grapefruit, tomatoes, etc. The digestive system of these animals Does not cope with high acidity.
Avoid corn as it will cause bloating, which is fatal in most cases. Corn is also susceptible to mold and fungi during production and storage.
Chocolate is very dangerous for animals in general and can cause damage to both the digestive and nervous systems.
It is forbidden to give meat and dairy foods. Chinchillas are strict vegetarians, and they should not be given anything other than plant foods. Otherwise, it will have serious and deadly consequences.
Be very careful when letting animals out of your cage, as many indoor plants are poisonous to this animal, especially azalea, begonia, ivy, ficus, oleander, etc.
Chinchillas are active at dawn and dusk, and although they can change their habits gradually, you need to feed them around the same time each morning and evening.
These rodents are famous beggars, and you cannot indulge their requests, since they can eat almost anything you give them.
When you hand feed your chinchilla, keep in mind that they rely most on their sense of smell as their eyes are on the sides of their head, so sometimes they may have trouble finding food or may accidentally bite your finger.
Herbs fresh or dried- can be offered 3-4 times a week a small amount of. Fruits, fresh or dried, are also offered 3–4 times a week.
Vegetables or herbs should be cut into very small pieces (1-2 pieces 2-3 times a week).
The diet of chinchillas should not be confused with the diet of rabbits, guinea pigs and other rodents.
Grains - can be offered 2-3 times a week, about 1 teaspoon.
Most foods sold in pet stores are high in sugar, fats and oils. In addition, they contain preservatives.
Because these animals love to eat and chew anything in their path and are very curious, make sure electrical cords, toxic plants, or anything breakable are kept out of reach.
What to remember when feeding your chinchilla
Fresh hay Wood and water must always be available. The water must be fresh and 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals.
A limited amount of vegetables and fruits can be given daily, but their amount should not exceed 10% of their total food.
Vegetables and fruits not eaten within 24 hours should be removed.
Consult your veterinarian if you are unsure whether you are feeding your chinchilla correctly.
Today, chinchillas are becoming increasingly popular among rodent lovers. They are purchased not only by Hollywood stars or famous people our country, but also ordinary people.
And this is not surprising, because chinchillas are very good-natured, lively and very cute creatures. Their unique silver-gray, thick and fluffy fur, very soft to the touch, will not leave anyone indifferent.
All children love chinchillas very much, because... These animals very quickly get used to people and become tame. Caring for chinchillas does not require much time and effort. The main thing is to maintain suitable indoor conditions for chinchillas, change water and food daily. You can use regular rabbit feed as feed, adding good hay. To keep it at home, you need to purchase a cage that can be placed in any cool and slightly dark place in your apartment.
At the same time, the more spacious the cage, the better. These funny animals love to “swim” in the sand. The sand cleanses their beautiful fur and also relieves tension, if there may be any. It is enough to place a sand bath in the cage once a day - and your pet will be fine.
When purchasing a chinchilla, make sure that the breeder provides you with the food that he has already accustomed the animal to, because the chinchilla may not survive a sharp and radical change in diet.
It must be remembered that there is no absolute treat for a chinchilla. What one animal really likes can easily leave another indifferent.
Whatever food, herbs, or plants you use to feed your pet, be sure to make sure that the food is clean and free of impurities or pests. If you have stored dried fruits for her, be sure to wash them and dry them thoroughly!
The basic rule when choosing food for a chinchilla: if you have any suspicion about the declared quality of food for the animal, do not buy it under any circumstances.
Do not suddenly switch the animal from kicking hay to eating grass, otherwise it will most likely develop an upset stomach.
You should always have a supply of grain mixture on hand; your diet should contain: cellulose, plant fiber, dietary fiber. You should not ignore concentrated feeds; many of them can form the main diet of an animal. And be sure to buy oilseed seeds!
What to feed Chinchillas
The process of feeding chinchillas is a very difficult, but important matter. If you feed the animal incorrectly, then there is a very high probability that the animals will begin to get sick and eventually die.
If the cause of death is precisely improper feeding, then this most often happens with novice breeders, with people who do not yet understand that this animal, like any living creature, very much depends on the means and methods of its maintenance, regularity in feeding and a properly selected diet.
But in fact, it’s quite difficult to call a chinchilla fussy. By nature, chinchillas are herbivores and they eat all parts of plants. In captivity, from the first day they get used to eating specific foods.
“Local” greens growing in the garden or at the dacha are also suitable as plant food for chinchillas grown at home.
The best grain foods for chinchillas include oats and corn. Oats can be given to animals, both whole and crushed. Oats certainly will not harm the animal, but on the contrary will improve its digestion. Corn will be coarser than oats. It should be given in mixtures. Before feeding, grains must either be crushed or soaked in water.
How to feed chinchillas correctly?
A healthy adult chinchilla should receive no more than 25-30 g of combined food and plenty of hay per day. But since this is the average value and each animal has its own norm, it is possible that your chinchilla will eat less.
You will determine this yourself as a result of nutrition monitoring, when, counting the volumes of the nutritional mixture consumed, you will see that your animal eats exactly as much as it needs, but not less than 12 g per day.
Ideally, you fill the bowl only once a day, but with the amount of food that one chinchilla eats in exactly one day. This little trick will allow you to achieve next feeding An empty feeder will be waiting for you.
If, at the next feeding, some food still remains from the previous meal, then it is better not to reuse it, but simply add less new food next time.
"Kitchen" dishes for chinchillas
I would like to say a few words in passing about “kitchen” utensils for chinchillas. Feeders designed for these animals are divided into two types - floor-mounted and hanging.
It is better to place floor-standing ones on the bottom of the cage, since the chinchilla will simply throw it off the shelf. Moreover, the heavier the floor feeder, the better.
The animal will not be able to use its “dinner plate” as a toy, chasing it like a hockey player from corner to corner. Floor feeders are easy to wash and change the food in them, and this is their big advantage. But their disadvantages include the fact that a lot of debris from the floor of the cage flies into them. Floor bowls are made from ceramics, glass, metal, and plastic.
Honestly, if such a miracle lived in my house, I would give it my cup, spoon and plate :) I want to dedicate an entire issue of articles to this animal, so I will try not to miss any details. I will be glad if you become my regular reader.