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[Zee12]

I never see my chinchilla's eating, and I was wondering if they ever eat at all. They are 2 females 1 ebony and 1 mosaic. Should I hand feed them pellets and how much food should they have per day?

[chicosmama]

How long have you had them? They may just be shy. Mine hardly touches pellets and doesn't eat a lot of hay anymore. I think it's because he is extremely active and isn't old and grumpy and hungry just yet. 

[Jenova]

The best thing to do is monitor the amount of food in the bowl, or better yet weigh the food before you put it in and after 24 hours. However they could just be throwing it around so an even better idea is to weigh your chinchillas and monitor them.

I was given some advice by the breeder I got Chong from that if they stopped eating temp them with food with treats in, the kind that are shunned for being bad. She said it should only be used in an emergency and not for very long, just a day or so.

Anyway, that's my advice, it may not be the best. 

Try hand feeding a raisin too. Chins can't resist raisins.

[Zee12]

Hey thanks for the great advice!! I'll try just that then because it was a great help to me! By the way my chins are 5 months old but I've had them for 3 days. Also, are any kind of raisins fine because I have these cranberyy raisins (Crasiins) and I wanted to know if they'll eat those.

[Abby W.]

It depends on the chin.  I have some that go nuts for craisins, and some that won't touch them. 

[BrightEyed]

It may just take a while to get them used to things. Mine all were light eaters at first but are great eaters now. I didn't like giving mine raisins everyday and read several places that a peice of shredded wheat cereal (without frosting) is a great treat and my chins love them now. Raisins are a special treat only- once a week. It seems to have helped their digestion. I give them a peice of shredded wheat cereal when I have tended to them before I go to bed and they get it at the same time so all you hear is them munching away together. Very cute 

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Take it very easy on the treats with kits, as there little systems are just developing.
You want to get them into good eating habits at this age or thay may refuse to eat their pellets.
Get a measuing spoon or scoop, I use a 2 tablespoon scoop.A five month old will only eat about 1-2 tablespoons per day, and if you give them to many treats they won't have room for the pellets.
By the time they are full grown, 12-18 months they can eat any where from 2 tablespoons[for say a 500 grammer} to 6 tablespoons per day.{for a 1000 grammer} + hay. Their tummies are tiny so keep the treats limited, or they will not get the nutrition and grinding they need to be healthy.