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[TayPants]

Hi I am completely new to Chinchillas and just joined this site and I have a few questions about Chinchillas. I am getting my chinchillas this weekend and before I bring them home I want to learn more about them. My biggest question is if they can eat rabbit food. I raise rabbits and have about 35 right now and I heard that they can eat some rabbit food. Is this true?

[GrayRodent]

The only rabbit foods I know of that are safe can be found on TJ's Chinchilla Supplies. I've fed Purina Rabbit Show with good results. Most rabbit foods are not safe and should not be fed to chinchillas. You probably know this  already you should not feed fresh fruits and vegetables to chinchillas like you do rabbits. Chins should have a a diet of hay and hay based pellets and should not have access to the rabbits' veggies.

[TayPants]

I actually don't feed my rabbits vegetables and fruits because they are show rabbits and like chinchillas most fruits and vegetables cause diarrhea and other stomach problems with the rabbits. They are on a strict pellet and hay diet. I feed them Purina Rabbit Chow Show and Professional and I was hoping to be able to feed the Chins the same thing.

[GrayRodent]

Well, there you go, Purina Rabbit Chow Show has proven to be safe and actually a good diet for growing chinchillas. That's cool you show rabbits. We used to raise them for meat and bought our stock from auctions. Are you planning on breeding chinchillas for show?

[TayPants]

Awesome thank you! That saves me from buying another kind of feed. I honestly would love to breed chinchillas for show. I have been trying to find out more about chinchilla shows but I honestly can't find a lot of information. Do chinchillas have like a breed standard that says what to look for on an ideal chinchilla?

[chinclub]

I also feed the Purina Show Rabbit and have had great results with it.  Is see you feed that at the Professional.  You need to stick with JUST the Show for the chins.

Chinchillas do have a breed standard and there are are chinchilla shows.  They are usually in the winter because it is much safer to travel with them then.  There are two major organizations that host sanctioned shows:  MCBA and EMPRESS. 

Standards are still based on pelting guidelines.  The shoulders should be as wide as the hips.  The fur should stand up straight all over the body with no lay down around the hips, no swirls, parts, ect. (Although you will see parts in the fur while they are out of prime)  You only want to show a chinchilla when it is in full prime, and the best is its first prime at around  months.

There are all sorts of color rules depending on the color of your chinchilla but all should have a blueish tinge under light.  Yellow or red is bad. 

Here is an article I wrote awhile back that goes over the basics. http://www.lowcountrychinchillas.com/0804pair2.shtml

You might also find this one helpful http://www.lowcountrychinchillas.com/fur.shtml

[TayPants]

Thanks for all of the help!! 

[jmdebb]

theres one other rabbit food that is also safe/good to use, i know a rep breeder that used to use it, its the nutrina naturewise, i think its a light green bag/white.  just fyi..

and thanks for mentioning my site grayrodent