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Author Topic: Picky eaters?  (Read 2581 times)

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En.jay

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Picky eaters?
« on: February 28, 2014, 06:30:05 AM »

Ok so my chinchillas absolutely REFUSE to eat pellets. They throw them out instead of eating them. I have started mixing chinchilla food with rabbit foot (1/2&1/2) still they will eat everything but the pellets. They also have their hay and sometimes their alfalfa cubes and of course their treats on occasion but I was just wondering if anyone else has had this issue? 
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GrayRodent

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Re: Picky eaters?
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2014, 07:42:29 AM »

What brand of pellets are you using?
I had an experience where my chinchilla went off its hay when the hay was sour once but it's unusual for them to go off their pellets unless you've changed them so my first thoughts are there's something wrong with the pellets.
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En.jay

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Re: Picky eaters?
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2014, 08:09:10 AM »

Supreme Charlie Chinchilla Dry Food
Kaytee Fiesta Food for Chinchillas
Kaytee Timothy Complete Chinchilla Food
Carefresh Complete Menu Chinchilla Food
And another off brand from a local pet store.

Nothing works for them they pic everything out and leave the pellets.
If I give them just pellets they won't eat it at all.
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GrayRodent

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Re: Picky eaters?
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2014, 03:19:30 PM »

Do you have access to Mazuri or Oxbow Chinchilla Supreme pellets? Purina Rabbit Show is an alternative. I think the ones you've listed for the most part are pretty low quality or downright unhealthy for chinchillas. It may just be that the pelleted diet really isn't that good and your pets know that but they are probably just spoiled with too much junk.
It is okay to feed hay only so I'm not too concerned if they go off their pellets.

It seems that Mazuri chinchilla diet is the most recommended so if you're faced with ordering pellets I'd go with that. Until then I recommend feeding both timothy and alfalfa hays and removing the junky pellet mixes. Over time once the sugary stuff has been cut from their diet they should become more interested in the pellets. It may take a few weeks though.
You can donate the rest of it to a veterinarian (usually they take donations for animals rescues) or local animal rescue that cares for guinea pigs and/or rabbits.
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Jasonred79

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Re: Picky eaters?
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2014, 05:46:34 AM »

Oh dear.

One thing a lot of people seem to agree on is that if you give chins the "mixed food" sort of food packs, they WILL become picky and only eat the delicious parts. I bought a pack of Versailles lage chinchilla nature, opened it, took a look inside, and got rid of the whole thing. :(

The worst part is, they will eat the ones that are bad for them, and leave the ones which are necessary for their health.

If it hasn't been TOO long, I'd try to go cold turkey and give them nothing but hay and the PROPER pellets. Animals have a working survival instinct, like small children. If they're not really hungry, they will be picky about their food, but once the hunger pangs kick in, they eat whatever you put in front of them. ... Not absolutely certain that works for all chinchillas, but very few living creatures are stupid enough to starve to death when perfectly good food is in front of them, and chins are naturally highly intelligent.
...they're also intelligent enough to sulk, and throw tantrums, and go on hunger protests, though. So be wary.
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En.jay

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Re: Picky eaters?
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2014, 06:43:19 AM »

Thank you both for your advice and I am def going to try straight pellets to see if they will eat. Like I said they still get their hay and alfalfa cubes. I know they can be stubborn but I will let you know how it goes.

When I got the first one they were feeding him everything and I tried just pellets for a while but he wouldn't eat I have found some of the oxbow and have ordered it so it shouldn't be long before it gets here.
The other two sisters had been fed straight rabbit mix before I got them which I didn't agree with so that's why I was mixing it to kinda ween them off of it , like I said I haven't had the sisters very long at all.
Thanks again!!  :)
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