Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => Q & A => Topic started by: rainbowrotties on March 05, 2010, 06:23:35 PM
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Hi, everyone.
I am new on here, and I would love to sit down and read everything but I don't have that much time!!!! And I'm sure someone, somewhere may have already asked this, and so I guess if they have can someone tell me where I can find the info on here. But here goes: I am not a new chin owner, I grew up with one (my first) and we didn't know much about him, but he lived for about 6 years and we did the best we could. Then a few years ago I purchased two girls and have since added 3 more adults to my family. I have read all I can to make sure I'm doing everything right this time around (and I think my family's first chin could still be with us if we had known about hair rings..... ::cry222::: ).
Sorry I've already got off my topic :doh:. I was wondering what the best kinds of hay and the best type of food are good for chins and also ALL treats that are ok to give to them. I have heard of so many different types of good and bad things that I'm so confused now ::shrug::.
Thanks Jacqie
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hi! welcome to the forum, sounds like you have a great little family :::grins::
as for feeding and stuff, timothy hay should be in their everyday diet. you can usually find oxbow timothy hay at pet stores which is good for them. alfalfa hay can be given to them but not everyday, once in a while as a little treat. as for pellets, i feed my boys oxbow which you can find in pet stores, most pet stores also sell mazuri which is good for them as well. avoid any pellets with treats or seeds in them, just PLAIN pellets is the best. treats should be given one a day and some of the most accepted are cheerios, oats (old fashioned kind), plain shredded wheat, rosehips (crushed or whole), dried papaya, raisins (though some people don't agree since they are slightly high in suger, but they must be given in moderation). thats the list of things i give my boys. some people might have things to add. hope that helps!
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hi and welcome
i didn't ready the whole thing olivia wrote but i caught about the oxbow and mazuri in petstores..
i don't know where you live but depending on your area you can get quality food from [also] from websites. some of the other good foods are and if i leave any out, i'm sure someone will add:
kline, but i hear that is hard to get
tradition
manna pro
natriena naturewise
some of these are rabbit foods which normally you would not feed a chinchilla, but the ones on this list are safe ones.. and i think i did miss a few but i can't remember the names for the life for me.
now on treating, peronally i don't use the sugar treats, but once in a blue moon. but that is me
i like the crushed rosehips, they also come in whole [i carry the crushed]
unfrosted cherrios and shredded wheat
old fashioned oat not the instant
i also use the horse and rabbie apple treats [they are all on my site if you want to check them out] but the big ones are broken up into pieces.. the mrs p's are actually super hard, so i like that for their teeth as well.... they are safe for chins, they are mainly apple [well guess i do use sugar treats.. lol]
good luck, sorry bout your other chins.. it is hard to find the correct information at first, i'm sure you did the best you could and he was happy and lucky to have you as his mom.
jean
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What about Kaytee? I know I've read on here that their pellets are not that good but how is their hay products. And I was also wondering about bedding. I know Pine and Aspen are OK and cedar is a huge no. I've always used pine bedding and recently its been from Wal-mart (bulk packaged) but the pieces seem to be very large and I was curious to know if I should be using something smaller. My little ones are eating the pieces which I don't think is good because they are going potty on it too! I found a feed company that is very reasonable with their dog food and while I was looking around I found they carry pine shavings ( made for horses I think) and that was a bigger bag for a lot less then I'm spending now and with 6 chins I go through quite a bit. Would this be OK be purchase and use? My cages have metal pans and no wire flooring so they are walking on the bedding. ::shrug:: ::shrug:: ::shrug::
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Those pine shavings are fine. I have bought the Wal-mart pine in a pinch but with 100+ cages it was cheaper and easier to buy the bags from the feed store. The large pieces are fine. They do chew on it when you first put it in, but they stop once it is soiled. The only thing I have noticed about about the plastic bags is when you first open them they smell very strong. I usually have two bags open at a time. While I am using the one bag the other is open and airing out. When I move on to that bag I open the next one to air.
I have used Kaytee hay when I ran out but I refer to buy that also from the feed store. We are very fortunate to have a place here that sells a Timothy/alfalfa mix. That is what my chinchillas get every day. I usually replace the bale before I can use 1/2 of it, but it is still much cheaper that pet store bags. In my area most of the hay sold is Coastal Bermuda. While that is safe for chinchillas is doesn't have the same nutrients. I tried my herd on that and they began to loose weight so I wouldn't recommend it.
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Thank you very much everyone for the help! :)
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You can get hay cubes as well, they come in timothy and a mix of timothy & alfalfa. I use the mix cubes as my secondary hay.
Moms & kits get pure alfalfa, but they all love it and get it now and then.
I just shipped in a couple of pounds of rose hips, but my gang don't seem overly excited by them ::)
Large flaked oatmeal is a good treat. When ever I feed dried fruit I always give a pinch of oatmeal, or shedded wheat buscut. Counter acts the effect of the fruit, especially with the raisins.
I love that they can eat the oatmeal right out of my hand, so keep treats small if you want them to keep coming back for more.
You should see the looks on their faces when I start breaking up the raisins, so they have to stay by me. :D I bet you chins can swear. You know how much they love to snatch & run. ;D
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wow deb. i'm surprised your guys don't' like the rosehips. i thought they were one of those treats they all liked!! all mine go nuts for them, and i have some fussy ones...
did you ever try the rosebuds.. omg they love them even more!! ;)
jean
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I'll have to try them next order Jean, thanks.
I just leave them on their shelf and most will eat them at some point, but no snatch and run like with thier shredded wheat biscut. :D
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I've tried the rosehips and mine don't like them. One of my males actually throws them back out of the cage (usually at me) lol!! :2funny: raisins and Cheerios are a big hit with mine but because i give raisins so sparingly mine snatch and shove one in their mouth so fast then grab a second one out of the box before I can move it or even realize they even got one! lol, it's a good thing i make sure i get the smallest ones I can find!! ::)
can they have dandelions? One of my rescues gave me a bunch of different treats and one of them was something with dandelions (can't recall what it was exactly though lol).
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that is too funny, he throws it out of their cage.. they have such big tempers dont they..
:2funny:
i do believe dandelion is safe, but and i'm sure you don't do this.. but dont' get it yourself from outside, make sure its bought from a rep place.
[just make sure someone else says it is.. i'm like 98% positive i can't remember all the safe ones.. sorry]
jean
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That's Hilarius jac. rofl
Yes Jean I have read dandelion is safe/good for them. I eat the stuff out of my garden :D, have never tried the chins with it, except for the scattered taste they get in the garden.
As long as there is nothing sprayed on it, just wash and serve. ;)
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I was wondering, has anyone made any treats for them? I love baking and would make them some :::grins::
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::silly::
The hay and the chinchilla pellets provide the most important parts of the chinchilla diet. I have had to change feed for various reasons over the many years. I have found quality pellets are a must, but also, being able to get them in a timely manner is also a must.
At one point I used Mazuri and found it to be excellent for my chins, but next to impossible to get it delivered in bulk, in a timely manner to the local feed store (this is when I had 200+ chinchillas), so that did not work. :::((( Hungry chinchillas need food.
I then had to change over to Manna Pro Sho Rabbit ... which was good ... until they changed the formula and it no longer worked as well for my little ones ... they began to loose weight. :::(((
I have also used Traditions, which is excellent, but the mill in the next state (180 miles each way) to us shut down ... that put an end to that.
I am now using Purina Advanced formula Show Rabbit (blue label with a black and white bunny on the front), which was reccommended by a long time breeder that has over 500 chins in his herd. It is working beautifully and so far coming in on a regular basis with no problems.
I would love to feed my little ones the Shoots Chinchilla Feed, but a monthly 700 mile round trip for 1/2 ton feed is not practical.
You often have to go with what is GOOD for your chins AND is/will be constantly and readily available in your area.
Knowing what NOT to feed is as important, if not more so, as what what TO feed your little one. A food/diet that is NOT acceptable is one that does not provide the needed vitamins, nutrients and texture that your little ones need. So you usually have to do some research ... please do this before you get your chin. :) (Or a.s.a.p. if you already have your chin.)
1) I tend to stay away from those that are stored in bins and sold by the pound ... to much of a chance of contamination.
2) I also stay away from those that are packaged in clear packages ... exposure to the light drains the vitamins from the food.
3) I definitely stay away from those who are advertised as "Deluxe" and have added treats in the package ... these are made to appeal to you as being "pretty"/"looking tasteful" and/or appearing to be "special" to you the human, not for the health of your chinchilla. You are the one spending the money, so manufacturers want to appeal to your senses, which is not always the best thing for your chin.
Making treats/food for just for your chins is not as practical (unless you have 20 or more chins) as those that can be purchased. If you have a food dehydrator you can make many of the food treats ... and if you like them, that's a good excuse to make more. ::) Dried fruits such as: papaya, apple slices, banana slices, grapes, blueberries, sliced strawberries, and carrot slices ... those purchased in the stores often have a high consentration of preservatives or chemicals added.
Dried rose hips are great, as is fresh sunflower seeds from your flower garden ... as long as they have not been treated with sprays/chemicals.
Only give your chins fresh fruits and veggies from your own garden or one that you know has NOT been sprayed with chemicals. I do not trust those in most stores where fruits and veggies are available for human consumption ... most come from plants that have been sprayed at some point in their development/growth or treated to make them stay/appear fresher longer. Some that come from co-ops or specialty stores for animals, do not add the preservatives.
Fresh hay (not dried), as an occasional treat, grown under grow lights inside in the winter months is nice and practical, if you have just one to five chins to feed. :::grins::
::wave:: Jo Ann
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And I stay away from those with no expiry date and ingredients list.
Missed you Jo Ann ::kiss99::
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omg, how do i grow hay for my babies! Can I do this in a pot?
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::silly:: Yes, in a big flower pot ... the larger the area the better. ::nod:: You can get the seeds (and instructions) from your local feed store or co-op. Good drainage. On the patio in the summer months and indoors under a grow light in the winter months. Trim it as it grows or just set the cage within an inch or two of the top growth and the chins will pull it into their cage. Only a few minutes each day ... fresh hay has much more moisture in it! :::grins::
Hint: Hay, like chinchillas, does do best with a bit of fresh air daily.
::wave:: Jo Ann
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i haven't made any treats.. but i have been wanting to for some time.. i can't wait.. hay and food will be the main ingredients, not sure what else i'll put in.. hmmmm
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If you come up with something let me know. Something slightly chewy but crunchy seems like a good thing. I figure some alfalfa in the food processor with something else maybe mana calf or something. A little bit of sweet (like a few raisins) to help glue it together. If someone figures something out let me know!
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If you come up with something let me know. Something slightly chewy but crunchy seems like a good thing. I figure some alfalfa in the food processor with something else maybe mana calf or something. A little bit of sweet (like a few raisins) to help glue it together. If someone figures something out let me know!
i've heard alot of people use i think it's molasses to hold it together, but of course not alot.i have a recipe actually someplace.. i bookmarked it from another forum. i've just been very lazy in trying it but i should.. maybe you are just the kick in the butt i need to try a recipe... i dont' have any calf manna, so i can't use that. but umm. yah give me a few days i will definately try something out!!! today i have to go visit my friend in the hospital she had hip surgery... so maybe in a few days...
jean
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No problem, it would just be interesting to come up with something that would be safe and yummy for them.
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Yogurt might work too. ;)
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okay.. so this is what i did. i took all the foods they eat [i mix three types] and let them soak in water. then i put in a mixer: red clover, hibisicus, mint, and dandelion, i forgot to get the molasses, so i used a bit of corn syrup but not much at all, i used alot of water [britta filered] to make it all wet and mix it all together. i also put in alittle alpha hay..
i cooked them a bit too long so they got a little [clears throat] burned, but they still ate them... and when you pick them up, they break apart.
so.... don't think i will do it again. even tho they liked them, i'm just not happy how they came out.. i would rather have somethign that doesn't crumble when you pick it up and quite frankly, i don't know what to use to keep the batter together.
if anyone else tries it and they come out can you pm [cuz i might not see it here] and let me know..
thanks
jean
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I think it's crumbing because there wasn't enough glue. I just thought about this but what about oatmeal (not instant) Would this help it come out more like an oatmeal cookie?
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so let me get this right,you can feed rabbit pellets to chinchillas? also is kaytee ok or not? we dont have a lot of options around here so i was just wondering. thanks
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Where do you live?
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There are some show rabbit pellets that are acceptable for chins. Only if you can not get a decent chinchilla pellet.
If your only choice is pet shop" Total chinchilla diet" than a quality "Show Rabbit Pellet" is the next best.
You would have to find the best feed available in your are.
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i am from wisconsin. most of what we have is kaytee or vita kraft or nutri phase.
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I went on the mazuri website, they have a dealer locator type in your zip there are a lot of dealers there.
https://www.mazuri.com