Contents
South America has long remained an isolated continent, which has formed a very special flora and fauna. South American animals are very different from the fauna of other continents. Chinchillas are no exception.
The digestive system of these alpine animals was formed in a harsh arid climate. Chinchillas are adapted to eating very coarse and dry food and cannot digest juicy food at all. As a result of domestication, the digestive system of animals has changed enough to be able to digest high quality hay. Although today the preferred food is dry stems of cereal plants, which are usually called straw.
And today, at home, the main food for chinchillas is hay. But hay in urban areas is often impossible to find. Chinchilla owners succumb to the assurances of sellers in pet stores and buy rabbit feed or mixtures for guinea pigs for animals. In fact, chinchilla pellets should only be suitable for chinchillas. This animal has a very delicate gastrointestinal tract and a weak liver. The internal organs of chinchillas are often unable to cope with food for productive animals.
If there are no special granules, animals can be given a grain mixture of flakes of various cereals. The disadvantage of pellets, grain mix and even meadow hay is that all these components of the diet are too bland. Chinchilla teeth are adapted to eating very hard food and are constantly growing. If the animal cannot grind down its teeth, “hooks” form on its teeth, which injure the tongue and cheeks and prevent the animal from eating.
Therefore, one of the components that can be given to chinchillas in addition to food are the branches and trunks of fruit trees.
You can not give:
- cherry
- plum;
- peach;
- cherry;
- apricot;
- bird cherry;
- branches of other tree species from the plum genus.
All these tree species contain a significant dose of hydrocyanic acid in the bark and leaves. Under the influence of gastric juices, hydrocyanic acid decomposes, turning into cyanide. Even dry leaves are dangerous. That is why chinchillas should not be given branches of stone fruit trees.
Mulberry branches and trunks are very suitable. It is believed that branches of apple and pear trees can also be given to chinchillas. Apples and pears also contain hydrocyanic acid in seeds, but the concentration of the substance in the branches is much lower.
For grinding incisors, chinchillas are placed special mineral stones, but these stones do not allow grinding molars, on which “hooks” are formed. That is why chinchillas must have branches and tree trunks with bark in the cage. Chewing very hard food can grind back teeth.
Nutrition for chinchillas at home – it is better to do it yourself
The nutrition of chinchillas at home is very different from the diet of their wild relatives. At first glance, it seems that everything is the same: dry grass, dried (fallen) berries, grains of cereal plants. In fact, domestic chinchilla eats other plants with a different chemical composition, and this creates additional difficulties in compiling a complete diet.
You can try to buy full-fledged granules in a pet store. But chinchillas, having ceased to be exotic in the apartment, are still little-known creatures for the industry. Therefore, it is easier to find rabbit food in a pet store. Even if you managed to buy food for chinchillas, there is no guarantee that this product really contains all the ingredients necessary for South American animals. Because of this, experienced chinchilla breeders are forced to make their own diet for their animals and make grain mixtures on their own. And knowing what a chinchilla eats at home will not be superfluous at all.
Hay
Chinchillas have a very long intestine, in which fiber is decomposed and absorbed. For normal digestion, animals need a large amount of roughage. And the coarser the hay, the better. A chinchilla needs from 20 to 30 g of hay per day, but this should be a top quality product.
Mold or the smell of mycelium coming from hay is unacceptable. Yellow hay means it has been exposed to rain during drying. This means that such hay can be contaminated with molds. Gray and black hay is unsuitable for chinchillas. It is better not to bring dusty hay into the house, so as not to become infected with aspergillosis, since dust is actually mold spores.
Quality hay should be green and have a pleasant smell. In the absence of hay within availability, it can be partially replaced with grass meal. This is alfalfa dried by a special technology and powdered. A little dry alfalfa is also added to the diet of animals as a source of protein. This is a good food for an old individual, but eating only flour will not grind down the teeth, which will lead to problems with the oral cavity. Therefore, if, in addition to grass flour, a chinchilla cannot be provided with straw, it must be given tree branches without fail.
The advantage of hay over grass flour is also that the animal can be provided with a round-the-clock activity. Coarse, low-nutrient hay can be given ad libitum to animals. With the constant availability of free food, the chinchilla will not eat more than she needs.
Grain
Special pellets can be given as grain feed. Quality granules will be green. But this color means a large percentage of alfalfa contained in the granules. The second option is to make the grain mixture yourself. Chinchillas can be given a mixture of whole grains or flakes. Experienced chinchilla breeders do not recommend feeding animals with whole grains, as sometimes the grain is stored in poor conditions, and when buying on the market there is no way to determine the quality of the product.
Feeding chinchillas with flakes is safer for animals, since grain undergoes high-temperature processing during the manufacture of flakes.
For the manufacture of the mixture are suitable:
- buckwheat;
- wheat;
- barley;
- corn;
- oats.
You can also add some pea flakes as a substitute for alfalfa hay.
If an animal can be given free access to hay, then with regard to concentrates, there is a rule how many times a day a chinchilla should be fed with grain feed. Since these are nocturnal animals, they are given grain mixture once a day at night. The norm for one head is 1 teaspoon per day.
The norm is approximate. The exact amount is determined experimentally. You can start with a heaping teaspoon. Animals do not need more grain, but if they do not eat this norm, the amount of grain must be reduced.
Chinchillas are better underfed than overfed. If there is less hay than necessary, the amount of grain will not be critical.
You can also add seeds, milk thistle and red millet to the grain mixture. But flax is better not to give. It is believed that flax improves the quality of wool, but it also has a lot of oil. In addition, raw flax seeds contain hydrocyanic acid.
Vitamin and mineral premixes for fur-bearing animals are also added to the grain mixture. Or vitamins specifically designed for chinchillas are added to food. The dosage is usually indicated on the package. In premixes, the dosage is usually given in terms of grams of premix per kilogram of fur feed, as premixes are intended for use on farms.
Granules
This is a separate issue, since the manufacturer often claims granules as a complete diet for chinchillas. Theoretically, this is how it should be. The basis of the granules is herbal flour. Also, the composition of the granules should include grain feed and all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal life of the animal. If you managed to find high-quality granules, we can assume that the problem with chinchilla food has been solved.
In this case, in addition to pellets, animals will only need tree branches to grind their teeth. Fruit and berry dressing in this case will serve as a dessert for the animal. Given that chinchillas need to grind their teeth, about 30% of the diet will be tree branches as roughage and treats. The remaining 70% of the diet will come from pellets.
The digestive systems of these animals differ from the gastrointestinal tract of chinchillas. In addition, “forbidden” sunflower seeds are often added to rabbit pellets. This supplement helps the rabbit gain weight before slaughter. It is clear that the state of the rabbit’s liver in this case does not bother anyone.
Diet Supplements
Hay and grain are the main components in the nutrition of chinchillas. But to make up for the missing elements, animals are given a little bit of dried berries, vegetables and fruits. From berries, rodents can be given:
- rose hips;
- barberry;
- blueberries;
- hawthorn.
The rules are very small. Rosehip can be given one berry per day, 1-2 barberries or blueberries. Also, as a top dressing, chinchillas can be given leaves and branches of blueberries.
Juicy food leads to indigestion and diarrhea in chinchillas. Therefore, even carrots, apples and pears are given to them only dried and not more than one slice per week.
Also, animals can be given pumpkin and melon seeds. Norm for pumpkin seeds: 1-5 per week per chinchilla. It is believed that pumpkin seeds can get rid of worms.
Chinchillas have a very weak liver, not adapted to the absorption of fatty acids, which are found in abundance in nuts and oilseeds. When feeding these animals with nuts, they may have a very beautiful skin, but their lifespan will be reduced from 20 years to 5-6.
Dry herbs and flowers
Also an additive to the diet of chinchillas. Herbs and flowers are also given in dried form. From the flowers, you can give echinacea and calendula. Dried nettles will be useful. There is more protein in nettle than in alfalfa and it may well replace alfalfa hay. Also, nettle can be given instead of carrots due to the large amount of provitamin A. But keep in mind that nettle has the ability to thicken the blood, and in large quantities this herb will have a bad effect on the health of animals. This is especially true for puppies. Due to the lack of oxygen, which too thick blood can not supply the placenta, puppies can die in the womb.
If it is necessary to change the food, the new one is introduced by mixing with the old one and gradually increasing the proportion of the new product. When buying a chinchilla, it is better to ask the seller for a supply of food for a week, since with a sharp change in food, the animal may die.
Water
When kept in a city apartment, this moment must be given special attention. Due to the requirements for water disinfection, liquid directly from the tap is not very suitable for chinchillas. Especially in those regions where water is still disinfected with chlorine. Before giving such water to animals, it must be defended in order to get rid of chlorine compounds. And then boil, removing excess salt.
If you do not want to take risks, you can buy bottled drinking water in a regular store. Now there is an opinion that such water is even worse than tap water, but there are no chlorine and bacteria in bottles. In the case of chinchillas, this is the main thing.
To prevent chinchillas from polluting the water, it is better to use nipple drinkers. Such drinkers are closed on almost all sides, and in order to get drunk from it, you need to move the locking ball.
What not to give chinchillas
Even if the pet begs for something from the table, you need to remember that the chinchilla is a herbivore. In nature, they can eat small insects, but this does not mean that they can be fed meat. Therefore, the number of forbidden delicacies for chinchillas includes:
- any animal protein, including eggs. The exception is milk powder, but it is also for chinchillas on the farm;
- all dairy products;
- any flour and bakery products;
- potatoes;
- fresh vegetables;
- beetroot, even dry, as it has a laxative effect;
- mushrooms;
- any spoiled chinchilla food.
The diet of chinchillas is much stricter than that of humans. She can not eat any food from the human table.
Conclusion
With already little experience, compiling a diet for a chinchilla is not difficult. The main thing to remember is that we give all the treats to animals not for their sake, but for our own sake. Wanting to show your love. The animal itself does not need this and will not be offended if its owner does not experiment with various products.