How to feed chinchillas?

Chinchilla is a friendly and beloved animal from the chinchilla squad. You can rarely meet him, but these animals are considered very intelligent and playful. Proper and balanced nutrition plays a significant role in the good mood of the animal, so today we will talk about what it is worth and not worth feeding a chinchilla.

Chinchilla in terms of nutrition is an exceptional vegetarian - the entire diet of the animal consists of plant foods. This pet is extremely picky about the quality of food, prone to selectively dividing it into tasty or not tasty. The food for this animal should consist exclusively of fresh food full of vitamins and minerals. There should be no mold or musty odor. The grass for animal feeding is collected exclusively in ecologically clean places, far from factories, plants and the roadway.

When feeding a chinchilla, it is worth keeping an eye on the amount of food provided. Not only do these animals have no idea of ​​a sense of proportion, but they also have a very capricious and weak digestive system, which can be damaged by overeating.

Particular attention should be paid to the processing of vegetables and fruits before serving them to the animal. Each fruit should be thoroughly rinsed with filtered water and dried.... Then cut into small slices so that the animal can chew them calmly.After the animal is full, immediately cleanse the cage of residues so that the food does not spoil and harm the hungry animal in the future.

Some breeders prefer to give young chinchillas exclusively compound feed for building bones and gaining strength. Also, compound feed is often given in cold seasons when it is not possible to purchase fresh hay.

The approximate diet of an adult chinchilla per day should be as follows:

• 2-3 teaspoons of compound feed;
• 5-10 grams of fresh green food;
• 30-40 grams of hay;
• additional products in the form of feed - up to 7 grams;
• water - in unlimited quantities.

It is necessary to understand the composition of the food that will have a beneficial effect on the body of your pet. Each formulation must contain the nutrients and minerals necessary for the healthy life of the animal.

The secret to feeding chinchillas is the food should not be so much varied (you cannot give the animal the same food all the time), but balanced.

The safest option for feeding a chinchilla is making your own food. Only in this case will you be completely sure of what it contains. In addition, even in spite of its apparent usefulness, the feed must be balanced and take into account the percentage of proteins and carbohydrates. The approximate ratio should be something like this: up to 20% proteins (grasses and cereals), 4-5% fats (nuts, plant seeds), up to 55% carbohydrates (legumes) and fiber - 15% (hay).

In total, this feed consists of cereals and crushed plants. If you want to pamper your pet a little or diversify its diet. It is permissible to add seeds, nuts, dried fruits, special vitamins in strictly limited quantities.

To prepare this food, you will need the following ingredients:

• independently dried dried fruits - apples, raisins, pears, carrots;
• corn grains passed through a coffee grinder;
• a small proportion of nuts and seeds;
• vitamins and supplements to improve pet health;
• legumes (beans, peas);
• grains of wheat, barley or oats will be a good help.

Products should not be stagnant and covered with fungus, mold.... It is not uncommon for chinchillas to refuse to eat food, preferring only certain tidbits. In this case, you can prepare special pellets for the animal. To make the mixture homogeneous, solid elements are crushed in a blender or coffee grinder, then mixed and passed through a meat grinder with a minced meat attachment. The granules are separated from each other, laid out on a baking sheet and placed in a warm place, where they are dried.

In cold seasons, chinchillas desperately need variety in their food, at the same time, it should be filled with vitamins and minerals as much as possible... The ideal option would be to alternate the supply of fruits and vegetables while keeping hay and proteins in the diet.

As for the weight and amount of fruit in food, there should be no more than 25 grams per day, that is, this is about one small slice of pear, a circle of carrot or a slice of apple. If you don't have fresh fruit, you can add dried fruit to your diet, it will be even better. In summer and late spring, it is worth gradually introducing green and cereal fodder into the diet.

For animals like the chinchilla, hay is part of a regular and vital diet. In addition, grass hay pillows and bedding provide the best resting place for your pet.

Grass hay contains essential fiber for chinchillas (obtained from tough and fibrous grasses), which is responsible for the digestion process. Without the necessary amount of fiber, the processes in the long intestine are inhibited, which can lead to stagnation in the digestion process. This process, with negligence in caring for animals, often leads to fatal consequences.

Chinchilla breeders distinguish between only two types of suitable hay for them: regular grass hay and alfalfa hay. The difference between these species is significant - fresh alfalfa contains more calories and protein. Such hay is usually given to young chinchillas or pregnant / lactating females to maintain and recuperate. Meanwhile, a high-quality herbal village is much more useful for the teeth of the animal. Both types of hay can be purchased at your nearest pet store. Contact only trusted sellers who deliberately grow hay for animals, and did not collect it from the nearest meadow.

In the natural environment, most of the chinchilla's diet consists precisely of hay, the rest is occupied by fruits, vegetables, and some roots. When compiling their diet, stick to the following percentage: 80-85% hay, 10-12% pellets and 2% vegetables and fruits. It is in this form that the feed will be as close as possible to the natural diet, which means it will be as useful as possible.

Advice on the selection and preparation of hay.

• When harvesting hay yourself, make sure that no dangerous plant varieties and poisonous herbs / roots are lost in it. Particular attention should be paid to horsetail, crow's eye and buttercup. Even the smallest dose of these plants can kill your animal.
• After buying hay from the store or hand-held, be sure to preheat it at home in the microwave or oven at the lowest temperature or power. This will rid the hay of bacteria, fungi and parasites.
• True signs of good hay: fresh appearance, no mold, pleasant smell, grassy, ​​without unnecessary impurities, healthy color (light green, green or pale green, depending on the grass). Despite the freshness, the hay should be dry and not wet in any way, as this is a sign that it has begun to rot.
• There is a practice of buying special compressed pellets instead of natural hay. They are believed to contain everything necessary for the healthy functioning of the animal's body. The choice of such granules should be treated with extreme caution - sellers often like to add dust and chips to their composition to gain weight, but you will not be able to check their composition.
• Before serving hay, the animal should be inspected for normal thorns and dead stems.

The most suitable hay for chinchillas is with the content of leguminous herbs, for example, alfalfa, vetch, clover. It is best absorbed and contains a lot of elements necessary for the animal: protein, phosphorus, calcium. Such hay should be harvested at the time of the formation of the very first full-fledged buds of the plant. Old and already faded plants contain half the amount of substances useful for chinchillas.

A good substitute for legumes would be varieties of cereal hay. This includes such plants as the well-known timothy, fescue, meadow bluegrass, and a combined hedgehog. In this case, the hay should contain several herbs at once. But they contain much less nutrients. Chinchilla periodically needs to change the diet and add new food to it. It is not worth feeding such an animal with the same grass or hay all year round.

Chinchillas are incredible foodies, especially when it comes to nuts and berries. The key problem with these products is that they need to be given in strictly limited quantities. Some berries - no more than 1 time per week. Nuts contain a huge amount of fat, which is harmful to any animal, especially chinchillas. Particular attention should be paid to the number of nuts in the diet, such as almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts. They should serve as additional food for the animal and provide it with the necessary proteins and fats, but should not be the main diet of the animal. In total, this should be no more than 2 nuts per week.

The same applies to the inclusion of berries in the animal's diet. As a rule, they are used as sweets or when the animal's body lacks some vitamins. In this case, you can give the animal 1-2 berries per week (rose hips or viburnum). This item does not apply to berries such as cherries and cherries, which have too high a level of acidity for chinchillas and can only be eaten dried. Famous sweet berries for chinchillas are figs, raspberries, and strawberries.

The addition of vegetables and fruits to the animal's diet should also be treated with caution. It should be said right away that most of the fruits and vegetables are preferable for chinchillas in dried form (except for carrots), since too juicy and fresh foods can lead to upsetting their intestines.

List of vegetables that should be regularly added to the animal's diet:

• cauliflower and brussels sprouts, broccoli;
• carrot;
• cucumbers;
• chicory;
• dill, parsley, spinach, mint;
• turnips and radishes;
• spinach;
• zucchini;
• green beans.

List of fruits suitable for feeding chinchilla:

• banana;
• apples;
• pineapples;
• apricots and dried apricots;
• melon;
• pears;
• papaya;
• mango.

All of these fruits should be included in the menu as a dessert, and not make up more than half of the diet.

Not all chinchilla products are necessarily harmful or useless. There are many nutritional and essential natural supplements, which are discussed below. The clear advantage of all these herbs and berries is that you can pick them yourself.

• Corn harmful to chinchillas only in excess quantities. 2-3 grains a day, and your pet's feed will be enriched with potassium, magnesium and calcium.
• Consumption carrots favorably affects the cardiovascular system, improves vision, gives the animal's fur coat a pleasant natural shine.
• Chinchillas are very fond of viburnum and plantain - these plants have a positive effect on the digestive tract. But it is worth including them in the diet very carefully - no more than 1 thing (or 1 leaf) 1-2 times a week.
• Meadow clover has a good anti-inflammatory effect, given in 2 pieces no more than 1 time per week.
• Weeping willow twigs contain a huge amount of vitamin C, but do not overdo it with the dosage - it is permissible to give the animal no more than 1 small branch once a week.
• Have rose hips many different useful properties, so it should also be added to the diet 1 time per week, 1 piece.

When growing chinchillas at home, especially without some experience, you should pay attention to such a factor as regular drinking. For chinchillas, nothing will be more useful than ordinary disinfected water with a minimum amount of chlorine. It is easy to understand that such water will be difficult to obtain from a conventional tap. That's why before supplying water, it must be properly defended, and then boiled to get rid of all harmful salts.

Absolutely all digestion processes in the animal's body take place only if there is a sufficient amount of liquid.This is especially true of young individuals who are just gaining strength. Over time, the need for a large amount of moisture disappears; with the right diet, the chinchilla will learn to get all the water it needs from the products that the owner offers.

If you do not want to worry about preparing water for chinchillas, you can buy in the store special filtered bottled water. There is no place for chlorine, salts or bacteria in it. However, you should not buy mineral water or soda, as there will be nothing good for the animal from such water.

A big problem in the supply of water is its constant pollution by animals, which is why immediately cross out any containers and feeders. The best drinkers are plastic vertical nipple drinkers that release water when a ball is pressed. Be sure to show your animal several times how to supply water, and in the future the pet will do everything on its own.

Do not leave water in the drinker that is more than two days old. it will definitely not affect the chinchilla's body favorably. The water should be at room temperature - 18 to 22 degrees Celsius. Always make sure that the animal has free access to fresh, clean water.

There are a number of foods that are not recommended for chinchillas under any circumstances. These animals have an extremely sensitive digestive system, adapted only to strictly defined food. Garlic, onions, sprouted and raw potatoes, peppers (hot varieties), legumes, tomatoes, lettuce are contraindicated.

Corn, for example, in large quantities it is likely to cause bloating, which is extremely dangerous for chinchillas. Tomatoes have extremely high acidity, which the chinchilla's body will simply not be able to digest.

Avocado (given its high fat content, this fruit is harmful to many pets), lemons, grapefruits, oranges - each of these products also has a high level of acidity. Peanuts, corn, hazelnuts, almonds, beans and beans are all given in strictly limited quantities.

Chinchillas are animals that prefer strictly vegetarian food. Buy only plant-based foods for them. Any product containing meat or milk can lead to serious intestinal problems and ultimately death.

Contrary to popular belief, chinchillas should also not be given bakery products, as well as other flour products, the same applies to pasta and cereals. Never serve fried, boiled, pickled or salted foods. This will most likely lead to the death of your pet. Other foods that are harmful to chinchillas: popcorn, common human food, chips, eggs, mushrooms. Even for the sake of fun and in minimal quantities, it is highly discouraged to give any of this.

All of the foods described above are harmful to your pet. They are rich in fats and harmful acids, which can cause obesity or intestinal problems in the animal. It often happens that it is harmful products that become real treats for chinchillas. In this case, you should not indulge your pet's desires, you need to uncompromisingly delete all these foods from his diet.

If you like to let the chinchilla walk around the apartment, then do not forget to remove all houseplants from the room. Eating home flowers such as azalea, begonia, ficus and oleander can kill the animal. These plants are extremely poisonous to chinchillas.

For information on how to feed chinchillas, see the next video.