Proper feeding of chinchillas at home. What does a chinchilla eat at home?

Today, chinchillas are becoming increasingly popular among rodent lovers. They are purchased not only by Hollywood stars or famous persons of our country, but also by ordinary people.

And this is not surprising, because chinchillas are very good-natured, lively and very cute creatures. Their unique silver-gray, thick and fluffy fur, very soft to the touch, will not leave anyone indifferent.

All children love chinchillas very much, because... These animals very quickly get used to people and become tame. Caring for chinchillas does not require much time and effort. The main thing is to maintain suitable indoor conditions for chinchillas, change water and food daily. You can use regular rabbit feed as feed, adding good hay. To keep it at home, you need to purchase a cage that can be placed in any cool and slightly dark place in your apartment.

At the same time, the more spacious the cage, the better. These funny animals love to “swim” in the sand. The sand cleanses their beautiful fur and also relieves tension, if there may be any. It is enough to place a sand bath in the cage once a day - and your pet will be fine.

When purchasing a chinchilla, make sure that the breeder provides you with the food that he has already accustomed the animal to, because the chinchilla may not survive a sharp and radical change in diet.

It must be remembered that there is no absolute treat for a chinchilla. What one animal really likes can easily leave another indifferent.

Whatever food, herbs, or plants you use to feed your pet, be sure to make sure that the food is clean and free of impurities or pests. If you have stored dried fruits for her, be sure to wash them and dry them thoroughly!

The basic rule when choosing food for a chinchilla: if you have any suspicion about the declared quality of food for the animal, do not buy it under any circumstances.

Do not suddenly switch the animal from kicking hay to eating grass, otherwise it will most likely develop an upset stomach.

You should always have a supply of grain mixture on hand; your diet should contain: cellulose, vegetable fiber, alimentary fiber. You should not ignore concentrated feeds; many of them can form the main diet of an animal. And be sure to buy oilseed seeds!

What to feed Chinchillas

The process of feeding chinchillas is a very difficult, but important matter. If you feed the animal incorrectly, then there is a very high probability that the animals will begin to get sick and eventually die.

If the cause of death is precisely improper feeding, then this most often happens with novice breeders, with people who do not yet understand that this animal, like any living creature, very much depends on the means and methods of its maintenance, regularity in feeding and properly selected diet.

But in fact, it’s quite difficult to call a chinchilla fussy. By nature, chinchillas are herbivores and they eat all parts of plants. In captivity, from the first day they get used to eating specific foods.

As plant food For chinchillas grown at home, “local” greens growing in the garden or at the dacha are also suitable.

The best grain foods for chinchillas include oats and corn. Oats can be given to animals, both whole and crushed. Oats certainly will not harm the animal, but on the contrary will improve its digestion. Corn will be coarser than oats. It should be given in mixtures. Before feeding, grains must either be crushed or soaked in water.

How to feed chinchillas correctly?

A healthy adult chinchilla should receive no more than 25-30 g of combined food and plenty of hay per day. But since this average value and each animal has its own norm, it is possible that your chinchilla will eat less.

You will determine this yourself as a result of nutrition monitoring, when, counting the volumes of consumed nutritional mixture, you will see that your animal eats exactly as much as it needs, but not less than 12 g per day.

Ideally, you fill the bowl only once a day, but with the amount of food that one chinchilla eats in exactly one day. This little trick will ensure that the next time you feed, an empty feeder will be waiting for you.

If at the next feeding some food still remains from the previous meal, then it is better not to reuse it, but simply add less new food next time.

"Kitchen" dishes for chinchillas

I would like to say a few words in passing about “kitchen” utensils for chinchillas. Feeders designed for these animals are divided into two types - floor-mounted and hanging.

It is better to place floor-standing ones on the bottom of the cage, since the chinchilla will simply throw it off the shelf. Moreover, the heavier the floor feeder, the better.

The animal will not be able to use its “dinner plate” as a toy, chasing it like a hockey player from corner to corner. Floor feeders are easy to wash and change the food in them, and this is their big advantage. But their disadvantages include the fact that a lot of debris from the floor of the cage flies into them. Floor bowls are made from ceramics, glass, metal, and plastic.

Honestly, if such a miracle lived in my house, I would give it my cup, spoon and plate :) I want to dedicate an entire issue of articles to this animal, so I will try not to miss any details. I will be glad if you become my regular reader.

Once you know what your chinchilla eats, you can feed it correctly, and your pet will always be healthy and vigorous. It is not difficult to keep this animal, the main thing is to buy only quality feed and create a varied diet. Let's look at what it eats.

What do chinchillas eat at home?

They are herbivores, so most of their diet consists of grasses. Chinchillas also eat fruits and vegetables, but not more than 30 g per day. They are given carrots, apples, celery and parsley. In spring and summer, remnants of greenery must be removed. In winter, instead of greenery, the animal eats hay. Up to 60 g are consumed per day, the remains serve as bedding.

Chinchilla at home eats greens, grain feed, vegetables and fruits

To ensure your animal grows healthy, add granulated food to the feeder. A tablespoon of this nutritional mixture is consumed per day.

Meals at home:

1. Rough food. This is well-dried hay from cereals and meadow grasses, as well as moth plants.
2. Juicy food. These are grass, vegetables and fruits. The rodent loves alfalfa, lettuce, spinach, raspberries and chicory, as well as oat and wheat sprouts. Alternate plants so that the animal does not get used to one. Don't give cabbage, it causes bloating.
3. Nutrient mixtures. The food is sold in pet stores, or you can prepare it yourself. This is a mixture of cereals enriched with vitamins and microelements. It contains oats, wheat, barley, buckwheat, peas, corn, as well as flax seeds and wheat bran. You cannot feed one type of grain.

There are grain feeds with dried fruits in whole or granular.

Grains and vegetables are important for normal digestion. The granules contain easily digestible carbohydrates. Vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber. To improve metabolism, give twigs of birch, oak or pear.

What can chinchillas eat besides regular food?

Animals love to eat. In addition to the main food, animals are given the following products:

• dried fruits (raisins and dried apricots);
• dried apples;
• legumes;
• seeds;
• bread;
• barberry and rose hips;
• cracker;
• nuts (in small quantities);
• clover and dandelion leaves.

Before serving, the products are crushed and washed if necessary. Don't feed too many potatoes and beets, even though your chinchilla loves these vegetables.

Chinchillas, although they are rodents, are not omnivores. When buying an animal, you need to understand that its health will completely depend not only on the right conditions maintenance, but also from proper feeding. Therefore, every breeder should know what can be given to chinchillas, and what foods are prohibited and even dangerous.

Prohibited Products

Persimmons are prohibited for feeding. This fruit, useful for humans, is rich in iodine, which is contraindicated for animals. In addition to iodine, persimmons contain a lot of sugar and astringents, which will lead to constipation.

The root vegetable is healthy, but has a laxative effect. IN in rare cases small pieces of beets can be given for constipation. Any type of cabbage leads to strong gas formation. Chinchillas love to feast on tea rose petals - they taste pleasant and have an attractive aroma. If flowers are grown in your own garden, there is no danger, but it is better not to give store-bought ones. They contain a lot of pesticides and chemicals that can cause serious poisoning.

When preparing tree branches for the winter, it is worth remembering which species are dangerous and unsuitable for feeding. Branches of which trees cannot be harvested:

• Apricot,
• white acacia,
• Beech,
• Ash leaf maple,
• Common buckthorn
• Cedar,
• Chestnut,
• Branches of any citrus species,
• Cypress,
• Elderberries,
• Cherries,
• Cherries,
• Branches of any coniferous species,
• Holly,
• Hydrangeas,
• Juniper,
• Common maple
• Myrta,
• Oleander,
• Plums.

Oak bark and twigs can only be given to animals suffering from diarrhea. In healthy animals they cause severe constipation.

Branches of stone fruit trees (cherry, cherry, plum, and so on) are dangerous because they contain a dangerous cyanide compound, as a result of the breakdown of which hydrocyanic acid is formed in the chinchilla’s body. If you feed an animal with such twigs, you can get not only severe poisoning, but also the rapid death of your pet.

Prohibited products also include any type of honey, as well as store-bought cottage cheese and fermented milk products.

Not all breeders know that chinchillas should not be given leaves, stems and flowers. indoor plants. Most of them are poisonous to the animal and very often cause death.

It is also not recommended to give any food from a person's table. Everything that is normal and familiar, even useful for people, for a chinchilla becomes the cause of digestive problems, allergies, obesity and others. serious illnesses. The animal will never refuse tasty and aromatic food and can eat a piece of cake, cheese, meat or fish. However, such food is not normal and familiar to the stomach. fluffy pet. A possible consequences very sad.

Foods that can be given in limited quantities

Many breeders argue about the need or possibility of feeding these types of products to the animal. However, in small quantities they bring more benefits.

The first such product is nuts. Chinchillas simply love them. Nuts contain a lot useful microelements, vitamins, acids and amino acids. The danger is that nuts can cause allergies, diarrhea and provoke the development of obesity. However, once a week you can offer your pet tasty treat — walnuts, almonds, peanuts or hazelnuts. The main thing is that there should only be one nut.

A lot of controversy arises about seeds. They contain a large number of fatty acids and those who are involved in breeding and exhibitions know what positive influence seeds have an effect on the condition of the fur and appearance animal. However, an excess of seeds in the diet can lead to obesity and problems with the stomach. Chinchillas can be given some pumpkin or watermelon, sunflower or flax seeds. It is very important to remember that the seeds must be fresh. Roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds will cause constipation and poisoning.

Dried fruits are most often used as a treat. If you really want to treat your animal to a piece of raisins or dried apricots, give it no more than once a week and only in small quantities.

Any type of dried fruit has a number of very useful substances for humans, but for chinchillas they are not entirely suitable. Raisins are too sweet and can cause problems with your sugar levels. Most often, raisins are given to sick animals that refuse to eat or to a female who has just given birth. Prunes have a strong laxative effect and you can only give a small piece if you are constipated.

It is better not to give candied fruits and berries - the animals eat them with great joy, but such products contain too much sugar and too little useful components. You can treat your pet canned pineapples or papaya. However, it is better to avoid such experiments. The chinchilla's intestines are very delicate and no one can predict in advance about the reaction to the new kind treats.

Breeders also argue about the acceptability of feeding crackers. It is not recommended to give fresh bread to animals - it often leads to the formation of gases, but fresh crackers, especially from yeast-free bread, can be a good treat.

Authorized Products

The list of foods that can be given to chinchillas is quite large. Animals can be fed fruits:

• Bananas,
• Apples,
• Pears,
• Figs
• Vegetables:
• Pumpkin,
• Milk corn,
• Bell pepper,
• Kohlrabi,
• Zucchini,
• Zucchini,
• Kohlrabi,
• Patissons,
• Ripe red tomatoes.

Roots:

• Carrot,
• Jerusalem artichoke.

• Rose hip,
• Strawberry,
• Blueberry,
• Strawberries.

Greenery:

• Lettuce leaves,
• spinach leaves,
• Clover,
• Alfalfa,
• sorrel leaves,
• Dandelion leaves and stems,
• Celery,
• Chicory,
• Cornflowers,
• Vika,
• Common nettle,
• Sagebrush,
• Raspberry leaves and stems
• Strawberry leaves and stems
• Plant tops,
• Twigs with leaves of apple, pear,
• Birch and linden branches,
• Hazelnut sprigs.

Cereals:

• Corn (corn grains are part of the feed mixture and are given in ground form),
• Barley (given in ground form),
• Wheat (grains and bran),
• Oats (grains, bran, flakes),
• Millet,
• Buckwheat,

• Peas,
• Beans,
• Red and white beans,
• Lentils.

Apples, pears, as well as carrots, pumpkins, zucchini, berries can be given to animals both fresh and dried.

Some chinchillas are more willing to eat dried foods, and they are also safer for the digestive tract.

It is recommended to collect fresh grass for furry pets in places far from roads and landfills, walking pets and industrial enterprises. It is not recommended to feed grass that is wet from dew or rain. And also carefully monitor that there are no poisonous plants among other weeds.

When organizing food, it is not enough to know what you can feed a chinchilla and what you cannot feed. Proper feeding- this also means maintaining a diet, keeping feeders and drinkers clean, as well as understanding the peculiarities of the animal’s digestion. First and foremost important rule- there should always be hay in the cage, as well as drinking water. Feeders and drinkers must be clean. To do this, they must be disinfected regularly (at least twice a week) with boiling water. Wooden feeders It’s better not to use them - they absorb odors and become sources of mold and mildew. Preference should be given to ceramic ones, which attach well to the cage and are easy to clean.

Chlorhexidine can be a disinfectant for the entire cage - it kills germs well and is odorless, but it is better not to use it for drinkers and feeders. Some breeders use it as disinfectant and regular laundry soap. You can also wipe the drinking bowls and feeders, as well as the cage, with alcohol. It is also necessary to keep the cage clean because sometimes the animal prefers to eat on the rest area or even in the house. Many owners have noticed how a chinchilla takes a piece of food and runs for cover.

It is also important to ensure that all feed is fresh, clean, and free of dust, rot, and mold. It is recommended to buy ready-made food only from trusted pet stores. All succulent food, as well as lettuce or spinach, must be washed well before being given to the animal. Branches and bark of trees that are offered to your pet must be well dried and free of traces of insect activity.

Vegetables and fruits intended for chinchillas must be washed and cut into convenient small pieces.

It is necessary to feed your pet at the same time, and all leftover food is removed from the feeder the next day. It is most preferable to feed roughage in the evening, and succulent feed in the morning. If the chinchilla is reluctant to eat, you should change the food. First reason poor appetite- monotonous food. New types of feed should be introduced gradually and little by little. If you are not sure whether chinchillas can eat this or that type of product, it is better to abandon it altogether and add something that the animal has already tried and eats with pleasure.

Chinchillas are unusual and quite popular pet rodents, characterized by excellent health and a long lifespan. Feeding chinchillas at home is not easy and very important question especially for beginner chinchilla breeders. Improper feeding negatively affects reproductive function, the appearance of expensive fur and general health animals, sometimes errors in nutrition cause the death of furry animals.

Before getting an exotic rodent, you need to thoroughly understand what to feed your chinchilla at home, what foods should form the basis of the animal’s diet, and what you can and cannot treat your beloved pet with.

IN wildlife chinchillas feed on bark, flowers, twigs of bushes and sparse low-growing plants of mountainous terrain, which is the natural habitat of South American rodents. The nutritional value of mountain grasses is much higher than the usual hay produced for chinchillas. Therefore, the diet of a domestic chinchilla should be more varied and balanced than that of wild animals, and include not only carefully selected grasses and hay, but concentrated feed, fruits, berries and vitamin supplements.

Diet of domestic chinchillas

The diet of pets is as close as possible to the composition and quality of food that chinchillas eat in nature, taking into account the need of small rodents for proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Failure to comply with the proportions of nutrients, vitamins and mineral supplements in the diet of chinchillas has an extremely negative effect:

• on the growth and formation of the skeleton of a domestic animal;
• quality of wool;
• reproductive, digestive, immune and excretory functions of the body.

Considering the inactivity of pets, you should correctly calculate the amount of food consumed in order to avoid the development of obesity in cute animals. You can feed your chinchilla a relatively small amount of food, provided it contains all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and microelements in the required proportions.

At home, it is necessary to use not only hay and combined feeds that chinchillas eat to feed small animals, but also introduce mandatory additional products: fresh and dried herbs, berries and fruits, twigs, vitamin and mineral supplements.

Balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates

When compiling daily ration for chinchillas, it is necessary to take into account the animal’s daily need for proteins, fats, carbohydrates in percentage, time of year, age and physiological state of the animal.

Squirrels are necessary for furry rodents to regenerate cells of all animal organ systems. Chinchillas have a relatively low need for proteins and amino acids; during the day, you can give chinchillas about 20% of protein feeds, which are responsible for the shine and elasticity of luxurious fur, this can be alfalfa flour or hay, oilseeds, milk, legumes, cereals and nuts . A lactating or pregnant female should consume additional protein foods of animal origin for correct formation organ systems of the young and breastfeeding. These include: cottage cheese, meat and bone meal, milk granules, milk, kefir.

Fats in the diet of pets should be contained in a minimum amount, about 4%, they are responsible for the proper development of small chinchillas, the condition of fluffy fur and skin, and are a source of energy. To meet the fat requirements, exotic rodents are given nuts, cakes and oilseeds in their diet.

Carbohydrates– a source of energy and the main component in the diet of domestic chinchillas. They account for about 35% of the daily feed and 30% of the crude fiber necessary to maintain intestinal motility and eliminate waste. Feeding chinchillas is based on the use of cereal hay, grains, herbs, vegetables and fruits, rich in plant fibers with a low content of protein and fat.

Balance of vitamins and minerals

In addition to food, pets must receive vitamin supplements and mineral supplements. The deficiency or absence of which negatively affects the formation of the skeleton and muscle tissue small animals, the quality of fur and the coordinated functioning of all organ systems of rodents. Often vitamin deficiency is the cause of serious illnesses in pets.

Vitamin A (carotene)

Required for:

• proper formation of dental and bone tissue;
• responsible for the functioning of the visual organs;
• immune system;
• metabolism;
• condition of skin and fur.

A lack of this vitamin in a chinchilla’s diet leads to:

• to deterioration of immunity;
• hair loss;
• decreased reproductive function;
• frequent morbidity in domestic rodents.

To replenish vitamin A, you can feed your chinchilla:

• corn;
• alfalfa;
• carrots;
• pumpkin;
• bananas;
• green salad and spinach.

B vitamins

Thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid participate:

• in metabolism;
• formation of a fat layer;
• regulate the functioning of the nervous system and liver;
• in the development of a growing organism;
• as a coat.

A lack of these vitamins leads to:

• to impotence and pregnancy pathologies;
• nervous disorders;
• liver diseases.

It is recommended to add to the main food that a chinchilla eats:

• oat and wheat germs;
• cereals;
• fresh vegetables and fruits;
• beans, peas, chickpeas;
• bananas;
• yeast;
• milk;
• offal;
• wholemeal flour.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Required for:

• responsible for the functioning of the immune system;
• blood clotting;
• cell regeneration.

A lack of vitamin is manifested by a decrease in the animals’ resistance to diseases. To meet the animal's needs for ascorbic acid can be given to a chinchilla:

• parsley;
• sorrel;
• rose hip;
• potato.

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

Responsible for the functioning of the immune system and reproductive system. Lack of tocopherol leads to:

• aspermia;
• impotence;
• pathological pregnancy and childbirth;
• congenital diseases of newborn puppies.

Vitamin E is found in:

• almonds;
• celery;
• parsley;
• corn;
• walnuts.

Minerals

Calcium, phosphorus and potassium are involved:

• in metabolism;
• construction of bone and dental tissue;
• are responsible for the functioning of the immune, protective, nervous and cardiovascular systems.

A lack of minerals is manifested by rickets in young animals and diseases of chinchillas.

Minerals contain:

• bone flour;
• parsley;
• dandelion;
• celery;
• apples;
• wheat;
• beans;
• beans.

Microelements

The chinchilla's body needs sulfur, copper, iron, cobalt, magnesium, zinc, the deficiency of which manifests itself:

• anemia;
• loss and deterioration of wool quality;
• nervous disorders;
• decreased reproductive function.

To meet the micronutrient needs of a rodent, you can eat:

• bran;
• wheat and oat sprouts;
• cereals;
• various greens;
• nuts.

A good option is to use vitamin supplements and mineral supplements designed for chinchillas, taking into account daily requirement animal.

Some owners believe that everything that smart rodents eat cannot be harmful to the chinchilla’s body, and furry animals are able to independently identify harmful and healthy foods. This insidious misconception sometimes results in the death of pets as a result of eating prohibited foods.

How to feed a chinchilla: food features

Particular attention must be paid to the quality of the feed used.

Do not feed your chinchilla spoiled food, wet or moldy hay or grass. These foods cause upset and inflammation gastrointestinal tract, and often sudden death pet as a result of bloating of the stomach or intestines.

If you run out of food for chinchillas or special hay, you can feed the animal with berries, vegetables, fruits, independently collected and carefully prepared herbs.

The pet menu should consist of the following main ingredients:

1. Basis: home-made concentrated feed or hay and drinking water.
2. Plant supplements are used in doses: green fresh and dried herbs, berries, fruits, wheat and oat sprouts.
3. Treats are used in minimal quantities to encourage small rodents during training or treating a furry friend: nuts, corn rings, dried fruits.
4. Vitamin and mineral supplements.
5. Your pet should be in a cage all day pure water, concentrated ready-made food and fresh high-quality hay, which is given to healthy animals in unlimited quantities.

Concentrated feed

Concentrated food is the basis of the diet for small rodents, combining high nutritional value with minimal fat and sugar content. Concentrated feeds include legumes, grains, and oilseeds. The ideal option is to use high-quality ready-made pelleted food in the chinchillas’ diet. famous manufacturers Versele Laga Chinchilla & Degu Pro, Vitakraft Vita Special, Vitakraft Pellet, developed specifically for chinchillas, taking into account physiological needs rodents in nutrients. An adult eats about 1 kg of granulated food per month.

Granulates are prepared according to a carefully verified recipe and contain the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals; the food is produced taking into account age and physiological state small pets.

When using only purchased or self-made grain mixtures without introducing granulated food, the animals sort out the grains and do not eat all the ingredients, which leads to a lack of nutrients in the pet’s body.

It is recommended to pour granulated feed into feeders at the rate of 25-30 g per day per adult. When spilling or throwing away food, it is recommended to reduce the amount of tasty treats fed and not add a new portion until the previous food has been eaten.

Grain mixtures

Grain mixtures are a very important component of the diet of domestic chinchillas, saturating the animals’ bodies with vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins. It is recommended that furry pets include the following grains and seeds in their diet:

• buckwheat – complex carbohydrate, which provides long-term saturation of the animal’s body, contains iron, protein, vitamins B and P, calcium phosphorus and iodine;
• wheat– is a source of vegetable proteins and carbohydrates with a low content of fats, microelements, B vitamins, fiber, which stimulates intestinal motility. Eating wheat is important for nursing female chinchillas who require increased care and recuperation after childbirth;
• pearl barley- made from barley, rich in a huge amount of useful macro- and microelements (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, chromium, cobalt) and vitamins A, D, E and group B, necessary for the functioning of the nervous system, maintaining the beauty of chic chinchilla fur and leather;
• corn– contains necessary for the body rodent amino acids and vitamins involved in the pet’s metabolism;
• oats or rolled oats– a healthy nutritious cereal rich in vitamins A, B, E, amino acids and carbohydrates, helps remove toxins from the body of rodents, recommended for pregnant, lactating females and puppies;
• flax seed– contain vitamins A, B, E and Omega-3 acid, necessary for the reproductive function of pets and maintaining the immune system, seed husks are an excellent remedy to remove toxins from the body;
• sunflower and pumpkin seeds– rich in fats, protein and vitamins, used in minimal quantities to prevent pet obesity.

It is advisable to feed chinchillas not just one type of grain, but a grain mixture. It is allowed to prepare porridges from cereals - oatmeal, corn, buckwheat and millet, which are especially useful for feeding young animals.

Hay

Hay - an important part diet of a furry animal, which should be available to the chinchilla every day. It is best to purchase hay for exotic rodents in specialized stores; the following brands have successfully proven themselves: Prestige, Fiori, Medow Hay, Biokraft.

The best hay for chinchillas is alfalfa, vetch, clover, legumes contain sufficient amounts of protein, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins. A good animal, slightly inferior in nutritional value to legumes.

The hay should be dark green, uniform, fresh with pleasant smell, without dust or mold, you should not give your chinchilla wet or spoiled grass.

Rodents need hay to improve intestinal motility to avoid stagnation and fermentation processes in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as to prevent the formation of hooks on teeth. Hay is given to animals in small portions to avoid contamination. If a rodent scatters grass around the cage, it is recommended not to give hay for several days.

It is highly not recommended to use hay as bedding; a wet product is dangerous due to intestinal disorders and death.

If the hay becomes dirty, wet or darkened, you must immediately remove the spoiled product from the cage. If hay remains in the cage the next day, it is also thrown away.

An alternative option is to make your own hay with careful selection of herbs. Crow's eye, poisonous buttercup, datura, white hellebore can cause death little friend. It is necessary to mow young grass before the appearance of spikelets and dry it in a dark, well-ventilated area to avoid molding of the product. It is recommended to store the self-prepared product in a dry room, placing the hay in linen bags or cardboard boxes.

Drinking water

At home, suspended from the wall of a cage or enclosure. Do not pour water into open containers to avoid rapid contamination and overturning of the dishes.

For furry rodents, use bottled non-carbonated baby water or purified with a carbon filter; it is highly not recommended to give small pets raw tap water to drink in order to avoid intestinal disorders.

Dried herbs

Plant supplements are given in very limited quantities, no more than 4-10 g per day. These include dry herbs and leaves, twig food, dried berries and fruits, cereal sprouts.

Green food is introduced gradually with a daily increase in dose; feeding with herbal supplements has a positive effect on the development of young chinchillas.

Starting in spring, you can treat small pets with a small amount of well-dried green herbs, rich in vitamins and microelements. The following are used as green bait:

• dandelion grass;
• horse sorrel;
• plantain;
• yarrow;
• nettle;
• burdock;
• alfalfa;
• crow's feet;
• clover;
• parsley;
• salad;
• spinach;
• carrot tops;
• chicory;
• strawberry, wild strawberry and raspberry leaves.

Dill should not be fed to small pets; dill or fennel seeds are excellent for treating intestinal or stomach bloating in chinchillas.

It is very useful to feed rodents with barley or wheat sprouts rich in vitamin E.

Pregnant females are given sprouted grain daily for a successful pregnancy and proper development of the young.

Tree branches and leaves

Branch food must be present in the diet of furry pets. It is necessary for proper grinding of teeth and a source of vitamins and microelements; dried tree leaves are also readily eaten by exotic rodents. next trees.

Birch

Birch branches contain vitamins, carbohydrates and phytoncides; dried young leaves are a source of vitamin C.

Oak

The fruits of oak branches have an astringent effect and are highly nutritious food.

Willow

It is advisable to feed chinchillas with nutritious willow branches cut in winter.

Aspen

For food, bark, leaves and young shoots are used, which can be given to animals all year round.

Juniper

Chinchillas enjoy eating pine needles and berries from healthy shrubs.

Pine

Pine branches are cleared of resin before feeding them to pets; rodents also readily feast on pine cones.

Bark and branches of fruit trees

Pears, apple trees, and sea buckthorn are also actively used as branch food.

It is prohibited to use apricot, almond, elderberry and bird cherry branches, which contain substances poisonous to pets, to feed chinchillas.

Berries, nuts, vegetables and fruits

Juicy food is a source of vitamins, microelements and fiber necessary for the smooth functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Chinchillas willingly eat delicious fruits, owners need to accurately dose feed to avoid the development of allergies and intestinal disorders.

Pets are treated in dosed doses:

• carrots;
• bananas;
• fresh apples and pears;
• grapes;
• rosehip;
• figs;
• mango;
• Jerusalem artichoke;
• zucchini;
• tomatoes;
• apricots;
• strawberries;
• blueberries;
• strawberries.

It is forbidden to feed small animals with fresh cabbage, persimmons, beets, oranges, fresh cucumbers. Also, rodents should not eat food from the human table: cheese, smoked meats, honey, sweets, bread.

Dried fruits contain a lot of sugar in a small piece of product, so it is recommended to use them no more than once a week in minimal quantities. Chinchillas can be treated to:

• dried apricots;
• raisins;
• prunes;
• dates;
• dried apples.

Therefore, they can be fed to a small pet in crushed form in an amount of no more than 2 pieces per week. Chinchillas are given untreated:

• hazelnut;
• peanut;
• almond;
• Walnut.

Pine nuts and apricot kernels It is not recommended to use in feeding your pet.

Vitamins for chinchillas

Chinchillas need vitamin supplements regardless of the presence of vitamin feed in her diet. Ready-made granulated feeds contain vitamins and minerals. That's why daily norm When using ready-made food, the size of a rodent can be reduced by half.

Vitamin supplements must be purchased in specialized stores. The following brands of drugs have successfully proven themselves:

• Multi tabs;
• Canina Petvital N 200;
• Lebensvitamine;
• Phytomines;
• Vitamin Cal.

Vitamin supplements are available in the form of solutions, tablets or powders. Liquid preparations You can drip it onto the animal’s favorite treats, tablet forms are hidden in a raisin, pieces of dried fruit are rolled in powders.

Treat for chinchillas

As a treat for reward, you can use what chinchillas love most from food: dried fruits, nuts, berries, fruits, rolled oats, etc. You can treat the animal with a tiny amount and monitor the reaction. If intestinal disorders or hair loss occur, you should stop eating tasty food.

You can purchase in specialized stores special treats for exotic rodents from the brands Rodent, Vitacraft and Life in the form of cookies, sticks, biscuits, rings, which should be used exclusively as treats for your favorite animal.

Overfeeding a rodent with delicacies leads to obesity in the pet.

What you can and cannot feed your chinchilla

Inexperienced chinchilla breeders often make stupid mistakes when treating their favorite animals with pine nuts, chips or tangerines. As a result, to veterinarians They bring in completely hairless animals with severe allergies; sometimes errors in nutrition cause the death of the pet. Chinchillas can be given pelleted food, hay and water. All other products must be strictly dosed. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the list of products that can or cannot be used to feed your little friend.

Table of permitted and prohibited products

A balanced diet for your pet chinchilla is the key to its long life. healthy life and ability to reproduce. Take care and feed your furry pets properly.

The basis of the diet of chinchillas as herbivores is food of plant origin. In nature, these rodents feed on herbaceous, cereal and legume plants, seeds, fruits, twigs, moss, and roots. That is, those where cellulose is contained in large quantities. Therefore, your pet’s diet must certainly include hay and twigs.

Hay is the most important component of a chinchilla's diet. Most experts believe that there should always be hay in the cage of these rodents so that the animals can eat as much of it as they want. It is rich in fiber, which is so necessary for animals.

Properly harvested high-quality hay smells pleasant, without sticks, debris and other impurities. Wet and moldy food is not suitable for animals.

In specialized stores you can find various types of hay (from legumes, meadow, forest, etc.). You can prepare it yourself.

The best hay is made from leguminous grasses (clover, alfalfa, vetch). It contains vitamins necessary for animals and minerals(phosphorus and calcium). In addition, it is very nutritious and contains a sufficient amount of digestible protein. Leguminous grasses need to be mowed in the budding phase or at the beginning of flowering.

Clover

Vika

Alfalfa

The best time for mowing cereals is the heading phase. Cereal hay (meadow fescue, timothy, cocksfoot, meadow grass) is somewhat inferior to legume hay (it contains less protein and minerals).

Forb hay is very nutritious if it contains legumes and cereals, as well as bird buckwheat, salsify, etc. Before flowering, herbs are especially rich in vitamins and nutrients. Therefore, the hay should consist of forbs, mowed before the first flowering of the grass. Late-cut grasses have low nutritional value.

Ready-made feed

Today, in any specialized store you can purchase ready-made food for furry pets. They come in two types: regular and granular. Granulated food is more economical, but chinchillas often prefer whole food, in which all components are contained in natural form. Animals often choose individual “goodies” from them, but the rest has to be thrown away. When feeding granulate, the diet turns out to be more balanced, since the animals, willy-nilly, have to eat everything. The granules, as a rule, contain all the vitamins and minerals the animal needs, including calcium. 1-2 tablespoons of this food per day will be enough for the animal.

From time to time you can feed the rodents and ready-made food for rabbits. In principle, feeding chinchillas is not much different from feeding rabbits. In the summer, the same green grass, vegetables with tops, plant seeds, fruits. In the cold season - hay, tree branches (birch, apple, linden, pear, hazelnut, willow, willow), dried fruits (apples, raisins, dried apricots, nuts). Dried fruits are offered to the animal, pitted and finely chopped. The fruits of barberry, rose hips and hawthorn are very useful. They are given one berry 1-2 times a week.

Green food, vegetables and fruits

The warm season makes it possible to significantly expand the chinchilla menu. In spring, the first greens are given very carefully, starting with portions of 1-2 well-dried dandelion leaves per day. To prevent the animal from having a bloated tummy, the stems of legumes and clover are always used dry or withered. You should not feed your chinchilla only green food, forgetting about hay. This may lead to gastrointestinal disorders.

Here are the characteristics of some plants that will be useful to include in a chinchilla’s diet:

• salad is a storehouse of vitamins and mineral salts. You can give your pet 1-2 leaves per day;
• spinach – rich in easily digestible iron, contains sodium and lime. Spinach is believed to increase fertility in rodents. You can give 3-4 leaves per day;
• chicory - contains a lot of phosphorus, which growing organisms especially need. The cleansing plant acts on the stomach, regulates liver function, and increases appetite;
• Strawberry leaves – have a diuretic effect, help with diarrhea. Can be given for indigestion;
• celery – contains vitamins A, B, C. Very useful for nursing females, 2 leaves 2 times a week;
• wormwood – increases appetite, strengthens nervous system. The pet is given several branches a week.

In addition, the animals happily eat plantain leaves, yarrow, burdock, young nettles, horse sorrel, and dandelion.

From vegetables and fruits, you can give carrots, pumpkin, squash, apples, pears, sweet peppers, bananas, grapes, figs, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, apricots, melons, watermelons, etc. Fresh cabbage leaves It is not recommended to give to chinchillas.

Grain food in a chinchilla's diet

The following grain foods can be given to chinchillas:

• oats – contains proteins, fats, vitamins B1, B2, B6, K, carotene. For indigestion, the mucous substances contained in the decoction and oatmeal. Typically, oats are used as the base for a grain mixture;
• barley is a valuable grain product; contains vitamins A, D, E, PP, B vitamins, as well as calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, iodine, etc. 6% consists of fiber necessary for animals. It is given to adults and preferably in ground form;
• buckwheat – valuable dietary product. Rich in amino acids, vitamins (B1, B2, B6, PP, P) and microelements. As a complex carbohydrate, buckwheat gives you a feeling of fullness for a long time;
• corn is rich in protein, but it is worse in composition than oat protein. It must be given carefully; in excessive quantities it can cause bloating;
• wheat – contains enough proteins and carbohydrates and little fat. Animals can also be offered wheat bran mixed with grain;
• millet - red varieties containing large amounts of carotene are especially useful. However, chinchillas don't like it too much.

You should not constantly give one type of grain feed; it is better to feed chinchillas a grain mixture ( different kinds grains, legumes, seeds).

You can offer your pets porridge (oatmeal, corn, rice, millet). Young fish grow well on porridge (they digest it better than whole grain).

Sprouted grain is also very useful for rodents, especially during the breeding season. Usually barley, oats, and wheat are sprouted.

Animals eat the seeds with great pleasure. They contain essential fatty acid, which have a positive effect on the skin and fur of animals. However, due to high content It is not recommended to give them too much fat. The share of sunflower seeds should not exceed 20% of the total grain feed. They are only given raw.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, peas, and soy contain more protein than all grain products. They should be included in the chinchilla's diet, but not pure form, and as part of a grain mixture. The share of legumes should be 10-15%. They are given in ground form.

Nuts are a very nutritious food. Chinchillas love them. But you can give them very little and no more than twice a week, otherwise digestive upset will not be avoided. Of course, the nuts must be raw.

Treats for chinchillas

Fresh vegetables and fruits are a delicacy, and they should not replace the main food. The intestines of chinchillas are designed in such a way that succulent food in large quantities is contraindicated for them. The main thing is not to feed your pet treats. A piece of fresh apple or pumpkin, a slice of tangerine, a couple of grapes a week - this is enough to pamper your ward. Once a week you can give 1-2 raisins and a special supplement with vitamins.

The animals love pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, and walnuts. Pumpkin seeds They are used not only as a treat, but also as a preventive measure against worms. Pine nuts contain a lot of fat, so giving them is not recommended. You can offer your pet dry tea leaves or rose petals.

Chinchillas have a sweet tooth and love treats very much and do not know when to stop eating them. When given treats in an irregular manner, animals may refuse the main food. And eating only “delicacies” will lead to metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus and obesity.

You can diversify the treat for the animal each time: on the first day give a nut, on the second day - dried apricots, hawthorn fruit or chokeberry, on the third - a piece of apple or melon.

After feeding any new type of treat, you need to monitor the reaction of your pet’s body. If the animal feels well and does not suffer from diarrhea or constipation, then this food is not contraindicated for it. It happens that after using fresh vegetables and fruits, the rodent experiences indigestion. This means you need to give up succulent food.

Can't act as treats in any way roasted sunflower seeds and nuts, citruses, cabbage and potatoes, meat, eggs, mushrooms, chips and confectionery! Firstly, all this can cause allergies (including hair loss). Secondly, it can lead to intestinal problems. Thirdly, it contributes to the animal’s obesity, which can be very dangerous for it.

Water

The water in a chinchilla's drinking bowl should always be fresh without any signs of flowering. It is better to give spring water, but not boiled, since it no longer contains those beneficial microelements that the body needs. Many breeders and hobbyists use bottled water from companies such as Shishkin Les, Nestlé and others. And, of course, the water should be still.

Daily diet

A chinchilla's diet should consist of:

• 20-25 g ready-made feed or from the same amount of concentrated feed (grain feed, legumes, oilseeds, bran, cake);
• 20-30 g of hay;
• 4-6 g of green food;
• 4-6 g of additional food (tree branches);
• 2-4 g treats;
• 10-25 g of water.

Chinchillas love precision, so they should be fed at the same time every day (the maximum error can be 1-2 hours).

What should you not feed chinchillas?

Rodents should not be given:

• food from the human table with salt, spices, sugar, animal products, fats, etc.;
• pastries, bread;
• fried nuts, grains, seeds;
• rye grain;
• spoiled products.

And finally, we note that for wellness The stability of the diet is important for the animal. There is no need to change the food that your pet is used to very often. It is better to transition your pet to new food gradually, over 1-2 weeks. Don't forget, the chinchilla is a delicate animal. And above all, this concerns feeding. The stomach of a furry pet is very sensitive to dietary disturbances. Errors in feeding can lead to serious problems with chinchilla health.