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What do chinchillas like to eat? Treats for your pet. Food is dry and rough

Content:

The chinchilla is a pure phytophage, that is, it feeds only on plants. Moreover, all their parts are edible - from roots to fruits. But not all of them are equally useful and necessary for him. And if wild animals avoid food that is harmful and dangerous for them, domestic animals will not. They have lost this instinct. However, like people who, instead of not eating sweet and salty foods, load up on buns and smoked meats. As a result, the duration and quality of life of both chinchillas and humans is sharply reduced.

Let's feel sorry, if not for ourselves, then at least for our pets and not spoil them. And to do this, you need to arm yourself with knowledge and understand the basic principles characteristic of their nutrition.

Important Principles

The basis of any food is its good quality. That is, he cannot be

moldy,
musty,
stale,
rancid.

Do not harvest green fodder in contaminated areas:

on the sides of the roads,
in industrial areas,
on fields that have undergone chemical treatment against pests.

You can feed only washed and dried vegetables, fruits and herbs. Green leaves should be dried. Do not feed wet greens, only dry ones.

You need to gradually get used to new, especially green food. After each increase in serving size, monitor the condition of your pets.

Follow the feeding schedule.

Daily.
One-time.
Regular.
Late evening.

Evening feeding is explained by the fact that these animals are active at night. This is written in detail in the article (Farm 27, “Chinchilla at home”).

In the morning you can feed only when everything from yesterday has been eaten. The main evening food should only be poured into an empty and clean feeder.

The chinchilla's body is designed for unfavorable ascetic living conditions. They have a very long intestine designed to remove maximum benefit from meager food, for which they still have to run. This is what happens in nature. Therefore, by creating conditions that are close to natural, you will save your pet from premature death. And to do this, you need to pamper him less, feeding him all sorts of goodies.

Power structure

The nutritional structure of chinchillas should be formed as follows:

granulate, main feed - 70%,
complementary foods - 20%,
treats - 10%.

Granulate

Basically, the chinchilla is fed granulate - a special dry food. Many breeders recommend Vitakraft series food. For one chinchilla, a pack of 400 grams is enough for a month. Its cost in online pet stores is 54 rubles, and in regular pet stores about 80 rubles.

It is better to pour the opened pack into an airtight container. This way it won't erode.

This food is granular. In its composition, it corresponds to the diet of chinchillas living on the tops of the South American Andes. Easily digestible, since it contains ballast, which has a low content nutrients. For one feeding, two tablespoons of food are enough for one animal.

Plus it's hard. It is important. Since when eating it, the chinchilla's constantly growing teeth are ground down.

Granulates are made up of herbs, vegetables, cereals and are enriched with vitamins and minerals. It should not contain proteins, fats or carbohydrates.

Try to buy the same food over and over again. If you change them, get used to the new ones gradually (at least a week). Otherwise, chinchillas may have upset digestion.

There must be hay in the cage or display case in which your pets live. A special canopy is installed for it. They put it in little by little, but change it daily. Contaminated hay must be removed immediately.

Signs of good hay:

Not stale.
Dry.
No mold.
Light green color.
Smells nice.

The principles of self-harvesting hay were written above. Finding suitable places for this event is problematic for city residents. Therefore, it is easier to purchase it in a store. Just buy unpressed briquettes and sort it before use. Otherwise you can find sharp roots and thorns there.

The best hay for chinchillas is legume hay

alfalfa,
wiki,
clover.

It is beneficial due to the presence of large amounts of calcium, phosphorus and digestible protein. It should be mowed when buds appear or when initial stage flowering.

If legume hay is not available, you can use cereal hay. That is, cooked

from timothy grass,
meadow fescue,
meadow bluegrass,
team hedgehogs.

But in their own way nutritional value it is inferior to legumes.

Forbs are also useful. Especially if it consists of legumes, cereal grasses with a small admixture of bird buckwheat and meadow salsify. It must only be prepared before the first flowering of these herbs. Late herbs do not have the beneficial qualities that are characteristic of early ones.

When making hay, avoid the following grasses:

fern,
Datura,
henbane,
cornflower,
milkweed

In general, everyone poisonous plants.

The chinchilla also drinks a little. For drinking you need to use filtered or bottled, but not carbonated or mineral water. Its temperature is 18-20 degrees.

Lure

This extra food. Its amount in the chinchilla's total diet should not exceed twenty percent. If the weight of the animal begins to increase, then it means that you are overdoing it with complementary foods.

It is also sold in stores in the form of granules. But it looks different from the main food. Its granules are softer and, as a rule, colored.

For example, complementary food Beaphar Care+, satisfying nutritional needs chinchilla, low in sugar, moisture and fat. It is enriched with vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. It contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which strengthen the heart and improve blood circulation. In addition, this complementary food strengthens immune system, which increases resistance to disease. It reduces unpleasant fecal odor.

You can collect complementary food yourself. It consists

from cereals (you can take oatmeal),
from dried berries, plantain leaves, roots,
from apples, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke, rose hips.

All this must be in dry form and in very small quantities. Because a lot of this is both a delicacy for them and not very healthy for them.

Treats

There are also healthy treats. You can collect them yourself and make stocks from them. And constantly make your chinchilla happy. The following is useful

Kalina. Improves digestion. You can give one piece no more than twice a week.
Corn. Contains potassium, calcium, magnesium. Dosage - no more than three grains per day.
Carrot. Good for the heart, improves appetite and fur condition. Dosage - one circle no more than three times a week.
Calamus roots. Antispasmodic. Dosage - no more than one centimeter of root once a week.
Hibiscus. Protects the liver, improves metabolism. Dosage: once a week, no more than one teaspoon.
Red clover. Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial agent. Dosage - once a week, no more than two pieces.
Plantain leaves. Regulates the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Dosage: one medium-sized leaf twice a week.
Chicory. Soothing, diuretic. Dosage - once a week, one flower or stem.
Weeping willow. Lots of vitamin C. Supports the immune system. Dosage: once a week, one medium branch.
Rose hip. General strengthening agent. Dosage - once a week, one piece.

In addition, from berries and fruits you can give

Herbal plants are good to use

parsley,
chamomile,
alfalfa,
calendula,
blooming Sally,
nettle and mint (not for pregnant women),
sorrel,
oregano.

From the trees

Oak cannot be given. It is very strong. If only with diarrhea in small quantities. The pear also strengthens. Therefore, it is given with caution.

Forbidden foods

The chinchilla eats and chews everything, even these forbidden foods. Therefore, your task is to prevent them from getting into it. Otherwise, its lifespan will be greatly reduced.

Here is a list of these products. And it's not complete yet.

Store-bought treats
- cereal sticks,
- dried fruits,
- fruit mixtures,
- waffles.

Anything that contains sugar, honey, artificial additives. Since these products make it difficult for the intestines to function. Causes constipation and diarrhea

Raw fruits and vegetables
- cabbage,
- cucumbers,
- watermelon,
- dates,
- melon,
- dried apricots,
- peaches,
- prunes,
- raisin,
- cherries.

All this leads to strong fermentation in the intestines. And, as a result, to diarrhea and bloating, which can cause chinchillas to die.

Tropical fruits
- citrus,
- pineapples,
- coconuts,
- bananas,
- mango.

They cause chinchillas to go bald, and their branches are toxic to them.

Seeds and nuts. Hit the liver because it's too much fatty food for chinchillas. It would seem that nothing happened from one time, but fat accumulates gradually until fatty liver occurs and fur begins to grow. Then it's too late.
Mushrooms. The protein they contain is dangerous for chinchillas’ intestines.
Human food. Our food contains a lot of artificial additives. Including sugar, large quantities of salt, yeast, fats. All this is not useful for us, not to mention the chinchilla.

Therefore, if you love your animal, then do not give it forbidden foods. Don't overfeed him. Let him actively run around the cage in search of food, and not having eaten enough, lie in the corner. Feed him correctly and then your cute and funny chinchilla will live a long and happy life.

Chinchillas belong to the rodent family. These cute and funny animals are becoming increasingly popular among pet lovers. A small animal can add variety to dull everyday life.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age

Have you already turned 18?

What to feed a chinchilla at home?

Today anyone can raise chinchillas at home. These cute little gray animals are actually very friendly, welcoming and beautiful. Children are especially delighted with chinchillas, because pets quickly get used to their new environment and become tame. These rodents are known for their unusually soft and thick silver-gray fur.

If you become the owner of this cute pet, then you definitely need to find out how many times a day and what kind of food you can feed the animal. Chinchillas themselves do not require much care or much of your time. The main thing is to make sure that they have the necessary conditions for survival in a specific room, always fresh water and food. Animals need a spacious cage; it is best to place it in a darkened corner of the apartment, where it is always cool.

As soon as you buy a chinchilla, ask the seller to provide it with food for the first time. It would be very correct not to suddenly switch the animal to another food. It may be that changing the diet will have a bad effect on the pet’s health, and sometimes it can end in the death of the baby.

In addition to food, chinchillas eat a lot different foods. It could be:

hay;
dried fruits;
herbs.

There is no specific treat that all rodents of this genus adore. What your chinchilla is delighted with may not please your neighbor's pet at all. Therefore, the longer this little bundle of joy lives with you, you will be able to independently determine what the animal likes to eat the most and what it swallows with great difficulty.

In any case, food should be clean, washed, without additives or impurities! Pay attention to the expiration dates of dry food; a spoiled product can have a bad effect on your pet’s health.

Remember that stomach upset can be caused by a change in diet. If you have previously fed your chinchilla hay, you should not immediately switch it to fresh herbs.

In order for your animal to constantly feel healthy, full of energy, and lead an active lifestyle, you must ensure that all the necessary elements, vitamins and minerals are included in the daily diet. For example, cellulose, vegetable fiber, as well as various alimentary fiber. In addition to concentrated grain feed, be sure to have oilseed seeds in the house. The process of feeding the animal itself deserves your attention, because if you give food incorrectly, the chinchilla will begin to get sick and weaken. You need to know the various nuances of nutrition in advance, so that when the pet moves into your home, you already know all the features of its existence.

Chinchillas themselves do not overeat. In their natural habitat, these animals are completely herbivorous. They eat any part of the plant. And at home, they can get used to ready-made dry food without any problems. But it will be great if you have the opportunity to feed the animal with greens from your garden.

The most popular and beneficial foods for these rodents are grain foods (oats and corn). Oats are not capable of harm at all, but only contribute to the fruitful functioning of the digestive system. Corn should be introduced into the diet carefully, crumbled into small pieces, and soaked in water before serving, because it is already a fairly solid food. It is best to simply include it in various mixtures.

Surely, you have heard and met the British chinchilla or Persian. This beautiful breeds animals that are often kept at home. But feeding these chinchillas should also be approached very responsibly. Try not to give dry and natural food, this is a big injury to the digestive tract. Cats of these breeds boast thick, soft and very beautiful hair. But the color may change depending on the food consumed. For animals you need to buy ready-made food only premium and super premium class.

What can and cannot be fed to a chinchilla? (Grocery list)

On average, an adult chinchilla needs 25-30 g of combined food per day. And there should always be a lot of hay. But it is always recommended to take into account individual characteristics your pet.

It is best to fill the feeder with a certain amount of food once a day, and the animal will decide what and when to eat. Fill the feeder in the late afternoon; if the food disappears in the morning, then think about a little feeding.

You must know exactly what you should not feed these animals. Because their health, coat condition and lifespan depend on nutrition.

So, what can you safely give to chinchillas? First of all, these are succulent foods (fruits, vegetables, herbs, tree branches):

Everything should be finely chopped and clean! If you cut branches or collect grass, do it away from highways, factories, and roads. Wash and dry the plants thoroughly.

Don't give your chinchillas treats too often. Several times a week, one treat, then another.

To dry and roughage We consider hay to be an essential component of nutrition. Hay is rich in various useful microelements, helps to digest food and promotes its good absorption by the body. If possible, use forb hay.

You are mistaken if you think that an animal can eat any herbs. Not at all, there is a certain list of prohibited foods that are poisonous and can kill your pet. Remember the prohibited names: fern, rush, horsetail, cornflower, dope.

You can buy nutritional mixtures in granules at pet stores. These are seeds, cereals, bread and legumes.

Grains are also very healthy and nutritious (wheat, oats, barley, corn), but avoid purchasing rye forever.

If you want your pet to always feel good and live happily ever after, then under no circumstances should you give him the following foods:

food from the human table (salted, fried);
mushrooms;
roasted nuts and seeds;
meat;
sweet buns, bread, confectionery;
potatoes, cabbage, eggs;
products that have expired;
milk and fermented milk products.

Keep an eye on your chinchilla, pay attention if she falls in love junk food, animals do not think about what is good for them and what is not. For this they have owners.

Now let's talk about how to feed chinchillas after giving birth. During this period, the animal is weakened, tired, and exhausted. During pregnancy and immediately after birth, rodents may need large amounts of clean drinking water. Therefore, always make sure that the drinking bowl is full. A chinchilla that has given birth should be fed in the same way as during pregnancy. You can buy ready-made vitamin supplements; your diet should always have enough hay, protein, calcium, sprouted grains, and some apples.

Baby chinchillas sometimes have to be fed with a syringe. In general, babies are born with sharp teeth, but they require mother's milk already in the first hours of life. It happens that the female begins to produce milk only after a few days, or there is not enough milk. You can notice that babies are malnourished by their behavior. They will constantly attack their mother, thereby causing her irritation and aggression.

If necessary, newborn chinchillas can be fed with milk powder, which is diluted in special proportions (read on the packaging). Often used baby food"Agusha" from the first days of life. Feed every two to three hours. It is convenient to feed babies with a pipette, half a pipette at one meal. Give a couple of drops of Espumisan as a supplement, because the chinchilla’s digestive system is very delicate, and the drops will prevent stomach upset. After about two months, chinchillas can be gradually transferred to full-fledged adult food.

May your pets always be well-fed, healthy, happy with life, and may they certainly delight you with their presence.

Update: October 2017

One of the most important criteria proper care for the animal - this balanced diet. It is ignorance or non-compliance with what is and is not possible, and how to feed a chinchilla correctly, that determines the characteristics characteristic of the species. gastrointestinal diseases. And they are the cause of 50% of pet deaths.

By the nature of their diet, domestic animals are not much different from wild ones: they are phytophages, that is, herbivorous mammals. Although, in wildlife Representatives of the species do not disdain animal food, in particular insects. In general, the animal’s diet is very similar to the menu of ordinary rabbits (see).

Animals living in the wild are not picky eaters: they prefer to eat the bark of trees and shrubs, seeds and fruits of plants, legumes, cereals, herbs and even cacti.

Wild mammals eat very little, but nevertheless their diet is high-calorie and balanced, rich in fats, carbohydrates, healthy proteins and many vitamins and minerals. This also applies to how you should feed your chinchilla at home. The diet should be: balanced, high in calories, contain vitamins and minerals.

Typically, these animals get used to the food they received from birth, so when purchasing a pet, check with the previous owner what he preferred to feed the chinchilla. Feed him the usual food for some time, gradually switching to a new type of food. A sudden change in diet will negatively affect your pet's health.

Dishes

The choice of utensils for food is of considerable importance. Bowls for rodents come in hanging and floor-standing types. The best option is a floor-standing ceramic bowl. It must be heavy so that the animal does not knock it over and use it as a toy, chasing it around the cage.

Do you need water?

Many believe that a rodent does not need water, since it gets the required amount of liquid from food: greens and fruits. This point of view is fundamentally wrong. In all processes that occur in the body of a living being, water plays a primary role. Using snow for a mammal to drink, as some mistakenly think, is also irrational. If only because the animal’s body will spend a lot of resources on the warming process cold water, which can also give him a cold.

During the season of herbs and vegetables, the need for water decreases, and in winter it increases. This process is also affected by air temperature and humidity in the room. The need for water increases especially strongly in females expecting offspring. Sometimes they drink twice as much fluid as they did before pregnancy. In older individuals, the need for water, on the contrary, decreases. Many rodents aged 7 years and above sometimes actually get enough fluid from succulent food. But this does not mean that the drinking bowl can be removed as unnecessary.

Old animals drink too, just less. There should always be a drinking bowl with fresh water in the animal’s cage. clean water. Preferably bottled or filtered. The optimal water temperature is from 15 to 18C˚. Wash the drinking bowl and pour it into clean water Needed daily, before each feeding. Except baking soda, no detergents It is not recommended to use it for washing the drinking bowl.

What can you feed a chinchilla?

Roughage

These include hay, nettle brooms, which are collected during flowering plants, young shoots and seeds of pine, branches and bark of oak, willow, linden, aspen, cherry, apple, and other fruit trees. The twigs are not only useful for digestion, but also help to wear down the rodent’s teeth.

Concentrates

This includes not only ready-made food purchased at the pet store, but also bread, cereals, bran, seeds and grains.

Ready-made balanced food is a fairly convenient nutrition option for your pet; it can be regular or granular. In the first, the grains and other components are present in whole form, and in the second in the form of compressed granules - small green or brown sticks. The composition of such granules includes bran, limestone, grass and fish flour, yeast, salt, barley, oats and a complex of vitamins and minerals. Except ready-made feed(70% of the total diet), the pet must be fed with a grain mixture and cereals (30%).

Granules are more economical than conventional packaging: the animal will not be able to extract especially tasty components from the food, ignoring the rest. When choosing ready-made food, pay attention to the presence of treats in the composition - raisins, dried fruits, nuts. There should be as few of them as possible. Most of them are usually not to the taste of the rodent, so it is better to select treats individually.

From time to time you can feed your pet chinchilla with balanced food for rabbits and guinea pigs. But food for other rodents is contraindicated for her.

You can make your own grain mixture from several grains, seeds and legumes. The main and grain mixture in the diet of a mammal should be mixed in a 1:1 ratio. The following grain crops will be useful:

Millet – the presence of red varieties with a high carotene content in the menu is especially desirable; unfortunately, animals are not particularly fond of them.
Barley - due to its excessive hardness, can only be given to adults and in ground form, otherwise it is difficult to chew.
Oats (+ oatmeal, rolled oats) - can make up up to 75% of the entire grain mixture, a very healthy cereal containing healthy proteins and fats, has a positive effect on digestive tract animal.
Corn – rich in carotene and vitamin A, but should be given carefully to avoid bloating. Animals love to gnaw sweetish young cobs whole, but at the maturity stage it is better to feed corn in ground form.
Wheat (+ wheat bran) – contains a lot of useful substances, including vitamin B.

From cereals you can cook crumbly porridges without sugar, salt and other additives. Such dishes are very healthy for baby chinchillas.

Can make up no more than 5% of the diet, intended for feeding pregnant and lactating females, these include:

Low fat or powdered milk.
Cottage cheese.
Curdled milk and kefir.
Meat and bone meal.

Treats

Sold in pet stores - special biscuits and cookies for rodents, crackers, sweet sticks, etc. In addition, nuts, berries and fruits. This all applies to what you can feed a chinchilla, but no more than 2 - 3 times a week. Although such products do not contain harmful substances, their abuse can lead to obesity or, in the case of fruits and berries, to serious intestinal disorders.

Vitamins and minerals

A British chinchilla's cage should always contain mineral salt rings or a mineral salt stone. They are necessary for harmonious development and normal digestion of the animal. Vitamins are usually given to young animals, pregnant or lactating females, and individuals recovering from a serious illness. In other cases best source vitamins and minerals remain in a properly balanced diet. Vitamins can only be prescribed by a veterinarian, taking into account the characteristics of a particular animal.

What not to feed a chinchilla

– it is not recommended to give cabbage, except kohlrabi, potatoes, citrus fruits, mushrooms, beets. Plant tops should be introduced into the menu with caution; they can cause bloating. The herbs are not washed before feeding, but slightly dried. Under no circumstances should you give wet food. It is also prohibited to give rye, eggs, cheese, chips, buns, poisonous herbs– sweet clover, henbane, lily of the valley, spurge, bindweed, lilac, buckthorn, elderberry, wild rosemary, maple.

Feeding a pregnant chinchilla

The feeding of a female expecting cubs is not much different from the diet of other individuals. First of all, experts recommend increasing the protein content. The female may begin to drink more and eat a little more food. But you should not feed the expectant mother, this can lead to obesity. It is important that the rodent’s menu includes the following products:

Sprouted grain – it has high concentration vitamin E, responsible for reproductive function body. A lack of this vitamin is quite capable of leading to infertility or pathologies in the development of cubs. Wheat, barley and oats are best suited for germination.
Herbs such as nettle, alfalfa, vetch, flax seeds, calendula flowers, rose hips, oatmeal, strawberry leaves - they all improve lactation.
Food of animal origin (you can give the female milk pellets as an additional source of protein; they are available in pet stores).
Calcium – 1/4 of a calcium gluconate tablet once a day – if calcium is not added to the food, the cubs will receive it from the mother’s teeth and bones, which will have a bad effect on the health of the female.
2 - 3 weeks before giving birth, an apple is introduced into the diet - 1/8 of the fruit once a day.
It is recommended to give the female 2–3 balls of beebread (a waste product of bees) daily.

Herbs such as thyme, lemon balm and mint should be excluded from the diet of a pregnant or lactating female.

Feeding newborn chinchillas

Newborn chinchillas will not need to be fed until they are approximately 8 to 10 weeks old. They feed first on the female’s colostrum for the first 3 to 5 days, and then on her milk. After this, the female independently accustoms the cubs to the food familiar to the species.

If for some reason you have to feed the babies yourself (the mother died during childbirth, there are more than three puppies in the litter), it is recommended to choose lactose-free milk formulas for children from birth (Similac, Nutrilon, Agusha, Hipp-1, NAN and etc.). They can be purchased at any pharmacy. To prepare mixtures, you should strictly follow the instructions on the packaging. You can also use baby cream or milk powder, for example, for kittens - Kitti Milk, or for puppies - Puppy Milk. They are diluted in a ratio of 1:6 with hot water and cool. Since animals have a delicate digestive system, a few drops of espumizan should be added to the feeding mixture. If babies have diarrhea, you need to put a drop of Hilak-Forte into your mouth before each feeding, and additionally add a decoction of medicinal chamomile.

Feeding is carried out using a 2 ml syringe, possibly insulin, without a needle. For safety reasons, it is better not to use a pipette; the cub can chew it. At first, the “chinchillas” are fed every 30–60 minutes, after 1.5 weeks – once every 2 hours, then even less often. 3 weeks after birth, children can be offered special granules for young animals and skim milk in a drinking bowl.

Immediately after birth, the drinking bowl should be hung lower so that the puppies can reach it. Pets should have hay free access immediately after birth, they begin to eat it already from 2 to 3 days after birth. Normal weight gain for a baby is 2–4 grams per day. If artificial feeding passed correctly, then by 2 months the puppies should weigh no less than 200 grams.
The nutrition of female chinchillas after childbirth remains the same as it was during pregnancy. The female also needs a large amount of protein, including from animal feed. The feeder and drinker should be placed closer to the nest with the offspring, so that it is easier for the nursing mother to reach them.

All goodies are in dry form, they are given infrequently and alternately, with constant feeding, big amount, tasty treats cause indigestion, diarrhea or constipation, in the worst case, bloating or prolapse of the rectum.
Hay - the most important component of the chinchilla’s diet. It should always be available to the animal.
It must be added in small portions so that pets do not scatter it around the cage and pollute it.
If the chinchilla starts throwing hay around the cage, you need to stop adding it for a while.
Hay helps chinchillas move food through the intestines, thereby preventing it from stagnating and causing fermentation.
Herbal food is also a source of vitamins, microelements, fiber and protein for chinchillas. Dried or young green foods (which can be fed to chinchillas in limited quantities) are rich in chlorophyll, which chemical composition close to blood hemoglobin.
Chewing hay helps chinchillas wear down their teeth evenly and in a timely manner, which prevents the development of dental hooks on the back incisors.
Chinchillas eat well hay from sown grasses (alfalfa, clover, timothy) and soft meadow hay (timothy, cocksfoot, meadow fescue, wheatgrass, bluegrass), mowed during the flowering period of legumes.
About 100 species of herbaceous plants were experimentally identified, which are most preferred by chinchillas. These species belong to 24 families.
Chinchillas eat legumes (alfalfa, clover, vetch) especially well, then cereals (sudanese, wheatgrass, bluegrass, umbelliferae). They also love hay from the Rosaceae family (mantle, burnet, cinquefoil, rose) and Asteraceae (thistle, cornflower, wormwood, dandelion, chicory tartar, salsify).
They do not like plants of the sedge and horsetail families.
The herbs include plants such as burnet, mantle, cumin, parsnip, raspberry, yarrow, cornflower, kulbab, dandelion, plantain, hogweed, which help improve the taste of hay and stimulate appetite.
Mountain hay.
Mountain hay contains little fiber, but is rich in protein. It has high nutritional value and delicate aroma.
The composition of such hay is very diverse. It includes such cereal crops as: hedgehog, bentgrass, timothy, fescue, ryegrass, mouse peas and other plants.
Legumes: vetch, clover. Forbs: mantle, bindweed, yarrow.
Alpine mountain hay is of higher quality and nutritious in composition and contains many umbelliferae and plantains.
Meadow hay.
Meadow hay consists mainly of forbs: vetch, clover, red and meadow fescue, bluegrass, bentgrass, pike, sainfoin, astragalus, wheatgrass.
This hay is rich in cereals and moth grasses. The less coarse grasses such as sedge and horsetail in the hay, the better quality it is.
Meadow hay contains significantly less protein than mountain hay, but exceeds it in the amount of fiber. It has a pleasant, fragrant smell.
Forest hay.
Forest hay is cut in forest areas, forest edges and clearings.
It is inferior in quality to meadow hay. Consists of cereals and legumes, as well as herbs. It usually contains tree leaves and pieces of moss.
This hay contains: vetch, clover, forest rank, fragrant spikelet, shaker grass, pearl barley, forest fescue, bluegrass, and boron.
Remember, any hay should have a pleasant smell, green color and look appetizing. There should be no foreign objects, debris, sticks, or debris in the hay. Brown, moldy and musty-smelling hay should not be given to chinchillas. Also, hay is never used as bedding in an animal's cage.
BASIC DIET
Animals' bodies are adapted to dry plant food.
In the wild, chinchillas' diet is meager. It consists of stems and leaves, seeds, roots and bulbs of drought-resistant herbaceous plants - lichens, cacti, moss, as well as fruits, leaves and bark of evergreen shrubs.
Chinchillas quench their thirst with succulent plants and dew.
When keeping chinchillas at home, the issue of nutrition should be approached very carefully.
The composition of the feed must be balanced and adapted to the digestive system of the animals.
Chinchillas are very picky about the quality of their food.
This may be due to the very small amount of food they consume, which is a consequence of their habitat in natural conditions, where chinchillas could only eat ephemeral ( herbaceous plants, having a short life cycle) and other alpine vegetation, which has a very short growing season and therefore retains a large supply of nutrients.
In this regard, the chinchilla’s diet should contain dry, balanced and nutritious food. Western and domestic chinchilla breeders prefer to feed their pets granules, which are small oblong sticks of gray-green or brownish color.
Part granulated feed for chinchillas, as a rule, include:
grass flour, wheat bran, crude fat, oats, barley, sunflower meal, wheat, molasses, limestone flour;
feed yeast, fish meal, salt, lysine, premix with a full range of vitamins and minerals.
For puppies and lactating females, food with increased content protein (up to 25%).
For adult chinchillas, granules are used, in which protein makes up 18-20% of the total mass.
Protein plays important role in the development, growth and quality of chinchilla fur. If there is insufficient amount of protein in the diet (especially in the diet of puppies), the growth of animals stops, the fur becomes dull, “waddly,” dry and brittle.
An important component of the feed is also crude fiber, which should be at least 10-15%.
The chinchilla's digestive system needs plant fiber to improve peristalsis.
Fiber “pushes” food through the intestines, forcing it to work.
The percentage of fat in the granulate should be 3-4%.
A balanced mineral and vitamin composition of feed is of great importance.
Granules for chinchillas contain the following: mineral supplements:
calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium;
sulfur, iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, manganese;
vitamins: A, B, D, E, K, PP, biotin, carotene;
various organic acids (malic, folic, ascorbic).
The energy value of one kilogram of feed is 2900 kilocalories.
Every day, a chinchilla should eat about 20 grams of food (1-2 tablespoons).
Chinchillas are very picky, and first of all they will choose all the most delicious things from a bowl. To receive good nutrition, the animal must eat all the food, not just the tidbits. The pet must eat everything that is offered to it.
Do not add a fresh portion to his bowl until he has eaten the previous one.
If your chinchilla starts scooping up and scattering pellets from the feeder, it means you are giving him too much food. Reduce the amount of food, remove treats from the diet, break the daily amount of granules into several parts and add small portions.
The most harmful animals can be put on a diet: leave the feeder empty for several hours so that the animal gets hungry and natural instincts kick in - food is not always available, so you need to eat “in reserve.”
It is better to underfeed your chinchilla a little than to overfeed it with treats.
A healthy chinchilla will eat any food. Of course, if given a choice, she will prefer something more consistent with her tastes, but teaching your pet to eat properly is possible and extremely necessary.
1 Calamus - root
2 Astragalus

3 Birch - bark, branches, leaves, catkins
5 Hawthorn - fruits, bark, flowers, leaves

6 Lingonberry - berries, bark, leaves
7 Cornflower - flowers

8 Willow - bark, buds, leaves
9 Vika (mouse peas)

10 Grapes - leaves
12 Hercules

13 Ginkgo Biloba - bark, leaves

14 Highlander

15 Buckwheat - grain, flowers
16 Pear - bark, leaves, fruits, flowers
17 Oak - bark

18 Oregano motherboard
19 Hedgehog
20 Blackberry - berries, stem (without thorns)
21 Jasmine - flowers
22 Ginseng - root

23 Green oats
24 Green tea
25 Strawberries - strawberries - fruits, leaves

26 Cereal rice

27 Willow - bark, leaves

28 Ivan tea
29 Irga - fruits, bark, leaves
30 Calendula - flowers
31 Viburnum - bark, fruits, leaves
32 Hibiscus - Hibiscus
33 Chestnut - leaves, bark, (fruit???)
34 Kislitsa

35 Clover
36 Cranberry - fruits, leaves
37 Goat's rue

38 Fragrant spikelet
39 Kostrets

40 Nettle - leaves, root
41 Corn
42 Linen
43 Hazel - hazel - bark, leaves

44 Linden - bark, leaves, flowers

45 Lucerne

46 Raspberries - berries, leaves, branches (without thorns)

47 Mallow

48 Ordinary cuff
49 Coltsfoot
50 Melissa
51 Juniper
52 Carrot
53 Mouse Peas
54 Mint
55 Meadow bluegrass
56 Sea buckthorn - fruits, leaves, bark (without thorns)
57 Oats - preferably peeled
58 Red fescue

59 Meadow fescue

60 Dandelion - leaf, flower, root

61 Aspen - leaf, bark

62 Bell pepper

63 Parsley - root
64 Plantain

65 Sunflower - flower
66 Polevitsa
67 Millet

68 Wheat
69 Wheatgrass

70 Ryegrass

71 Milk thistle

72 Rye
73 Rose - bud, petals
74 Chamomile
75 Red rowan - leaves, bark, berries
76 Chokeberry - leaves, bark, berries
77 Birch earrings
78 Currant - leaves, branches, berries

79

80 Pine - bark (without resin)
81 Soybeans and soybean meal
82 Sudanese

83 Jerusalem artichoke
84 Timofeevka meadow

85 Poplar - bark, leaves
86 Shaker

87 Yarrow
88 Chicory - root, flowers, stem

89 Thyme
90 Series
91 Blueberries, berries, leaves, branches
92 Lentils
93 China

94 Mulberry - bark, leaves
95 Rose hips, berries, flowers
96 Alder cones
97 Hop cones

98 Pike
99 Eleutherococcus

100 Sainfoin

101 Echinacea
102 Apple tree - bark, leaves, fruits
103 Barley

Chinchillas should not be fed the following products:
Any fermented milk products
Meat;
Any pastries, pasta, noodles, pancakes, bread, cookies, etc.;
Potatoes, cabbage, salad;
Eggs;
confectionery, ice cream, sweets, chocolate, sugar;
Mushrooms;
Popcorn, chips and other fast food;
Any fried grains (seeds, nuts, cereals).
Chinchillas’ daily diet should include branches, twigs, snags, pieces of wood from various types of trees and shrubs. This is done not only to diversify the animal’s diet and supplement it natural vitamins and microelements, but also due to the structural features of the chinchillas’ dental system.
Wooden pieces also serve as toys that have a positive effect on animal behavior and prevent bad habits(for example, chewing fur).
Dried branches in their properties (nutritional value) are close to average quality meadow hay.
Chinchillas prefer to eat shoots, leaves and bark from woody foods:
hazel, apple, acacia, willow.
raspberries, linden, rose hips, hibiscus, willow.
You can also include branches and leaves in the diet of animals:
rowan, pear, birch, black currant, sea buckthorn.
hawthorn, chestnut, hazel, alder.
Tree greens are rich in vitamins, contain proteins (8-15%), fats (5-8%), fiber, nitrogen-free extractives, and microelements. On an industrial scale, vitamin flour is obtained from tree greens.
Branches of trees and bushes cannot be cut in the city, parks, along roads and highways. They should be harvested during the growing season, in environmentally favorable areas.
The branches should be free of mold, lichens, traces of fungal infection, and pests. The branches should be washed under hot water and dried well. Do not free the trunk from the bark. The bark is the main source nutritional value wood feed.
Wood species that are harmful or poisonous to chinchillas:
coniferous, citrus fruits;
plum, cherry, apricot and others with resinous wood;
wild rosemary, wolf's bast, buckthorn, lilac, elderberry, bird cherry, maple.
Mixture is an additional complementary food that can be used in a chinchilla’s diet as natural source vitamins and microelements, as well as to diversify your pet’s diet. It is mixed with the main granular food or given separately.
This mixture includes various grains, fruits, vegetables, fruits and nuts.
It should be remembered that all these products are not the main food for chinchillas, but only an additional component to everyday food.
IMPORTANT: Product standards for chinchillas are approximate.
The list of feed additives is not mandatory. Do not include all foods in your chinchillas' diet at the same time.
Remember that the stomach and liver of chinchillas can be damaged due to great content fat, carbohydrates and other elements that make up some types of food.
________________________________________
From the main components nutritional mixture for chinchillas
The following products can be distinguished:
Dried carrots - a wonderful treat that is safe for the chinchilla’s digestive system. Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family. Contains a large amount of carotene (65%), vitamins A, B, C, E, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium. Good for chinchilla fur, strengthens the heart muscle, stimulates the appetite. Phytoncides contained in carrots are a natural antimicrobial agent and help chinchillas cleanse themselves. oral cavity and teeth from a pathogenic environment.
Carrots also help with anemia and dysbiosis in animals.
The daily intake of carrots is no more than half a teaspoon.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 1.3, fats - 0.1, carbohydrates - 8.9 grams.
Dried apples - with a low calorie content, they contain a lot of fiber, which helps chinchillas move food through the intestines. Apples are also rich in pectin - a natural enterosorbing agent that removes from the body of animals toxic substances. Improves fur texture, strengthens hair follicle. Apples normalize metabolic processes body and strengthen the cardiovascular system.
Daily norm: a day you can give your chinchilla half a slice of dried apple.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 2.2, fats - 0.1, carbohydrates - 59 grams.
Hawthorn - rich in vitamin C. Strengthens the heart muscle, helps with diarrhea. Has a calming, anti-stress effect on nervous system chinchillas
Daily norm: 1-2 berries.
Dandelion leaves and roots - contain calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins A, B, C, E, and a large amount of protein. Stimulate appetite and normalize intestinal function. Increases lactation in lactating females.
Weekly dosage: a teaspoon once or twice.
Flax seeds
- rich in alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 fatty acid (vital biological additive for animals), protein, fiber. Contains large amounts of vitamin E, A and F. Improves appearance chinchilla fur, making it shiny, lively and elastic. They strengthen the immune system of animals and are a natural anti-allergen. They increase potency in males and improve the course of pregnancy and childbirth in females. They have a calming effect and have a mild laxative effect.

Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 40, fats - 40, carbohydrates - 22 grams.
Buckwheat
- contains 18 essential amino acids and is equal in composition to plants of the legume family. It is also rich in iron, folic acid, flavonoids, which activate protective functions chinchilla organism. Useful for pregnant females. Stimulates hematopoiesis, increases endurance, and helps chinchillas fight diseases.

Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 11.3, fats - 2.7, carbohydrates - 58.3 grams.
Chicory root
- contains a large amount of inulin (a substance that improves the body’s metabolic processes and normalizes digestive system), vitamins B and C. Increases appetite in chinchillas (especially useful for a weakened, exhausted body, during or after an animal’s illness), normalizes blood flow, is an astringent, anti-inflammatory and anthelmintic.
Weekly dosage: 1 teaspoon.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 4.0, fats - 0.2, carbohydrates - 81.7 grams.
Hibiscus (hibiscus, Chinese rose) - it contains: fruit acids, microelements, many vitamins, bioflavonoids. Hibiscus - beautiful vitamin supplement to the diet of chinchillas. Improves metabolism, tones and strengthens protective properties the body, increases resistance to infectious diseases.
Calendula (flowers)
- contains organic acids, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, calcium. It has a beneficial effect on the body of pregnant females and prevents the threat of miscarriage. It has pronounced antiviral and antimicrobial properties and supports the liver.
Weekly dosage: 1 teaspoon.
Nettle
- contains chlorophyll (the substance with which chinchillas produce blood), vitamin C, K, iron, sulfur, potassium, calcium. Useful for anemia, bleeding (increases blood clotting). Increases lactation in lactating females, prevents cramps, removes water from the body and has a pronounced restorative effect.
Weekly norm: 2 tablespoons.
Per 100 g of product there are: protein - 24, fat - 2.5, carbohydrates - 5 grams.
Corn
- rich in iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, contains ascorbic and folic acid, vitamins B, D, K. Improves gastric and intestinal motility in chinchillas. Removes “garbage” from the body and is used for constipation.
Weekly dosage: 1 teaspoon.
Wheat
- contains vitamins B, E, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, rich in carbohydrates and proteins. Improves the structure of chinchilla fur, evens out color. Normalizes the intestinal microflora of animals, is a source of energy and vitamins.
Weekly dosage: 1 tablespoon.
Per 100 g of product there are: protein - 13.8, fat - 1.8, carbohydrates - 66.6 grams.
Raspberries - a source of organic acids - such as citric, malic, formic, salicylic. Contains iron, magnesium, potassium and copper salts. Supports the body of chinchillas, helps with bleeding and prolonged diarrhea in animals.
Weekly norm: 2-3 berries.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 0.8, fats - 0.3, carbohydrates - 14 grams.
Lentils
- seeds contain B vitamins, a lot of iron, folic acid, which improves metabolism. Lentils are also rich in zinc, this microelement heals the fur and outer cover of chinchillas and regulates appetite.
Weekly dosage: 1 tablespoon.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 9, fats - 0.6, carbohydrates - 22.1 grams.
Chokeberry - contain a huge amount of vitamin P, many different micro- and macroelements, acids.
Stimulates chinchillas' appetite, accelerates digestive processes, normalizes the balance of microelements and vitamins in the animal's body.
Weekly dosage: 1 teaspoon.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 1.5, fats - 0.1, carbohydrates - 13.6 grams.
Raisin - contains B vitamins, fiber, iron, magnesium, as well as up to 86% sugar, which is harmful to the chinchillas’ body and causes dental problems. Used for anemia general weakness at the chinchilla. Raisins calm the nervous system, optimize the functioning of the heart and lungs.
Weekly or even monthly norm: 1-2 berries.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 2.9, fats - 0.6, carbohydrates - 6.6 grams.
Bell pepper
– a source of antioxidants, as it contains vitamins A, C, E. A large number of vitamin C (up to 350 mg) makes pepper valuable food product for chinchilla. Strengthens gums, tooth roots, prevents the appearance of hooks, and is a powerful immune stimulant.
Daily dose: half a teaspoon.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 1.3, fats - 0, carbohydrates - 7.2 grams.
Sunflower seeds
- are a source of calcium, the content of which is superior to dairy products. There is five times more magnesium in seeds than in grains. They influence fat metabolism and support the heart muscle.

Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 21, fats - 35, carbohydrates - 4 grams.
Oats
- rich in vitamins A, C, E, PP, contains magnesium, phosphorus, chromium, zinc, nickel, calcium, potassium. Oat grains contain a lot of vitamin B6 and B12. Counts dietary product. Biotin relieves drowsiness and lethargy. It has a good effect on the chinchilla's digestive system.
Weekly norm: one teaspoon.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins - 3.2, fats - 4, carbohydrates - 14.2 grams.
Linden flowers
- contain bioflavonoids, ascorbic acid, carotene, a complex of biologically active compounds. It has a calming effect on the nervous system of chinchillas, improves digestive processes, and has an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect.
Weekly dosage: 1 tablespoon.
Green tea - rich in vitamins B1, B2, C, PP, K, copper, potassium, iodine. Contains fluoride, which strengthens chinchillas' teeth and supports the liver. A powerful antioxidant, optimizes and strengthens the nervous system, removes toxins from the body.
Weekly dosage: half a teaspoon.
Per 100 g of product there are: proteins: 0, fats: 0, carbohydrates: 0 grams.