Nowadays, small gray animals have become increasingly popular among animal lovers. These animals are increasingly found in pet stores and markets. Traders selling charming chinchillas tell how unpretentious, playful, affectionate and absolutely omnivorous they are.

However, before you buy such an unusual pet, you need to think about what to feed your chinchilla at home, because food for a chinchilla is the main source of life. These funny rodents have long intestines and therefore the digestive system is adapted to receive meager food and extract all the necessary microelements from it.

Specifics of rational nutrition

When thinking through the animal’s menu, you need to remember that the chinchilla is a herbivore, therefore, the diet should always include food with the addition of plants. Every day they should receive special granular mixtures, which also include hay and various supplements (about 2 tablespoons of food). When feeding, you need to observe the animal; if it chooses something tastier, you should reduce the portion of food. It is not recommended to feed the animal often. If the animal is not gaining weight, you need to reconsider what your pet eats; to gain muscle mass, you need to add oatmeal to the food.

Important! The animal's feeder should always contain fresh, boiled water and some hay.

Before purchasing an animal, you need to prepare a large amount of fragrant hay, because this is his favorite and incredibly healthy treat. The hay must be fresh and dry. It helps the animal grind down its long incisors, and it is also useful for the digestive system. In winter, when it is impossible to collect hay in the meadows, it should be purchased at a special store for animals.

Treats for your pet

A separate point is the addition of various tasty food additives to the food. Treats for chinchillas include ripe bananas, flax seeds and corn kernels. It is very important to bring greenery to your pet in the summer: green leaves of milkweed, plantain or nettle. In addition to food, as sweets, you can sometimes give your pet dried fruits, dried apples, pears or carrots, dried apricots and prunes. Once a week you can pamper your furry pet with raisins and nuts. This can diversify the rodent's diet and not harm its health. A mineral stone should be placed in the cage; by gnawing it, the chinchilla will replenish its body with calcium, which is necessary for the body. The stone is also useful for the animal’s teeth.

Remember! The addition of dried fruits and other treats to the food should not exceed 10%.

Feeding mode

When thinking about the issue of feeding a chinchilla, it is necessary to remember that the activity phase of this animal occurs mainly at night. Therefore, with the arrival of dusk, you can fill the bowl with food. The animal will see the bowl and run up to eat. But you don’t need to expect that your pet will attack the food, basically he will eat a few grains and run around the cage to jump, after a while he will return to the cup and so on all night.

Also to ensure good mood Stability is important for the animal’s well-being. It is not recommended to frequently change food to another manufacturer, as this may have a bad effect on your pet’s well-being. If you still need to change the food, you need to do it gradually, dragging out the process for the whole week. A mineral stone must be present in the cell during this process at all times. The pet will chew through it as needed.

Food is tough and juicy

Juicy foods include tree fruits, vegetables, berries, twigs, and herbs. These products contain many vitamins necessary for proper development favorite pet. In the fall, he will happily gnaw on vegetables, fruits and dried fruits. It is also useful to collect chicory, raspberry or spinach herbs.

It is not recommended to give other herbs; the consequences are unknown. It is forbidden to include cabbage in the diet; it causes stomach fermentation. Some veterinarians also do not advise giving your pet a lot of carrots; one ring of dried root vegetables per week will be enough. In order to please your pet with both healthy and tasty food, you can give twigs of apple, acacia, birch or oak. These supplements will improve the chinchilla's metabolism by saturating the body with tannins.

Remember! Before giving a twig to a rodent, it must be thoroughly processed, washed and dried. The branch should be free of fungus, mold and harmful insects.

Dry and rough feed

This food includes hay. No matter how balanced the animal’s diet is, it still needs to receive hay daily. Making hay will take a little time. When leaving the house for a walk, preferably where there are meadows and fields, cut off fresh, green grass. Upon returning home, it must be dried in a cool, dark place.

Remember! Brown grass with mold should not be used as feed. Even if used as bedding, the rodent will definitely taste it.

The range of such mixtures includes proteins, fats and carbohydrates, also saturated with vitamins and microelements necessary for the body. Such food can be found in pet store windows. The most important thing when choosing food packaging is to look at the expiration date and assortment. The more abundant the composition, the better for a small pet.

It is not recommended to use any one type of grain. Thanks to such food, it is very convenient to feed your chinchilla at home, because... no need to think about how many natural products you need to cram into it. Also, the animal will not choose what it likes best, but will eat all the food completely.

In case of lack of nutritional mixture in pet products

It may happen that the necessary food is not available at the pet store, in which case there is no need to panic. Now we will describe step by step what can be given instead of food at home.

You should make a mixture of 20% oats, 10% buckwheat, 20% wheat groats, 10% barley grains, 55% maize, 8% flaxseeds, 7% peas or chickpeas, add nettle greens to this mixture. A special complex of vitamins, ground calcium and methonine should be added to the resulting consistency.

As a result, you get healthy and high-calorie food. But there is also a drawback to such a mixture: if in the store the food is granulated, then in the home, each grain is separated from each other and the pet can sort through the food.

Unsafe Products

What humans eat is not always healthy for animals, especially rodents. There is a list of foods that you should absolutely not feed chinchillas:

  1. Dairy and fermented milk products.
  2. Meat products.
  3. A variety of fast food: chips, popcorn, crackers with spices.
  4. Bakery and confectionery products: buns, bread, pasta, cookies, chocolate, cakes, etc.
  5. Eggs and mushrooms.
  6. Roasted nuts and seeds.

To summarize, we can say the following: there is nothing difficult in providing the chinchilla with proper care. The animal's diet must be carefully monitored. By following the necessary recommendations, you don’t have to worry about the health and life of the animal. If you notice any ailments in your pet, you should immediately contact a veterinarian. doctor.

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.

Feeding a rodent: hay for chinchillas

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 and minerals (phosphorus and calcium) necessary for animals. 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.

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 their 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 rodents with ready-made rabbit food. In principle, feeding chinchillas is not much different from feeding rabbits. IN summer period 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 without seeds, 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. It is not recommended to give fresh cabbage leaves 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 broth and oatmeal are useful. 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 is a 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 ( various types 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 acids, which have a positive effect on the skin and fur of animals. However, due to the high fat content, it is not recommended to feed them too much. The share of sunflower seeds should not exceed 20% of the total grain feed. They are only given raw.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, peas, and soybeans 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 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 eating fresh vegetables and fruits, a rodent experiences indigestion. This means you need to give up succulent food.

Roasted seeds and nuts, citruses, cabbage and potatoes, meat, eggs, mushrooms, chips and confectionery cannot serve as treats! 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;
  • nuts, grains, fried seeds;
  • rye grain;
  • spoiled products.

And finally, we note that for the animal’s well-being, a stable diet is important. 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.

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 extract maximum benefit from the meager food that they still have to run for. 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 granulated. In its composition, it corresponds to the diet of chinchillas living on the tops of the South American Andes. It is easily digestible, as it contains ballast, which has a low nutrient content. For one feeding, two tablespoons of food are enough for one animal.

Plus it's hard. This 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 at the initial stage of 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 terms of its nutritional properties 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, all poisonous plants.

The chinchilla also drinks a little. For drinking, you need to use filtered or bottled water, 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, Beaphar Care+ complementary food, while meeting the nutritional needs of a chinchilla, contains little 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 the 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

  • lingonberries,
  • blue honeysuckle,
  • apple slices,
  • chokeberry,
  • hawthorn,
  • blueberries,
  • currants,
  • cranberries

Herbal plants are good to use

  • parsley,
  • chamomile,
  • alfalfa,
  • calendula,
  • Ivan-tea,
  • nettle and mint (not for pregnant women),
  • sorrel,
  • oregano.

From the trees

  • aspen,
  • willow,
  • mulberries (leaves and branches),
  • birch,
  • apple tree
  • ash.

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. A hit to the liver, as this is too 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.

Feeding chinchillas is a very important stage in their care. In general, feeding the animal is not so difficult, since the chinchilla’s diet is very diverse. But it's important to do it right.

Features of feeding. First of all, chinchillas are herbivorous rodents. But unlike their close relatives, guinea pigs, these animals eat very little. At the same time, irrepressible energy and luxurious fur require a large consumption of nutrients. Their food should be high in calories and contain a lot of protein and carbohydrates. It so happens that in their natural habitats the vegetation is sparse, food is not easy to obtain, but at the same time it is nutritious and varied. Therefore, in captivity, the diet of chinchillas should contain a sufficient amount of grain feed as sources of complete proteins and carbohydrates, grass and hay should also be present. They have a so-called semi-concentrate type of feeding (you can read about what concentrates are in the article ).

Chinchillas can be picky when it comes to eating food; they try new food with caution, but they often become bored with old food. Therefore, it is desirable that their diet be not only nutritious, but also as varied as possible. It’s good when the menu has a large selection of products. It is rare to see a chinchilla greedily pounce on food. Most often: he will eat a grain, come up to you, look thoughtfully, eat a nut, jump around the cage, eat a grain... It is important that there is always non-perishable food in the cage: grain, hay, tasty granules. If you provide the animal with a good, spacious cage so that it can actively move, be let out for a walk, and not be given a lot of fatty food and treats, then it will not become obese. Chinchillas are very energetic animals!

When choosing a diet, it is necessary to take into account the biology of chinchillas. Like all herbivorous rodents and rabbits, they have sensitive digestion. Firstly, due to the longer intestines (see article - about the biological characteristics of chinchillas). Secondly, herbivores obtain many of the nutrients their bodies need by processing plant fiber. But not a single multicellular animal, from a cow to a termite (and including our little animal), is capable of independently breaking down fiber in the intestines, because this product is generally difficult to process. And herbivores call for help from various microorganisms that do this for them. Animals, in turn, provide them with a reliable habitat and a set of nutrients. In chinchillas, these bacteria live in large numbers in the well-developed cecum. This kind of community is called symbiosis. All herbivorous animals are highly dependent on the vital activity of their intestinal microflora. So, for example, a cow, a rabbit, a guinea pig, and our chinchilla can use antibiotics internally only when absolutely necessary.

In order for the bacterial population not to decrease, it is necessary that the diet contains a lot of fiber and easily digestible carbohydrates. The animal can get the latter from grain feed. As for fiber, we need to remember that while vegetables, fruits, and herbs are good sources for us, herbivorous animals have slightly different criteria. Therefore, in order to provide the animal with fiber, there should be a bunch of good hay in the cage in winter and summer.

A stable diet is also important for a chinchilla’s well-being. And a person who comes to another country and switches too quickly to previously unfamiliar foods may develop a serious digestive disorder. Not only the stomach, intestines and immune system themselves adapt over many years to strictly defined foods, but also various beneficial intestinal bacteria. They have already learned to produce the enzymes necessary to process the products they are familiar with, but then their diet changes dramatically and they do not have time to adapt, and their mass death begins. The empty space is no longer occupied by beneficial bacteria, but by pathogenic ones, which always have somewhere to come from, and they adapt much better than beneficial ones. This is how, in fact, all the problems begin. Chinchillas depend even more than people on the vital activity of intestinal microorganisms, because in addition to lacto- and bifidobacteria they have bacteria that process fiber, and for them this development of events is even worse. Therefore, even if you feed the animal with foods suitable for it, but today you give only oats, and tomorrow - only apples, you should not be surprised that it will have problems with digestion.

When purchasing a chinchilla, it is also necessary to take these features into account. When transporting to a new place, it is important to ask the breeder about the nature of the animal’s feeding and feed it the same way for the first two weeks. Then you can gradually, over 3-7 days, switch to your own diet.

In very nervous animals, diarrhea can sometimes begin even simply due to the nervous reaction of the body. Such diarrhea, if timely measures are taken, goes away without any special consequences for the body. In this case, it is advisable to show it to a veterinarian and feed only hay for some time. good quality and oak or willow branches.

What foods can you give your chinchilla?

1. Roughage. This is hay, twig food, tree bark. The most suitable hay for a chinchilla is legume-cereal hay, containing a lot of clover, alfalfa and other legumes. It is not advisable to give legumes in their pure form. The hay must be of good quality. Chinchillas rarely eat large amounts of hay, but it should always be kept in the cage. To prevent it from getting dirty, there are various hay feeders.

Dry nettle brooms are very useful and contain many vitamins. To make them, nettles are collected during flowering and dried in a dry, well-ventilated area.

It is useful to hang branches of fruit trees, linden, and aspen in a cage to grind down teeth. Oak, willow and cherry branches also have strengthening properties and are useful for mild diarrhea. They also give the bark of all these trees.

2. Concentrates. These are grain feeds, legumes, seeds, cereals, bran, bread. Concentrates also include ready-made food for chinchillas, many of which contain other components in addition to grain.

The easiest way is to purchase ready-made food at a pet store. Nowadays a fairly large number of good balanced feeds are produced. It is only important to determine which one your pet will like. There are foods containing various grain mixtures, dried fruits, whole and granulated nuts. The latter are convenient because animals do not select individual tasty grains from the food; they have to eat all the granules. They are more economical. And chinchillas usually eat the first option more willingly. It is important that the food consists mainly of grain and grass meal and does not contain a large amount of treats: dried fruits, nuts, dried vegetables. Chinchillas simply throw many of them out of the bowl. You can choose your favorite treats yourself.

It is advisable to purchase food only in specialized stores, and when purchasing, pay attention to the expiration date. It is useful to examine a small part of the food before giving it to the chinchilla: is there any mold or bugs. Various insects are not dangerous to animals, but they indicate improper storage of food and it is better not to give such food.

If the pet store does not have food specifically for chinchillas, then you can purchase it for guinea pigs or rabbits (but not for hamsters and rats). The chinchilla will not die if, for lack of a better option, you give it such food a couple of times, but it is better not to feed it constantly, because the nutritional needs of these animals, although similar, are still different. It is also not advisable to feed the animal with food alone.

Grain, if you decide to feed it, most often has to be purchased at the market. It is important to purchase it from trusted suppliers. Knowing which grains are good for chinchillas is also important for those owners who buy ready-made food and read its composition. It's nice to have an idea of ​​what the money is being spent on!

The following grain foods are suitable for chinchillas:

    Oats are a very valuable product, containing a lot of healthy protein and fats and do not cause obesity. But, unfortunately, chinchillas, like children, eat everything healthy worse. Chinchillas can be given not only grain, but also oatmeal and rolled oats; they are better accepted by the animal. The mucous substances contained in oatmeal and broth are useful for digestive disorders. Oats are commonly used as the base for grain mixtures and can make up up to 75% of the total grain.

    Barley is also a very valuable grain product, but very hard. It is better to give it to adult animals in ground form.

    Corn - contains even more protein than oats, but this protein is worse in composition, so you can’t feed it with corn alone. Corn, in the stage of milky-waxy ripeness (just ripened) has a sweetish taste and is very popular with animals. It can be fed on the cob, but in large quantities it can cause bloating; it must be given carefully. At the stage of grain maturity, it can account for up to half of the total amount of grain feed. It is better to feed it in ground form. The most useful are bright yellow and red varieties of corn. They contain carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body.

    Millet is a very healthy food, especially red varieties containing a lot of carotene. But chinchillas do not eat it very well, so it is better to introduce a little of it into the diet. Out of savings.

    Wheat. Contains a high amount of carbohydrates and proteins, and a low amount of fat, B vitamins. In addition to wheat, chinchillas can be fed wheat bran. They are introduced into the feed mixed with grain.

Chinchillas should not be given rye. It is very poorly absorbed by all animals.

The grain is fed to chinchillas in dry form. It is undesirable to constantly give one food; it is better to make a mixture of different types grains, legumes, seeds. The grain mixture will also be better to eat.

In addition to grain, you can prepare various crumbly porridges: corn, oatmeal, millet, rice, peas (naturally, without salt, oil and ketchup!). Porridge is usually fed as supplementary food in a separate container. You need to keep in mind that they spoil quickly and remove any leftovers after feeding. Chinchillas grow well on porridges, as they digest them better than whole grains.

Sprouted grain very useful for animals, especially during the breeding season, as it contains a lot of vitamin E. This vitamin is responsible for the good functioning of the genital organs and affects the development of embryos. If there is not enough of it in the diet, animals can be infertile. In addition to this vitamin, they contain a lot of other biologically active substances. Oats, barley and wheat are usually sprouted, as they are more nutritious. To get such a product, you need to take grain of good quality. Sprouted grains are usually prepared in small quantities. The grains are washed and poured in a thin layer into a flat container, such as a tea saucer. Then pour water at room temperature so that it does not completely cover the seeds. After 10-12 hours, the water is drained and washed again. Then cover the container to retain moisture. You need to make sure that the grain does not sour or dry out; you can sprinkle it with water. After one or two days it pecks and the product can be fed to the animals. Sprouting is not strongly recommended, as in this case nutrients are lost. Sprouted grains should be introduced into the diet gradually, preferably mixed with other food. Sprouted grain also spoils quickly, and you need to make sure that it is eaten without any residue.

Oilseeds – most often these are sunflower seeds (sunflower seeds). They are eaten with great pleasure. The seeds contain many so-called essential fatty acids, which have a good effect on the condition of the skin and coat. Therefore, it is very useful to give them if you want to improve the appearance of the animal’s skin for various skin problems. Seeds can make up up to 20% of the total grain feed. You can't give them too much because of their high fat content. It is also necessary to monitor their storage, since this food, if stored incorrectly or for a long time, spoils faster than grain. Rancid fats, which can then form in the seeds, contribute to the development of a dangerous, practically incurable disease - liver dystrophy. Roasted sunflower seeds, which children sometimes unknowingly like to feed to animals, are very dangerous for chinchillas.

Legumes. Peas, lentils, soybeans, and beans are superior in protein content and their usefulness to all grain products. They must be included in the diet. But, at the same time, they should never be given in their pure form, as they contain substances that can cause bloating in the stomach and intestines. They are included in grain up to 10-15%. They are given in ground form.

Nuts! Delicious, love! Nuts of all types are very nutritious and highly digestible food. They are also classified as concentrated feed. Hazel is especially useful. It contains up to 70% fat, 20% protein, 8% sugar. But eating nuts in excessive quantities can cause indigestion and obesity. Peanuts, as a legume, also often cause bloating. It is best to give nuts 1-2 times a week, just a little as an additive to the food and as a treat. Agree, if you give nuts every day, then what will you use to lure the chinchilla into the cage after a walk? They must be peeled (chinchilla is not a squirrel!) and raw.

In addition to the above foods, chinchillas can be given raw cereals: rice, buckwheat, barley; corn flakes without additives, a mixture of grated carrots and crackers, weed seeds, stale white bread - all this in small quantities and only as an additional feed; they can replace a small part of other concentrated feeds.

Chinchillas can also be fed pumpkin, watermelon and zucchini seeds. They are healthy and easy to eat.

3. Juicy feed. Juicy food contains a lot of moisture and vitamins. These are various vegetables, fruits and herbs. Here you will have to choose those that your pet will like. Some of the succulent foods may become favorite treats, while some the animal will not even touch. Chinchillas are all individual.

Chinchillas can be given cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, , kohlrabi, salad; fruits - apples, pears, figs, bananas, grapes, berries. Large fruits It is advisable to cut into small pieces. Greens: wheatgrass, clover, knotweed, dandelion, stinging nettle, alfalfa, vegetable tops (carrots, turnips, Jerusalem artichoke, peas), fruit tree branches with leaves. All these foods can be given in abundance, but it must be taken into account that they spoil very quickly.

When feeding vegetables and fruits, you need to make sure that they are not rotten or spoiled. They must be thoroughly cleaned before use. You need to buy, just like for your family, in trusted places so that the products do not contain excessive amounts of nitrates and various toxic substances that are used to grow fruits. Like rabbits, it is not advisable to give chinchillas white, red, cauliflower, red beets. These foods may cause gastrointestinal illness.

You also need to be careful when feeding grass. Chinchillas should not be given food growing along the road or in areas where other pets are allowed to walk. Care should be taken to feed very young grass in the spring, young Jerusalem artichoke tops and all legumes (clover, alfalfa, china, lupine, etc.). All this is very useful, but under certain conditions it can cause bloating, which is very dangerous for chinchillas. They need to be introduced into the diet gradually, in small quantities, preferably in a mixture with other herbs or after feeding hay. Wet grass can also cause intestinal problems. The grass is not washed before feeding, but for greater safety and better storage, it is advisable to slightly wither it. Poisonous herbs: bindweed, buttercup, spurge, crow's eye, horsetail, sweet clover, lily of the valley, henbane, hemlock, etc.

Juicy feed and grain, bread often form dangerous combinations that cause fermentation processes in the intestines, so it is advisable to give them at different times.

The best time to give succulent feed on weekdays is morning. Then, if the chinchilla does not like something from the food, you will be able to notice and fix the problem by the evening.

4. Animal feed. These feeds are especially needed for young animals, nursing females, especially if the offspring exceeds a couple of babies. Animal feed can be added up to 5% of the diet. These include whey, skim milk, yogurt, meat and bone meal. Like succulent food, it spoils easily. It is better to use a separate container for them, which will be washed thoroughly after feeding. Chinchillas can be given powdered milk: it spoils less and can be mixed with grain. As a cheap option for powdered milk, we use milk replacer - milk for calves in small packages. Comfortable!

5.Vitamin and mineral supplements. There must be a mineral and salt stone hanging in the cage. It will be eaten by the animal as needed. Vitamin preparations are given to insufficiently balanced diets, lactating and pregnant females, young animals, sick and convalescent animals. It is best to buy liquid vitamin preparations designed specifically for rodents and give them with water or fortified food. Tablets and powders are difficult to give to rodents. All other animals can simply enrich their diet with food high in vitamins: red varieties of pumpkin and carrots, sprouted grains, nettle hay, rose hips and rowan berries. You can add dry yeast (2-5 g) to the food; it contains protein and many B vitamins.

5. Don't forget about dessert!

Chinchillas should not be given cookies, sweet buns with vanilla, fried seeds and nuts, or muesli with a high content of various additives. The animal can eat all this with pleasure and not even die after the first time. But subsequently, feeding such delicacies can seriously affect the health of the animal.

Currently, they produce many delicious treats designed specifically for rodents. There is plenty to enjoy here. These are various sweet sticks, crackers, baskets with nuts, sweet hearts and circles, biscuits with berries - and all this without containing various harmful substances. They can add bright colors to your pet’s life, provide excellent variety of feeding, be used for training, and some of them are also fortified. The main thing is not to get carried away! It’s already difficult to feed a chinchilla to its fullest, and in this case it will become even more difficult.

Feeding rules. If we summarize all of the above, we can say that the animal’s diet should always contain concentrates in the form of a grain mixture, porridge or ready-made food of about 30 g per day for adult animals, and for young animals and lactating females more and a small bundle of hay is allowed. All succulent foods are fed in small quantities as they are eaten; in summer they can be given quite a lot. Animal feed is provided as needed. There must be fresh water in the cage. It is best to use a special nipple drinker. When feeding, you need to take into account the nocturnal lifestyle of chinchillas and the main part of the food, but not succulent food, should be given at night. You can feed as many times a day as is convenient, but the main thing is that a small amount of food is always in the cage.

Update: October 2017

One of the most important criteria proper care for the animal - this is a balanced diet. It is ignorance or non-compliance with what is and is not possible, and how to feed a chinchilla correctly, that causes gastrointestinal diseases characteristic of the species. 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 the wild, 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 people 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 process of warming cold water, which can also give it 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, clean water in the animal’s cage. Preferably bottled or filtered. The optimal water temperature is from 15 to 18C˚. You need to wash the drinking bowl and pour clean water into it daily, before each feeding. Apart from 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. In addition to ready-made food (70% of the total diet), your pet must be fed 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 a 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 choose 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:

  1. 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.
  2. Barley - due to its excessive hardness, can only be given to adults and in ground form, otherwise it is difficult to chew.
  3. 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 the animal’s digestive tract.
  4. 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.
  5. 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:

  • Skim 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. Despite the fact that such products do not contain harmful substances, their abuse can lead to obesity or, in the case of fruits and berries, to serious intestinal upset.

Vitamins and minerals

A British chinchilla's cage should always contain mineral salt rings or a mineral salt stone. They are necessary for the 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, the best source of vitamins and minerals remains 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 forbidden 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 a high concentration of vitamin E, which is responsible for the reproductive function of the 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 tender digestive system, a few drops of espumisan 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 free access to hay immediately after birth; they begin to eat it already 2–3 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.