It's also important to supplement your chinchilla's diet. Chinchillas are also subject to obesity if their daily pellet intake is too high. ​With the myriad of ingredients in this food, there's bound to be some that chinchillas simply don't prefer. Comparing University of Minnesota–Waseca heifers to industry benchmarks. For one, this food contains molasses, which isn't healthy for chinchillas to eat. Chinchillas need between one to two tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) of commercial pellets each day. ​The main problem that you'll want to avoid with your chinchilla stems from their constantly-growing teeth. The rest of their diet should be supplemented with some other greens and one of the chinchilla ​foods from this guide. Premium pellet food for chinchillas. The high fibre supports and improves the digestive process of your little friend. A quality pellet can be made specifically for Chinchillas or you can choose to feed a high quality rabbit pellet. Made as a small, short cut pellet to help reduce animal wastage. In the wild, chinchillas scavenge for their food, eating basically anything that they come across. Required fields are marked *, Get exclusive pet tips, tricks, and fun stuff that we love :), About         Contact         Medical Disclaimer         Terms         Privacy. The best chinchilla food meets the dietary requirements of chinchillas and helps to round out their nutrition. Fortunately, timothy hay and meadow grass are great, safe alternatives. Timothy hay or oat grass is the mainstay of a chinchilla’s diet and should always be available in your chinchilla’s habitat. ​Pellets made from a handful of high-quality ingredients that are nutritionally-dense and have an irresistible taste. Nutrition - The nutritional content of a chinchilla food is the most important aspect to consider by far. Your email address will not be published. ​A more budget-friendly food option that has a big focus on hay as an ingredient and lacks added fillers. A couple of chinchillas are picky when it comes to the pine cones in the food, and some may only eat certain parts of the food. The pellets also have vitamins A, D3, and E in addition to phosphorous. Many owners state that the food is very easy for their chinchilla to chew and digest while keeping their sensitive digestive tracks working well. Sherwood Pet Health Chinchilla Food is a grain and soy free, timothy hay food pellet for Chinchillas of all age groups. They are not designed for rich or fatty diets and such diets can easily cause serious digestive upsets. Instead, feed your chinchilla quality chinchilla pellets supplemented with plenty of fresh grass hay. The percentage of chinchillas that immediately take a liking to this food and empty their bowl of it daily is substantial. ​When it comes to pellet food for your chinchilla, you'll be hard-pressed to find a pellet as nutritionally-balanced and healthy as this food by Supreme Petfoods. Oxbow, Mazuri, Tradition, American Pet Diner, Kline are all quality brands. Even the overfeeding of fresh greens can lead to indigestion and diarrhea, so a healthy balance will need to be found. Although they contain a reasonable balance of protein and fiber, they are full of ingredients that really should be fed as occasional treats only, and should not be included in the staple diet. 5 pounds of pellets will last one chinchilla about 3 months; you should not purchase more than what you will use within 3 months at a time. Carefully chosen sources of fiber (alfalfa meal, soy hulls, beet pulp) have been added to assure a healthy GI tract for these herbivores. Keep the pellet bowl three-quarters full at … Just one product provides the correct levels of protein, energy, minerals and vitamins for optimum growth and performance regardless of the life stage. Kelp Meal Kelp seaweed meal has been added to Homestead Chinchilla Pellets to help with a balance of mineral and other needed nutrients. Synthetic amino acids are also offered to make sure there are no deficiencies for optimal hair and muscle growth in the animal. Mazuri's taken a very similar approach to this food as the other two manufacturers mentioned already. ​Aligned with a chinchilla's specific dietary needs, ​Some chinchillas don't like all of the ingredients. Offer your chinchilla small amounts of fresh produce each day, avoiding foods very high in sugar as well as commercial treats like yogurt drops. Supreme Petfoods ​​Science Selective Chinchilla Food, How Much Does A Chinchilla Cost? In the wild, chinchillas are naturally adapted to eating a diet of vegetation that is high in roughage. Below are the main characteristics of a healthy chinchilla pellet food. Chinchillas also need (according to most) a hay to round out their diet. In the wild, chinchillas are naturally adapted to eating a diet of vegetation that is high in roughage. Roughly 80-90% of your chinchilla’s diet should be hay, supplemented by plain, hay-based pellet food and some fresh produce daily. This is primarily due to excessive carbohydrate ingestion. A quality pellet, ample amounts of fresh hay, and unlimited access to water. You'll want to supply your chinchilla with a constant supply of hay to eat whenever they want to. Through this research, we've found the 5 best chinchilla foods for you to feed your energetic little friend. Kelp seaweed meal has been added to Homestead Chinchilla Pellets to help with a balance of mineral and other needed nutrients. It’s specially produced just for the adult Chinchillas. © 2020 Beyond The Treat | Amazon Associates Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. ​Chinchillas are definitely one of the most interesting and bizarre pets that you could own. Perhaps the best way that you'll ​keep your chinchilla healthy is by feeding them the best chinchilla food available. ​A very high-quality food that's highly palatable, nutritionally-complete, and has added probiotics for digestive health. Stick to mainly leafy greens and avoid sugary fruits and veggies. Chinchilla Lifespan: How Long Do Chinchillas Live? The main downside to this food is that it's a decent amount more expensive than other foods in this list. He was born into a family with a dog named Murphy, and since then has owned several other dogs, mice, ferrets, fish, geckos, and a cat. Grid List. It contains chelated natural vitamins and minerals with whole oilseed. One characteristic of chinchillas is that they have teeth that constantly grow. Additionally, it should be noted that chinchillas can not vomit. During that time, Chinchillas have eaten roughly the same foods, resulting in their bodies becoming optimized for digestive and processing those specific foods. Chinchillas enjoy a mixed menu of hay, pellet food, vegetables, fruit and limited treats. Do not feed to cattle or other ruminants. Overall, it's a food that's exactly what a chinchilla should be eating in addition to their hay. Like all of their other food, this food is nutritionally-complete, very healthy, and very tasty as well. Related Items burgess excel nugget pets at home nugget premium pellet rat pellet 45g pellet. Chinchilla pellets are either alfalfa or timothy hay based, so it's important to have a hay that is different from that of the pellet. This is the only pellet food my chinchilla will eat. Small mammals have demanding vitamin and mineral requirements that cannot be met with a standard rabbit pellet. Chinchillas' teeth don't stop growing while in captivity, so it's important that you continue to give them food that wears down their teeth. Nutritionally, these pellets have 18% protein, 20% fiber, and 2.5% fat, putting this food right within a chinchilla's requirements like the Supreme Petfoods pellets. He loves it and is doing very well on it. It's also got 16% protein, 15% fiber, and 3% fat, which ​is a tad bit lower than the other foods in this list but still healthy. Key Benefits. On top of the great nutritional content, Mazuri utilizes Lactobacillus and Enterococcus sp to help promote healthy gastrointestinal activity -- something that chinchillas can benefit from. You should also avoid dried fruit, grains, nuts, and seeds as they aren't easily digested and can lead to tooth damage. Homestead Chinchilla Feed is highly fortified with vitamins and minerals to provide optimum nutritional levels for correct skeletal and body growth. Therefore, a chinchilla's diet should consist of about 80% hay/grass. It is all pellets not extra filler stuff, it does not have to have a ton of sunflower seeds, peanuts, or treats mixed in for my chinchilla to like it. Each food has the characteristics of the ​​eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'beyondthetreat_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',135,'0','0']));​best​​​ chinchilla food and meets all of the specific dietary needs of a chinchilla. Lo… This allows the chinchilla's digestive system to gradually adjust to the new food. Made from their own hand selected alfalfa hay, their pellets are nutritionally complete for your chinchilla’s needs. If you want to see your Chinchilla playful, healthy, and active, then this is the product for you. Thus their nutritional needs are vital. If you don't provide your chinchilla with enough hay throughout the day and opt to feed them pellets instead, their teeth will grow faster than they can wear down. As far as hay goes, an unlimited amount should always be available, but you should be cautious. The enthusiasm of chinchillas for this food is matched by their owners, as it's commonly stated that the nutritional content is excellent​, the price is ​affordable, and there's no added filler that's so prominent in many foods on the market. A captive chinchilla diet should imitate the wild chinchilla diet as much as possible, so grass hay plays an important role as a source of roughage and fiber. Diet changes that occur too quickly can cause digestive problems in chinchillas that nobody wants to deal with. Chinchilla pellets are considered to be the best type of food concentrate, but they must be of good quality and fed fresh (within their best before date), otherwise the vitamin content may have deteriorated with age. One benefit to this food is that it promotes foraging through its diverse ingredient list, so this keeps the food interesting unlike the common, uniform pellet. However, it's loaded with natural herbs, flowers, greens, vegetables, grains, and berries to make for a tasty blend. My chins had issues with mazuri and loose stools so I switched to Tradition that I can get from a local breeder. Contains Chelated Minerals Food. When you have a pet that can bring you so much joy, it makes sense that you'll want to ensure that they're as happy and healthy as possible. Chinchillas have very sensitive digestive systems, so feeding a good quality diet appropriate for chinchillas is essential to their health. With all of the chinchilla food on the market, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to find the best food possible. The first time that you feed your chinchilla a new pellet food, mix it into their old food to where the composition is 10% new 90% old. They are both quality pellets. Such as: This is why it's so important that you match your chinchilla's diet to the diet of a wild chinchilla -- it's what their bodies are designed for! If you can get these 3 things together, you'll have a healthy well-nourished chinchilla. One Product for All Stages of Life This experience has given him the knowledge necessary to help others become excellent pet owners. Ingredients are selected for high digestibility and amino acid balance. This is their most commonly-eaten food in the wild, so that trend will need to continue even in captivity with you. All rights reserved. Chinchilla Food. Terms and Conditions, How to beat the heat this summer: heat stress abatement on the dairy farm, Calf Success: How do our heifers measure up? ​A leading pet food manufacturer, Oxbow has created this food to meet a chinchilla's dietary needs without adding any filler. Chinchillas are clean animals. Oxbow chinchilla feed is widely recommended by exotic veterinarians and chinchilla breeders. Below are the main characteristics of a healthy chinchilla pellet food. ​It should be clear at this point that chinchillas need a fairly specific diet in order for them to remain as healthy and happy as possible. Commercial foods, made especially for chinchillas and produced in pellet form, are available in pet stores. It has 16% protein, 22% fiber, and 2.5% fat, which is about exactly what a chinchilla needs in their pellet food. As with most foods, chinchilla foods have a limited shelf-life, only about six months. ​We have taken a look at quite a few different chinchilla foods, taking into account factors such as the quality of ingredients, the price per pound, and the physical health and enthusiasm of the rabbits that eat each food. Feeding Guide: Chinchilla Daily Feed (approximate per day): 20- 25g. This can lead to the Chinchilla not receiving a full and balanced diet. One tablespoon in the morning and one at night is a good way to keep your pet chinchilla healthy and well-fed.