Chinchilla Diet

Chinchillas in the wild eat a sparse diet of vegetation including grasses, roots and seeds.  See Save The Wild Chinchillas list of foods eaten by wild chinchillas here.

In captivity their diet should consist of good quality hay, chinchilla pellets, supplemented with fresh wild plants, grass and vegetables.  Protein 15% (up to 18% during pregnancy and lactation), Fibre 30%, Fat 4%,

Chinchillas are intolerant of sugar and fruit should be fed in only small amounts as an occasional treat.  peanuts and other fatty foods should be avoided.  Their food should be fed fresh as the nutritional value of pellets deteriorates with storage.  Hay should be fresh, dry and free from mould.  Water should be provided in a water bottle.  Fresh food should never be fed straight from the fridge as cold food can cause fits.

The main food of wild chinchillas is the puya plant, Puya berteroniana. Chinchillas chew holes and make nests in the puya. Wild chinchillas eat the puya leaves all year round.They are creatures of habit and should be fed at the same time every day.  They also need lots to chew on such as apple, hazel or willow twigs.  Hay or alfalfa cubes provide environmental stimulation as well as being a food source.  A hollow log filled with hay and a few choice treats is another good way of supplementing the food bowl.

Chinchillas need fresh unsaturated fatty acids in their daily diet as they cannot synthesize these within their own bodies.  Diets low in arachidonic and linoleic acids can lead to reduced hair growth and ulcers on the skin.

Chinchillas also require vitamin E, choline (a B complex vitamin) and the amino acid methionine to enable it to break down natural carotene, or pro-vitamin A, into vitamin A.  When these are lacking in the diet the carotene build up can cause a condition known as 'yellow ears'.

Chinchillas also need a ratio of calcium to phosphorous in their diet of between 1:1 and 2:1.

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BUY EDIBLE FLOWER MIX AND FRUITS OF THE FOREST FOR CHINCHILLAS IN THE UK

Click on the pictures below to buy my edible flower mix or berry, root and shoots treat mixes.

The edible flowers for chinchillas, degus, rabbits and guinea pigs contains cactus flower, cornflowers, marigold petals, marshmallow flowers, pink rosebuds, red rose petals, soft dried grass and sunflower petals.

The berry, roots and shoots mix contains balm of gilead (poplar) buds, bilberries, chicory root, cornflower, inula (elecampane) root, marshmallow root, plantain herb, rosehips, rowan (mountain ash) berries, sloe berries and spruce sprouts.

 

BELINDA'S RECIPES FOR HEALTHY CHINCHILLA TREATS - Ingredients from Kalyx US by the lb

Flower Power Recipe:  Calendula Flowers, Chamomile Flowers, Cornflowers, Mallow Flowers, Red Clover Blossom,  Red Rose Buds, Pink Rose Buds, and Yarrow Flowers

Root & Bark Mix:   Chicory Root, Couchgrass Root, Elecampane/Inula Root, Marshmallow Root, Slippery Elm Bark "Cotton Cut" and Yucca Root  (A good digestive blend with naturally occurring inulin, a pre-biotic)

Chinchillas also like: Balm of Gilead (Poplar) Buds, Bilberry Berries, Rosehips cut, Rosehips whole, and Licorice Root Sticks