What Can & Cannot A Chinchilla Eat?

[JumpyJellyfish]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Jade and I am looking for a good comprehensive list of what Chinchilla's can and cannot eat. I got my very first Chinchilla around 10 months ago, and he is currently on a diet of pellets and hay, with the occasional treat stick.

However, I would like to feed a larger variety, be it different hays or whatever - but I have no idea what I can feed him and what I can't. Basically, in an ideal world - I would have him on a natural diet with no pellets - is this possible?

Any help would be great, thanks!

 

[Smidgeyy]

I don't have time to come up with a whole list for you but I can say what I do and don't give my chins.

Hay
My chins have a variety of hay. They always have fresh/loose Timothy available. In addition to that, I offer Botanical and Meadow. They can have any grass hay that Oxbow sells, so I just grab a bag when I need to. I haven't tried the other types yet, as I am waiting for their bag to run out. They also get timothy, timothy/alfalfa, and alfalfa cubes.

The different hays work as a nice treat.

Treats
My chins do not get a lot of treats. I have a bunch of herbs/flowers on hand but I really only ever use the rosehips, calendula petals, cheerios and old fashioned oats. I give a tiny amount(one cheerio, one pinch of oats, etc...) maybe 3 times a week at most.

Generally, I use wood as a treat!
It can be unlimited and they love it. Apple sticks are a favorite. They get about 5-10 each per day.

 

[TaylorMadeChinchillas]

Unless you can copy their natural habitat, a no pellet diet is not possible. The reason pellet diets work is because it covers all their needs without having to supplement. Stick with hay either Timothy or other grass hays, a good pellet diet, and the occasional rosehip, whole wheat, or old fashioned oats. Nothing else needed.

 

[Vyxxin]

I'm with Smidgeyy...the less treats the better. I only treat with rosehips, old fashioned oats and plain cheerios occasionally. The absolute best way to "treat" would be different wood varieties IMO. Likewise, you can give different varieties of hay but I've noticed over the years (10yrs experience here) that some chinchillas are digestively sensitive to switching hays as much as they would be to switching pellets. NOW, as far as a "pellet-free" diet...it has been done. I know a couple people on here had chins that were so sensitive to pellets that they opted to completely eliminate the and feed a "hay only" diet. I do not know the long term results of this as I haven't done it and haven't followed up but I imagine it is possible.