what kind of chinchilla pellets is best?

[michellemonster]

i want to know what kind is the best for your chinchillas. and what kind of treats and different snacks for them?

 

[TheSurvivor]

I won't comment on the pellets, as being in Belgium we have different brands (never seen oxbow or mazuri here) but for treats I alternate between:

Dried carob pods
Dried Rosebuds
Dry Spaghetti Sticks
unsweetened rolled oats

which they all love

they're especially cute nibbling on a spaghetti stick

 

[muzzyj]

dried spaghetti...hmm I haven't heard of that

 

[TheSurvivor]

The only ingredient is wheat - so it should be a very safe treat (I don't get any of the special kind and avoid any with eggs etc of course - so it's basically hard dried wheat)

It came highly recommended as a treat by many Dutch/Belgian sites (there's a very good chin "network" of sites in Belgium and Holland)

And it's about the cheapest treat I can get them (along with rolled oats) as half a kilo will only set me back about 50 cents and it doesn't turn bad

 

[macygray]

Pellets:
Oxbow, Tradition, Mazuri (I know some people mention Mazuri has affected their droppings; but I had my boy on Mazuri for a long time with no bother at all.)

Other treats:
Old fashioned rolled oats; my chinnies favourite..dried rosehips, plain cheerios, plain..unsweetened shredded wheat, then give the normal chews all the time for their teeth (Give those treats a few times a week)

I have given my chinnie uncooked Spaghetti before and he seemed to like it but I wouldn't give it out TOO much.

 

[michellemonster]

do you guys know any good websites to order pellets off of in the states? the only food any of the petstores around here sells is kaytee and it costs 12 bucks for only a 2 lbs bag.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Check out the classified ads section. There are many members here who sell feed a very good prices. Getting feed from them is cheaper than from the pet stores and that includes what you pay for shipping.

 

[blue_soda025]

Check out the classified ads section. There are many members here who sell feed a very good prices. Getting feed from them is cheaper than from the pet stores and that includes what you pay for shipping.

I agree.. I order my pellets from a local breeder and even including shipping, the price is better than any pellets you could buy in stores. The quality of the pellets themselves are very good too. My chins have grown so much from eating them and have super healthy droppings.

 

[michellemonster]

whats the difference between oxbow and mazuri? ive noticed those are the ones used most but i cant seem to figure out which one i want to use

 

[Ash]

Those aren't the ones 'most used' just more commonly available in retail pet stores like Petco. There are a few other good feeds available in the classifieds also and all have different values of nutrtition and are used pretty equally.

 

[Tikibirds]

I have given uncooked spagetti to my chins before. They loved it.

 

[partygirlha]

if you can't find pellets locally ordering from people on this site is great. but you can also order from http://www.drsfostersmith.com/ they have free shipping on orders over $50 and I watch their site for sales. Because I live in a large city and don't have a car getting cheap hay is a problem - I just got 25# of orchard grass from them fairly cheap (I've got a box of Timothy hay already) and to make the order over $50, I added some food for the chins and other pets.

 

[partygirlha]

sorry that post was ment for a different thread...
but I get some Oxbow rewards from that site. Fresh hay is always a treat (even when they get it ALL the time), wood to chew and WHOLE GRAIN SUPPLEMENT from Lonestar chinchilla http://www.lonestarchinchilla.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=30&osCsid=22b76a833d61157c3a3f50db9cf5ff6c is known as "chin crack" in my house because my boys (including my Gpigs) go crazy for it.:wink2: