apple chew sticks

[rutherford]

Is it normal for chinchillas to be uninterested in apple chew sticks after they strip off the bark? Rutherford attacks the sticks like his life depends on it, but once he strips off all the bark, he doesn't bother with it anymore. I find that extremely wasteful. Is that what chinchillas do with chew sticks? Or does it depend on the chinchilla? I have to replenish his supply of apple wood chew sticks very rapidly...

 

[Tagna]

That's how all of my guys do it. All that's left in the cage are naked twigs!

 

[Stackie]

Yep, I only have 1 chin out of my 7 that actually chews on the sticks after the bark is stripped...and he only occasionally does so. The others are over them once the bark is gone.

 

[~SG~]

mine just chew the bark off and toss the twig too

 

[Dewdrop]

Mine just chew the bark off.

 

[SpaceChinnie]

My chins just chew the bark off of most varieties of twigs execpt cottonwood. I guess since that is a softer wood they demolish it into a pile of little bits.

 

[mishellyshel]

all my chins but 2 just chew the bark, the other 2 are woodchucks and splinter & turn most apple into saw dust.

willow is the only one so far that i noticed that it looks like it went thru a wood chipper!

 

[CJR]

That's pretty normal. Keep in mind they don't need to have an unending supply of chew sticks. I always keep several "harder" chews (pumice, a thicker piece of wood, coconut shells) in their cages and every night I give them a twig to tear apart. That way they always have something to chew, but I'm not running out of twigs every two weeks.

 

[cindyv3737]

My chins just chew the bark off of most varieties of twigs execpt cottonwood.

That is what Miss Shelly does too. I always have something for her to chew on in her cage. She has pumice stones, her hidey house, and cholla (after almost a year she is FINALLY starting to chew). I will give her a twig or two every other night.

 

[Jenn]

Like the others, I have an assortment of chew toys for Tinkerbell, including the applesticks. Sometimes she attacks just the bark, sometimes she'll chew down the sticks until only small pieces are left...

 

[GorillaJTA]

I have to replenish his supply of apple wood chew sticks very rapidly...

They will strip every stick you give them, but you don't need to have a limitless supply. I usually give a couple of sticks each a few times a week and hide a few around the cage. If I tried to keep them in sticks constantly, I would be broke and their teeth would be worn to nubs.

Wasteful is the key word for a chinchilla- their hay, their pellets, their sticks- they only want the part of each piece that they want, and the rest can sit on the floor.

 

[rutherford]

thanks for the input, you guys! rutherford has these wood blocks that the breeder gave me when i first brought him home: he has no interest in them whatsoever. i'll be sure to give him an applewood chew stick every other day or so!