How much food is too much?

[ElliesMama]

Hiya,

I have a chinchilla that turned 6 months at the end of April. I have been free-feeding her oxbow pellets since I got her at 2 months. However, I read that at 6 months I am supposed to cut her down to 2 tablespoons a day.

I have tried this a couple of times and she eats it all very quickly which makes me think she is still hungry and I end up giving her more.

She is growing very fast, and I want to make sure she gets the nutrition she needs, but I also want to avoid making her a little chubster.

How much do you feed your chinchillas?

Thank you!

 

[Smidgeyy]

I free feed both of mine. I was always told that you don't need to limit their pellet intake, it's the treats that you should cut out.

 

[starleomach]

You do not need to limit food intake chinchillas do not generally over eat

 

[seachin]

Agree with the above. My chins go through varying periods of voracity as they grow, more when they are in a growth period and less in the interim. I tend to give a little more than the volume they eat when its empty. Also, each chin is different and accordingly eat a different amount of pellets.

 

[Amethyst]

I agree no need to limit food intake, especially while growing and at 6 months a chin is still growing, close to full grown but not there yet. Some mutations can take up to 2 years or so before they are done growing. Once they are done growing most adult chins do eat around 2 table spoons a day, give or take, but so long as they are eating their hay too, if they empty the bowl fill it.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Agreed. No need to limit. Free feed pellets and give large amounts of hay. Limit treats only.