Molasses

[halfstache]

So a few days ago I was talking with a guy who many, many years ago worked raising thousands of chins for the fur trade. We were discussing some of the practices involved with caring for the chins and in doing so he mentioned off hand something about giving them molasses and said that it was great but that they would have to be monitored for prolapse. Now to me, it doesn't make any sense to give straight molasses for any reason, so I keep wondering about it. With everything I know about proper nutrition for chins, I can't see how this would be something to give for any reason. Anyone know why this may have been done?

 

[lilchinchilla]

Could be a few reasons to give it for chins, like low blood sugar levels, or to get them to take a medication they normally wouldn't take. About ten years ago or so, it was common (at least in Canada) to use molasses to get your chinchillas to take their medications if they weren't well.

Some meds would come in pill form (and may still) only.

You'd have to cut the pill up into eight pieces, ground down 1/8th of that piece of pill into a fine powder, and some people would slit open a raisin to put the powder in. Some would use molasses for it. Sometimes the antibiotics were gross tasting and it was the only way to get the chins to take them.

I don't personally know why the rancher gave it straight, for any other reason. Can you just ask them?

 

[AZChins]

What reason were they feeding it to the chins straight? Were they feeding it to a sick herd or to make chins take medications? Molasses can be used for chins that need a boost to help with appetite and weight loss but also can make medications or other things more palatable.

That's very interesting to hear someone discussing. Ranchers have used all sorts of things with their chins to treat them for illness or to help with making their coats look better.

 

[halfstache]

Well come to think of it, I may have just inferred that he was giving straight molasses, I suppose it could have been used mixed with something, or to give medications. I didn't clarify it at the time, but in hindsight I wished I had. Oh well, maybe next time I see him I'll have to ask about it.

 

[jags]

Molasses is used in feeds a lot as a binder.

 

[AZChins]

Yes, it is. It is used for a binder instead of other substances and it can add to the palatability of the feed.