Which seeds can be given to chinchillas and which ones cannot?

What seeds can be given to chinchillas and in what form, and which ones cannot

Chinchilla is a vegetarian by nature. She eats everything that the sparse but varied vegetation of her homeland, the highlands of the Andes, provides. In home-keeping conditions, owners try to choose the right products included in the animal’s diet. In addition to pellets and hay, the animals eat berries, dried vegetables and fruits, and gnaw twigs and twigs of trees and shrubs. Wanting to balance their pet's diet, owners are interested in whether chinchilla seeds are good for them.

There is no definite answer to the question, so you need to learn more about the different types of such delicacies and decide whether to introduce it to the rodent’s menu.

Useful properties and contraindications

The vegetable has a number of useful substances for humans, what can we say about rabbits - for them it is a whole treasure trove of vitamins. Pumpkin contains a huge amount of vitamins B, A, C, it is rich in microelements, sugars, it has a lot of fiber and few calories. For rabbits, this is an excellent anthelmintic food, an excellent way to increase the quantity and quality of milk. When animals consume pulp, seeds and tops, their fur becomes softer and more tender, and the meat acquires a unique delicate taste. Orange varieties dye the skin of rabbits with red fur - this is especially important for skin-loving animals.

Of the contraindications:

• Baby rabbits are up to 4 months old,
• Increased dosage of pulp,
• Increased dosage of seeds,
• Individual intolerance,
• Unwashed, rotten, contaminated vegetable.

This is a fairly large vegetable and rabbits (especially young animals) do not always eat it raw with pleasure. In order not to translate the product, observe who is interested in eating raw vegetables. And bake or boil the rest immediately before feeding, so that the puree does not spoil and the product is not transferred.

Melons can and should be given to rabbits. Diversify your diet with zucchini and squash. With a balanced diet, rabbits will delight you with their health and mutual dedication.

Sunflower seeds

In conditions of artificial breeding, the chinchilla is entirely dependent on humans, especially in matters of nutrition. A big mistake is made by owners who rely on the fact that animals can distinguish healthy food from harmful food. The animals are guided solely by the smell and taste of the food offered to them.

Raw sunflower seeds contain a lot of fatty acids. It is useful for maintaining fur in good condition - the main advantage of the rodent. Just give chinchillas sunflower seeds raw, in very small portions - no more than 2-3 per meal. Otherwise, there is a high risk of indigestion, constipation, obesity and liver problems.

Any fried seeds are not food for chinchillas. These animals are raw foodists; they do not find such food in the natural environment, so their digestive system is not adapted to such food. Even if the animal eats them with pleasure, resist the urge to feed them food that is “delicious” from your point of view.

Prohibited Products

Persimmons are prohibited for feeding. This fruit, useful for humans, is rich in iodine, which is contraindicated for animals. In addition to iodine, persimmons contain a lot of sugar and astringents, which will lead to constipation.

It is not recommended to give chinchillas and beets.

The root vegetable is healthy, but has a laxative effect. In rare cases, small pieces of beets can be given for constipation. Any type of cabbage leads to severe gas formation. Chinchillas love to feast on tea rose petals - they taste pleasant and have an attractive aroma. If flowers are grown in your own garden, there is no danger, but it is better not to give store-bought ones. They contain a lot of pesticides and chemicals that can cause serious poisoning.

When preparing tree branches for the winter, it is worth remembering which species are dangerous and unsuitable for feeding. Branches of which trees cannot be harvested:

• Apricot,
• white acacia,
• Beech,
• Ash leaf maple,
• Common buckthorn
• Cedar,
• Chestnut,
• Branches of any citrus species,
• Cypress,
• Elderberries,
• Cherries,
• Cherries,
• Branches of any coniferous species,
• Holly,
• Hydrangeas,
• Juniper,
• Common maple
• Myrta,
• Oleander,
• Plums.

Oak bark and twigs can only be given to animals suffering from diarrhea. In healthy animals they cause severe constipation.

Branches of stone fruit trees (cherry, cherry, plum, and so on) are dangerous because they contain a dangerous cyanide compound, as a result of the breakdown of which hydrocyanic acid is formed in the chinchilla’s body. If you feed an animal with such twigs, you can get not only severe poisoning, but also the rapid death of your pet.

Prohibited products also include any type of honey, as well as store-bought cottage cheese and fermented milk products.

Not all breeders know that chinchillas should not be given leaves, stems and flowers of indoor plants. Most of them are poisonous to the animal and very often cause death.

It is also not recommended to give any food from a person's table. Everything that is normal and familiar, even useful for people, for a chinchilla becomes the cause of digestive problems, allergies, obesity and other serious diseases. The animal will never refuse tasty and aromatic food and can eat a piece of cake, cheese, meat or fish. However, such food is not normal and familiar to the stomach of a furry pet. And the possible consequences are very sad.

Apple seeds

The diet of herbivores, such as chinchillas, includes fruits. One of the favorite foods of rodents is apples. They are offered to animals in a dried or dried form so as not to cause digestive upset.

There is no need to peel the core of these fruits. If an animal eats a few small seeds from it along with a piece of apple, nothing bad will happen. Recent studies suggest that apple seeds contain substances that can prevent cancer. As a preventive measure, a person is recommended to consume 4-5 seeds daily.

Chinchillas only need a few seeds eaten with an apple. You should not store them specifically and offer them to animals as a separate dish.

What are the benefits of wood for chinchillas?

It is worth familiarizing yourself not only with information about what branches can be given to chinchillas, but also finding out what the benefits of wood are for the chinchilla’s body.

Tree greens typically contain a high percentage of protein, ranging from 8% to 15%. Protein for furry animals is necessary for the development of muscle mass and the growth of the pet’s body as a whole. Tree greens also contain fats and fiber, which are necessary for the stable functioning of the chinchilla’s intestines.

Herb seeds

In nature, rodents feed on grasses, eating their seeds. This means that they also need this natural food at home.

Flax seed can be given in small doses to improve digestion. Plantain together with seeds has a good effect on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Nursing females will benefit from fennel seed; it promotes lactation. Any herbaceous plants recommended for inclusion in a pet's diet can be given with ripened seeds.

A little about harmful things

Under no circumstances should you feed your chinchilla the following foods:

• meat;
• roasted grains;
• baking;
• starch - noodles, pasta, potatoes;
• fast food;
• mushrooms;
• eggs;
• confectionery, sweets, ice cream, sweets;
• fermented milk products;
• salad, cabbage.

It is better to please pregnant females with treats more often. This will contribute to excellent health, healthy children and tasty milk. Ideal additions to the main food and fresh herbs for them would be calendula, almonds, flax seeds, buckwheat, and dandelion. They not only help cope with problems during pregnancy, but also help restore the body after and give more benefits to milk.

Maintain the amount of tasty and healthy additives, keep in mind that today, for example, you can give an apple, and tomorrow rowan, and your animal will become a real long-liver, while receiving a variety of sweets every day.

What chinchillas shouldn't do

Although animals eat fruits, not all are equally beneficial for their health.

Fruits should not be given to animals:

The berries of these and other stone fruit trees and shrubs can be harmful to your chinchilla's health. Their seeds are strictly prohibited, since they contain the strongest poison - hydrocyanic acid.

Experts warn that nuts are harmful to animals. However, some manufacturers add them to chinchilla food. You must carefully read the composition of the food you purchase and do not buy one that contains nuts, since they damage the animal’s liver.

Rules for self-harvesting branches

When buds appear on the trees, you can begin harvesting branches. They are cut with pruning shears. The sap moving through the trees at this time has the most valuable nutritional composition.

• Only living branches are taken from healthy trees and shrubs. Animals that are dried out, dirty, moldy or have marks of teeth cannot be cut off. The stems of raspberries, gooseberries, and hawthorns must be cleared of sharp thorns so that the animal does not injure the oral cavity.
• The branches (about 1 cm in diameter) are divided into parts 5–7 cm long. This size is convenient for a chinchilla, who eats while sitting and holding the treat in her front paws.
• The chopped twigs are washed well and doused with boiling water. Dry in the oven, placing it on a baking sheet in a thin layer.
• The oven door is left slightly open. The sticks are checked and mixed periodically.
• Completely dried branches are stored in cardboard boxes. Plastic containers are not suitable for this; they can become moldy there. Well-dried wood will not mold. However, after a few weeks you need to check the twigs - those infected with mold are thrown away, the rest are dried.

Can chinchillas have sunflower seeds?

In general, it is possible, the main thing is not to overdo it with their quantity. Chinchillas love sunflower seeds and would happily eat them all day long. Their danger is that they are very fatty and contain a lot of calories, 600 kcal per 100 grams of product.

Give the seeds only in dry form. Do not give raw, fried or salted.

It is best to give seeds 1-2 times a week, 2-3 pieces. You don’t need to feed them every day, otherwise liver problems will definitely begin.

Benefits of seeds:

• The oils they contain give the fur shine and thickness.
• Is the chinchilla happy?

Flaws:

• Harmful to the liver. A very difficult product for chinchillas to digest.

The debate about whether it is possible to chinchilla seeds continues to this day. Some categorically refuse to give even occasional seeds, while others feed their chinchillas throughout their lives. Those who breed chinchillas, especially for exhibitions, always give a small portion of seeds to their pet, because they will make his fur shiny and thick.

If you do not control the number of seeds given to the animal, the chinchilla will quickly begin to get fat, and the liver is easy to plant.

Bottom line

After reading this article, you found out exactly whether chinchillas can have seeds, which ones to give and in what quantity. I cannot deprive the chinchilla of the pleasure that she experiences while eating seeds, so I always try to treat her once a week.

Control the amount of seeds fed and make sure, if you have children, that they do not feed their pet. Children are very kind, so from the pure heart they bring the chinchilla an unlimited amount of seeds, treats, sweets, etc.

List of "Do's and Don'ts"

Re: List of "Do's and Don'ts"

Message number: #161 Ivanovna » Sat Jun 25, 2011 13:13

If you do not want to see this block, register or log in under your name.

Re: List of "Do's and Don'ts"

Message number: #162 Marina Lepel » Sat Jun 25, 2011 14:25

Re: List of "Do's and Don'ts"

Message number: #163 Ivanovna » Sat Jun 25, 2011 14:36

Re: List of "Do's and Don'ts"

Message number: #164 lavina » Sun Jun 26, 2011 15:56

vice versa! Thank you very much for your complete and detailed answer!

By the way, the other day I bought additional food (I don’t even know how to translate it correctly) for chinchillas, it’s called “flower field”. So it contains sunflower petals and marigolds. Moreover, marigolds are already just boxes with seeds. mine just attacked them first

Re: List of "Do's and Don'ts"

Message number: #165 Love » Tue Jul 05, 2011 18:56

Re: List of "Do's and Don'ts"

Message number: #166 koda » Tue Jul 05, 2011 20:46

Re: List of "Do's and Don'ts"

Message number: #167 Passerby » Tue Jul 05, 2011 22:42

I’ve never given them one yet (I just can’t get around to buying them especially for Nyusha), but for myself (as a result of scouring various chinchilla sites) I came to the same conclusion as koda - no more than two medium or one large sunflower seeds per week. I think that (despite the undeniable abundance of useful substances) they should not be abused due to the significant amount of oil they contain.

By the way, I wanted to ask one more question in connection with pumpkin seeds. It is generally accepted that they are a good prophylactic anthelmintic (anthelminthic) agent. But then I came across an indication that pumpkin seeds are used “against various tapeworms” [emphasis added]. This is where the question came to me. I know that, in general, the variety of helminths is not limited only to tapeworms, but what kind of helminths are found in hornets and can hornworms have tapeworms? Or maybe the anthelmintic properties of these seeds are no more important for our jokers than a strong lock on the display case doors?

Can chinchillas have walnuts and chestnuts?

Chinchillas are herbivores and it is natural for them to eat vegetation. Their diet should be high in fiber and protein, but low in fat and moisture.

Approximate feed composition:

• 35% carbohydrates;
• 15% protein;
• 30% fiber;
• 4% sugar;
• no more than 3.5% fat.

In their natural environment, chinchillas eat bark. It is the main supplier of fiber. If it is not enough, their teeth become overgrown and digestion is disrupted. Be sure to also provide your pet with hay and grass.

Did you know? From one hair follicle of a chinchilla, up to 60 hairs grow, while in humans

— only one. Therefore, their fur coats are very thick, which allows them to retain body heat even at high altitudes in the mountains.

As for fat, its excess will lead to liver damage. Therefore, giving nuts is not recommended. The table below shows the fat content of some types:

As can be seen from the table, all nuts, without exception, contain many times more fat than a chinchilla can consume. Therefore, such food is more of an exception than a healthy food.

What else can you feed rabbits?

These fluffies are extremely picky eaters and will often eat almost anything you put in their feeders. Here is a small list of products that are suitable for consumption by both indoor and ornamental animals, and those that live on farms:

• succulent food: silage, melons, carrots, potatoes, turnips, turnips, beets, cabbage;
• roughage: hay from a variety of cereals and legumes, straw, branches and needles of various conifers, birch bark;
• green food: field dandelions, young nettles, alfalfa, knotweed, lizard;
• concentrated food: crushed corn and oats grains soaked in liquid, various legumes, cake (not sunflower), various mixed feeds (except for those intended for birds);
• animal feed: bone meal, fish oil, skim milk, whey, buttermilk;
• human food waste: dry bread (not moldy), pasta, leftover cereals and soups, peelings and potato peels (not green).

So, we hope that this article answered all your questions regarding rabbits eating seeds. Carefully monitor your charges and, most likely, you yourself will understand over time whether they need the introduction of such a supplement, and if you have already introduced it into the diet, then how healthy and tasty it turned out to be for them. >Can rabbits have seeds: video