Chin Care
Feeding:
Pellets are given and available to the chins all day long. We give Purina Show Rabbit pellets, but Mazuri is a very good brand and any good quality guinea pig pellet can be used. It has to be fresh, the product in the pet stores is questionable at least as to how long it's been on the shelf. We also feed the chins a small bowl of treat every two to three days, only about a tablespoon per each chin. Treat is composed of rolled oats, and flaxseed and we add rose hips, chamomile, peppermint, sage, St. John's Wort, mallow (or malva flowers), flax (linseed), based on a recipe from Egon Mosslacher, a German breeder, published in 1981. We also add powdered milk so that it coats the other grains. They love this stuff, and it's great for their health and coat. I believe in free-range feeding, so we leave pellets available to the chins all the time.
We also keep alfalfa and timothy hay cubes available to them all the time. Water should be changed every day or two. No other additives to the water are necessary, especially water soluble vitamins which loose their potency when exposed to light anyway. Watch their bottles because the little buggers like to nibble holes in them, just check every day to make sure it's full of water, and if the litter underneath it is wet, look for leaks. No fresh fruit or veggies should be given or dried fruits, it upsets the balance of bacteria in their digestive tract. Diarrhea is best prevented rather than having to treat for it, but now and then a juvenile will overeat and have soft droppings. A burnt crust of bread can help, but again only a small amount or a piece of Wheat Chex cereal can be given. Do not ever ignore diarrhea, it can cause rectal prolapse or rapid dehydration and can even be deadly.
Bedding:
We use a pelleted newspaper product called Yesterday's News in the trays under our cages and Carefresh litter, which is a soft recycled newspaper product, in our nest boxes. Even though kiln-dried pine is considered okay, our vet still does not recommend it as it still causes respiratory issues in small animals. Newspapers work well in the trays of cages with mesh floors and chins love to chew up the litter, whatever it is. Just make sure they have something to lie down in and a shelter to sleep in.
Housing:
We provide large, tall cages for our chins. They really require more height as opposed to width for their climbing and jumping. We also provide a wheel, either Flying Saucers or the Chin Spin from Quality Cage for exercise, as well as allowing them time in the evenings to run. They like the large plastic ferret balls called Jolly Balls which have numerous holes to climb through, and Choia branches as toys, and to chew, but plastic toys are not recommended since they will eat them and destroy them. Manzanita branches like those for parrots are also good and untreated pine shelves for resting and chewing are great. The more you give them to chew in the cage, the less they will be interested in your furniture when they are running. A wooden nest box is nice for them to sleep in and chew on, and if possible, place it high in the cage, as they like to sleep up high. Crockery dishes are preferred over plastic, again because of the chewing, and also because they can tip the plastic ones over and roll them around the cage. You can also purchase dishes that attach to the side of the cage, these prevent them from peeing in their food. Even the odd toilet paper roll becomes a great toy, they love to destroy them. Any wood toys are great, just make sure if they are colored wood that it is non-toxic and doesn't contain minerals or other "bird" treats which aren't chin friendly.
Pellets are given and available to the chins all day long. We give Purina Show Rabbit pellets, but Mazuri is a very good brand and any good quality guinea pig pellet can be used. It has to be fresh, the product in the pet stores is questionable at least as to how long it's been on the shelf. We also feed the chins a small bowl of treat every two to three days, only about a tablespoon per each chin. Treat is composed of rolled oats, and flaxseed and we add rose hips, chamomile, peppermint, sage, St. John's Wort, mallow (or malva flowers), flax (linseed), based on a recipe from Egon Mosslacher, a German breeder, published in 1981. We also add powdered milk so that it coats the other grains. They love this stuff, and it's great for their health and coat. I believe in free-range feeding, so we leave pellets available to the chins all the time.
We also keep alfalfa and timothy hay cubes available to them all the time. Water should be changed every day or two. No other additives to the water are necessary, especially water soluble vitamins which loose their potency when exposed to light anyway. Watch their bottles because the little buggers like to nibble holes in them, just check every day to make sure it's full of water, and if the litter underneath it is wet, look for leaks. No fresh fruit or veggies should be given or dried fruits, it upsets the balance of bacteria in their digestive tract. Diarrhea is best prevented rather than having to treat for it, but now and then a juvenile will overeat and have soft droppings. A burnt crust of bread can help, but again only a small amount or a piece of Wheat Chex cereal can be given. Do not ever ignore diarrhea, it can cause rectal prolapse or rapid dehydration and can even be deadly.
Bedding:
We use a pelleted newspaper product called Yesterday's News in the trays under our cages and Carefresh litter, which is a soft recycled newspaper product, in our nest boxes. Even though kiln-dried pine is considered okay, our vet still does not recommend it as it still causes respiratory issues in small animals. Newspapers work well in the trays of cages with mesh floors and chins love to chew up the litter, whatever it is. Just make sure they have something to lie down in and a shelter to sleep in.
Housing:
We provide large, tall cages for our chins. They really require more height as opposed to width for their climbing and jumping. We also provide a wheel, either Flying Saucers or the Chin Spin from Quality Cage for exercise, as well as allowing them time in the evenings to run. They like the large plastic ferret balls called Jolly Balls which have numerous holes to climb through, and Choia branches as toys, and to chew, but plastic toys are not recommended since they will eat them and destroy them. Manzanita branches like those for parrots are also good and untreated pine shelves for resting and chewing are great. The more you give them to chew in the cage, the less they will be interested in your furniture when they are running. A wooden nest box is nice for them to sleep in and chew on, and if possible, place it high in the cage, as they like to sleep up high. Crockery dishes are preferred over plastic, again because of the chewing, and also because they can tip the plastic ones over and roll them around the cage. You can also purchase dishes that attach to the side of the cage, these prevent them from peeing in their food. Even the odd toilet paper roll becomes a great toy, they love to destroy them. Any wood toys are great, just make sure if they are colored wood that it is non-toxic and doesn't contain minerals or other "bird" treats which aren't chin friendly.
How to take care of your Chinchillas
(even if they do burn, pillage, and sail small well-made ships)
