Post by davx on Nov 23, 2013 15:19:02 GMT
Hello,
feeding pellets is wide spread among chinchilla owners. However feeding green is also an issue in UK and US and it isn't the case that it is an "invention" of some German speaking communities.
First at all a short overview aobut the history:
The first chinchillas in captivity even were fed with fresh greens. On of the pioneers in chinchilla keeping was the Chilean scientist Frederico Albert around the 1900s (Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 1901, 5(9): 201-211). The main food was grasses, vegetables and some sorts of fruits and hay.
Chinchilla pellets weren't an issue as long as about the 1950s when they became popular in the USA and later on in Europe. So about half a century chinchillas were fed and bred without pellet foods.
There is one storyh which also was much inspiring for the German chinchilla community, Basil's story:
www.chinchillas4life.co.uk/basil.html
The vet told me that in the wild chinchillas forage and eat wild grasses and leaves etc. and that in order to wear the teeth down I should introduce greens into his diet and reduce the pellets I fed (as they have no teeth wearing properties). He stressed to me that these diet changes must be gradual, so his tummy didn't get upset!
[...]
So I took Basil home and he began to recover. I slowly reduced his pellets and started to introduce small amounts of fresh green foods e.g. cabbage, broccoli, beans, spinach, kale, coriander parsley, dandelion leaves, just about anything, except lettuce. Gradually increasing these foods and hay whilst reducing the pellets.
I introduced this story more in detail here:
www.degupedia.de/board/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=3928
Recently I found this, a short article about chinchilla nutrition, published by an American veterinary clinic:
www.scottsdaleveterinaryclinic.com/pdf/info_pages/Chinchilla/Nutrition.pdf
Greens are a must. A variety of greens with the unlimited hay prevents boredom and provides essential nutrients. Greens should be introduced into the diet slowly, so as to not irritate the chinchilla’s gastrointestinal tract. If a chinchilla hasn’t had a certain green before, give it only a couple of strands the first few days. After that, you can increase the amount daily. Below is a list of greens that are good for chinchillas.
feeding pellets is wide spread among chinchilla owners. However feeding green is also an issue in UK and US and it isn't the case that it is an "invention" of some German speaking communities.
First at all a short overview aobut the history:
The first chinchillas in captivity even were fed with fresh greens. On of the pioneers in chinchilla keeping was the Chilean scientist Frederico Albert around the 1900s (Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 1901, 5(9): 201-211). The main food was grasses, vegetables and some sorts of fruits and hay.
Chinchilla pellets weren't an issue as long as about the 1950s when they became popular in the USA and later on in Europe. So about half a century chinchillas were fed and bred without pellet foods.
There is one storyh which also was much inspiring for the German chinchilla community, Basil's story:
www.chinchillas4life.co.uk/basil.html
The vet told me that in the wild chinchillas forage and eat wild grasses and leaves etc. and that in order to wear the teeth down I should introduce greens into his diet and reduce the pellets I fed (as they have no teeth wearing properties). He stressed to me that these diet changes must be gradual, so his tummy didn't get upset!
[...]
So I took Basil home and he began to recover. I slowly reduced his pellets and started to introduce small amounts of fresh green foods e.g. cabbage, broccoli, beans, spinach, kale, coriander parsley, dandelion leaves, just about anything, except lettuce. Gradually increasing these foods and hay whilst reducing the pellets.
I introduced this story more in detail here:
www.degupedia.de/board/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=3928
Recently I found this, a short article about chinchilla nutrition, published by an American veterinary clinic:
www.scottsdaleveterinaryclinic.com/pdf/info_pages/Chinchilla/Nutrition.pdf
Greens are a must. A variety of greens with the unlimited hay prevents boredom and provides essential nutrients. Greens should be introduced into the diet slowly, so as to not irritate the chinchilla’s gastrointestinal tract. If a chinchilla hasn’t had a certain green before, give it only a couple of strands the first few days. After that, you can increase the amount daily. Below is a list of greens that are good for chinchillas.
