Is there a best feed?

Sometimes we tend to oversimplify, for example is we cite one feed as the best....because it works for whatever we wanted it for. But couldn't the argument be made that for different age groups and different animal purposes (growers, finishers, breeders, pets, ect) that there could be several feeds that work and are tailored to that specific phase of growth? I like having a lot of fat for finishers, but for breeding females it can result in disastrous production numbers. I love a lot of fiber for breeders, but is that really going to result in a showy animal that can hack it at the top with the CC's at the National?

Discussion???

I advocated that for years starting on CNQ and was laughed at. If you have different formulas for puppies and old dogs, kittens and old cats, horses who are young, old, racing etc why not have different formulas for chinchillas. Made sense to me.

I agree. I end up mixing different feeds/supplements for growers vs. those in breeding. It's a pain in the rear.

I had to start mixing feeds also due to bloat issues with my growers, but kept my breeders on their old feed since they had no issues. I know it had to be the feed because I had multiple necropsies and labs done with absolutely no results. I figured the feed was just too strong for my growers or maybe the mill itself was changing their formula. In the end, I just switched the growers over to a new feed to make my life easier and the breeders now get 50/50 of their old and new feed which helps cut down on costs, and they still haven't had any issues.

Also, there are variances in feeds depending on where they are milled. I know when one breeder moved from CA to TX she was unhappy with the quality of the Manna Pro Sho she was getting out there. However, most of us who use it in California have had no problems with it.

I have had a lot of larger females who are slow breeders and I am wondering if it may have something to do with the higher fat percentage in the Manna Pro Sho. Sure, the chins look great for show but maybe they are getting a little too much condition since my breeding cages are not overly large and they do not burn off the calories they take in... I have considered limiting pellets and feeding more timothy/orchard hay to these females after they have been shown and put into breeding.

from a pet owner perspective...........i also agree. i have some that just do not like the feed that everyone else is on, so i have more than one. and yes in the long run it does cost me way more BUT i am about the happiness of my pets. most of my boys are on PRSC, i use Oxbow on 2 of them and Beaphar plus with a couple of them as well.

maybe we should lobby Purina to make different chin pellet formulas? they have a number of different feeds for rabbits, so why not chins? we could give them input on what ingredients, % of ingredients, fiber/protein %'s, etc. that's my 2 cents at least )

mishellyshel said:

from a pet owner perspective...........i also agree. i have some that just do not like the feed that everyone else is on, so i have more than one. and yes in the long run it does cost me way more BUT i am about the happiness of my pets. most of my boys are on PRSC, i use Oxbow on 2 of them and Beaphar plus with a couple of them as well.

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Seconding this. I feed Mazuri and haven't had the soft poop problem a lot of others have had, but when I fed Purina, my chin dropped almost 200g in a little less than a year. Back on Mazuri he's up to 700ish grams and holding. Meanwhile, the two new guys were fed Purina, and Oxbow, and Tradition pellets, and while they ate they "never thrived" to quote the breeder/rescuer. They've filled out in the body and puffed up in the coat on Mazuri. But I also give safe herbs a couple of times a week, mostly as treats/training, though I know there are health benefits to a varied diet.

From a physiological standpoint, it would make sense that a female in breeding would need different nutrients than a male growing out to show or a pet chin that might have more exercise w/ free play time or a wheel. Their natural diet is notoriously low in calories, but higher in trace minerals and vitamins than most commercial feeds. It would seem that a pregnant/nursing female would need more of simply EVERYTHING, but especially those minerals and vitamins that aid development.

I have started my own mix for my growers/showers versus what I feed my breeders, and have always fed pregnant/nursing moms a little different diet. I haven't been doing the new mix long enough to know if it has had an impact but when I switched to Manna Pro I've noticed a lot of weight gain in my herd. I've tried a lot of different feeds and am still trying to find just the right "mix" to get what I want.

I too have been playing around with feeds a bit. It is more practical when you have a lot of chinchillas to use one feed across the board. But even with that I HATE Mazuri, others like it or Love it. It isn't right for me or my herd (for an example)

While I agree young growing animals, breeding animals and pet animals all have different needs in feed and would do better on blends made for their different stages of life, the fact of the matter is no feed company is going to make several types of chinchilla pellets. There simply is not enough volume and money in it to make it feasible for them. So for those of you trying different feeds and blending them good luck on finding a optimal blend for each age group, I know I have not found it yet.

3CsMommy said:

From a physiological standpoint, it would make sense that a female in breeding would need different nutrients than a male growing out to show or a pet chin that might have more exercise w/ free play time or a wheel. Their natural diet is notoriously low in calories, but higher in trace minerals and vitamins than most commercial feeds. It would seem that a pregnant/nursing female would need more of simply EVERYTHING, but especially those minerals and vitamins that aid development.

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Interesting point (and interesting topic). I feel like my standard male (mostly a pet, but also been shown) should have been larger (not that you can always tell, but his breeder also expected him to grow to be a big chin), unfortunately I did make the mistake of letting him have too much exercise when young, and it was a while before I realised that Oxbow timothy hay just doesn't suit him, which probably didn't help. Since I increased the amount of alfalfa he gets, a couple of times each week (still has mostly timothy, but a different brand), he's gained quite a lot of weight, so I wonder if he needs extra protein with the amount of exercise he has.
I also think I've learnt now, from reading the forums, that if I want to breed and show, while my chins can still be pets, they're going to have to be kept a bit differently while they're being prepared for show/in breeding! Shall make sure next time that they're left to grow and get nice and big, instead of bouncing around and using up all those calories...

Shall make sure next time that they're left to grow and get nice and big, instead of bouncing around and using up all those calories...

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A chin is either going to be large or skinny based on genetics - you can't force a chin to eat and they regulate themselves well. Being starved and lack of nutrition growing up could play a role but a pellet/hay diet is not going to do that.

Genetics is a gamble - two massive chins can throw the tiniest, ugliest little things, and visa versa. That's where the 75% cull comes in (if you read the pet store debate thread). So regardless of what the breeder expected, your chin likely wouldn't have gotten any larger regardless of feed or exercise.

What Spoof said. YouBe's two brothers were big old chunkers like their parents, but he's a little bitty guy. Overexertion isn't the only factor, and genes can't really be predicted.

Spoof said:

A chin is either going to be large or skinny based on genetics - you can't force a chin to eat and they regulate themselves well. Being starved and lack of nutrition growing up could play a role but a pellet/hay diet is not going to do that.

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Yep, of course genetics are the most important factor. ) In regards to my boy, he has gained quite a bit of weight and filled out more since I fixed the hay issue though, so I know he was smaller than he should have been before. I now also know that chins under six months shouldn't be getting five hours a day out of the cage exercise. That was probably the biggest mistake I made with him when he was a baby, and something I know not to allow with any future youngsters. It's very reassuring to hear you don't think it affected his growth, thanks ), he's not tiny, but I had wondered if he should have got a little bigger.

From someone who knows nothing about breeding chinchillas, I kind of assumed that different ages and phases were given different feeds. Like in cattle, lactating cows use feed energy more efficiently than cows that are used for beef and need to gain so they're fed different things. We change other livestock feed based on age, what they will be used for, what trimester they're in etc. I figured all livestock go through that.

Of course it would be nice if someone could test feeds out and then sell them so everyone would know exactly what every chin needs but I don't think chins are a big enough market for companies to start putting their money into projects like that. Maybe one day they'll be "chin grower feed Y" or "chin finishing feed X" or "chin breeding feed Z" but I guess everyone has to make their own for now.