chin now weening on new food.....

[timber]

so i have had my chin for allitle over a week. he was fed a mix food before i picked him up and slowly (over a week) weened him on mazuri. at first i didnt really care he wasnt touching the mazuri because it was in such small amounts in the begining. but day 6 came and it was pretty much all mazuri and it wasnt touched. i measured it before and after and it was virtually the same. so i left 2 tbsp of mazuri in his food dish on friday night and went to work i didnt get home from work untill sunday 5pm (my wife changed water and hay daily and played with him) and still no touching the mazuri but is eating a larger amount of hay. he is healthy and his poops are bigger then a week ago when i got him and he is heavier and bigger. so my question is is there any other way to ween this guy? or should i try and continue the old mix food? thanks for all info

 

[Rickman]

Don't know how old your little guy is, but sometimes they can be stubborn!
Some of us have had problems with Mazuri, myself included, as far as quality, consistancy and mill dates. Around here, I could get 50# of panr for less than a 25# bag of Mazuri! And it was fresher - no question about changing!
I'd look around for a different food - maybe there's someone close to you in the 'supplies for sale' section. I believe there's also a 'sticky' somewhere about best foods, or type "pellets" in the search option on the top of the page!
You won't have to wean him if he didn't touch the Mazuri, either.
Good luck!!

 

[SunshineChins]

We used Mazuri in the past and the chins didn't care for it as much as Manna Pro. With our rescues that come in we also do a cold switch to Manna Pro and have not had a problem either.

I have heard great things about PANR as well but can't seem to find it local around here.

 

[Sesame]

In a switch from mixed foods with treats to a healthier pellet, your chin is probably hooked on the mixed food/treat mix.

I had a similar problem trying to switch Sesame from a bulk mixed treat/food pet store mix to Mazuri and then, just decided to do a cold turkey switch to Mazuri. It didn't help that the pet store mix was infested with maggots in the middle/bottom of the bag, in my case. I haven't experienced any problems with Mazuri yet and Sesame is a happy, healthy eater now. It's true that some chins may like a pellet over another, but in this case with Mazuri vs. store mix, the Mazuri is much better in nutritional value.

As long as you monitor water intake, poo, and make sure there's fresh hay available, the cold turkey switch may be okay. You can give a supplement or just acidophilius as well to help with the switch.

 

[ABBY W.]

To clarify, the food he was on is not a a pet store mix with treats, but a mix recommended by CA chins for chinchillas in breeding. The base pellet is Manna Pro Sho, and it has other ingredients for extra calcium and calories for pregnant/nursing moms, and growing kits. I just feed it to everyone for simplicity's sake. I recommend Mazuri for pets, as it can usually be found here pretty fresh. I have only been able to find PANR in 50 lb bags in my area, so that seems impractical for someone feeding only one chin. Even if it has a freshness guarantee of 9 months, there would be a significant amount wasted, I think. This is the first time I have had anyone say their chin refuses to eat Mazuri. He is a stubborn little guy!

If you decide to try something else and he'll eat it, please let me know, so I can recommend it if someone has this problem in the future. Good luck and please keep us posted!

 

[alli713]

To clarify, the food he was on is not a a pet store mix with treats, but a mix recommended by CA chins for chinchillas in breeding. The base pellet is Manna Pro Sho, and it has other ingredients for extra calcium and calories for pregnant/nursing moms, and growing kits. I just feed it to everyone for simplicity's sake. I recommend Mazuri for pets, as it can usually be found here pretty fresh. I have only been able to find PANR in 50 lb bags in my area, so that seems impractical for someone feeding only one chin. Even if it has a freshness guarantee of 9 months, there would be a significant amount wasted, I think. This is the first time I have had anyone say their chin refuses to eat Mazuri. He is a stubborn little guy!

If you decide to try something else and he'll eat it, please let me know, so I can recommend it if someone has this problem in the future. Good luck and please keep us posted!

Aren't you worried about too much calcium intake by the chins that are not nursing moms or growing kits? Just curious.

Did you get the Mazuri at the pet store? Could be an old bag and stale so he doesn't like it. Or he could just not like Mazuri, some chins are picky. Does your pet store have Oxbow? Many chins like that feed and it's just as good as Mazuri. Or else I suggest buying your food online. Many people sell PANR, Nutrena, MannaPro or Tradition.

 

[timber]

alli the mazuri is very fresh i bought it from you like a week ago lol. he is just stubborn. he is on his old mix at the moment so atleast i know he is eating. i have 4#'s of fresh PANR on the way and will re-ween him on that slowly and hope he takes it. i hear alot better reviews with PANR and so time will tell! like abby said it was not a garbage pet store brand but a very well and healthy made mix. i just cant logisticly buy all ingredients and mix myself practily.

 

[alli713]

Haha oops! Yeah, then it's not stale Mazuri

Perhaps he just doesn't like Mazuri, I know sometimes they're just picky

 

[AZChins]

I didn't like the PANR with my herd. I used to mix it in with my Mazuri and they never ate it at all.

Do whatever works for you. With chins that have been on the treat food mixes it is hard to get them to eat anything but the seeds, fruit and whatever else they throw in that stuff. He's probably a hardcore treat junkie at this point, it will take him awhile to develop a taste for good food. Give him some time, he'll want to eat the pellets pretty soon. Mazuri is fairly palatable for chins, most of the time they will prefer it over the pellets from the petstore.

 

[ABBY W.]

Aren't you worried about too much calcium intake by the chins that are not nursing moms or growing kits? Just curious.

I have actually not found any problems with the added calcium. I know some people worry about forming stones from too much calcium, but I have not had any problems with that. I have been feeding this diet for several years now and have been very happy with the results.

Although, I am actually considering switching the Manna Pro portion to PANR, as it is easier to get. I have to get the Manna Pro special ordered and they only ship it one pallet at a time. My local TSC store is gracious enough to order it for me, but they can only do it every few months, so I have to be very careful to time everything out right. What a pain!

 

[threewingedfury]

How is the switch to PANR going?

 

[ABBY W.]

Yeah, I am curious, too. Please keep us posted.

 

[timber]

hey guys he is now taking PANR and is totally off his old food. he eats about 2 tablespoons daily, still not alot but more than he was eating. he does eat alot of hay and is gaining weight

 

[ABBY W.]

Yeah! I am glad to hear it!