Free feed or scheduled?

[GinChin]

My chins both have a tendency to eat half of their food and then start dumping some. Then when they run out in the middle of the night they try to pick it out of their bedding through the wire bottom, and stand by their bowls until I wake up to give them more.

I was wondering if this was normal. Also, if I should continue to free feed them, or just only feed them a certain amount at a certain time until they learn not to dump it and waste it.

 

[Pookinaround]

I give mine as much as they will eat. A chinnie waste food...lol Perfectly normal. Sometimes I think they go rootin through it looking for that one perfect pellet...ugh!

 

[tunes]

I feed once a day, but fill their containers to the top. My chins are in a down time right now, where they are not eating as much as normal (which they will do with weird weather shifts), so there are times when I go to feed the next day and their feeders are still half full. I do check the barn several times a day and if their feeders are empty I will give them about half full until the full feeding later that afternoon.

 

[GinChin]

Typical contrary chins, moment I'm trying to save money they have to start throwing it into their bed pan.

 

[hownowbrowncow]

My boys LOVE to dump their food bowls, so I'm buying those ones that screw onto the side of the cage so they can't knock them over Their hay area will always look like a hay bomb went off, but I'm hoping this helps reduce pellet waste from straight spillage.

 

[GinChin]

Haha, my feeder goes into the side. Instead of tossing the entire bowl, they are scooping out pellets piece by piece and nibbling an end before throwing it down to grab another.

 

[tunes]

Many chins eat that way. I don't often see them finish an entire pellet. They take a bite and throw.

 

[chinmom2012]

I give each of my boys about 2 tablespoons of pellets each at night and they get all they hay they want all day long. They do not waste any pellets, I think they see it as a treat. They are both healthy and gaining weight each month, 6 and 10 months old. They are also very active and run on their wheel most of the night.

 

[ChinChiq]

My boys LOVE to dump their food bowls, so I'm buying those ones that screw onto the side of the cage so they can't knock them over Their hay area will always look like a hay bomb went off, but I'm hoping this helps reduce pellet waste from straight spillage.

I have one of the bowls that attaches to the side of the cage for Luna and she loves it! She uses it as an extra perch. Even though it is even with one of her ledges, she usually sits with her feet on the edges of the bowl and ducks her head down between her feet to grab a pellet. She picks her head up, munches the pellet and repeats the process until she's had enough. She's doing it as I type this.

 

[PEBBLES83]

i use these, and have zero waste (well i vac out the leftover's daily to refill with fresh food, but i just unscrew it ever 2 weeks, and wash it) they are by SUPER PET, and they are about $7.99, can be even found in some pet food stores, like TISOL, PET FOOD N MORE... and petsmart ) their faces fit in it, and paws, but they cannot sit in it, and just be sure to not put a perch directly above it (mine was sitting on the perch and pooping, poop fell in the feeder) give it a try! oh its ceramic, and mounts just like a ledge with washer/nuts etc

 

[JoAnne]

Chins wasting food

We feed our animals free choice (all they can eat) once a day. If we have a mom with kits that runs out during the day they get another scoop in the evening. It is quite normal for chins to "waste" food. Feeding a "short cut" pellet will eliminate some waste since they seem to take a bite or so and then drop the rest.

 

[mercynursie]

Free Choice pellets filled once a day,handful of hay daily,fresh PUR water all free choice. Wood sticks once a day(more often when I have had time to process my own.LOL).Pinch of Ryersons supplement or herbal from either Essentia or Forever Fiesty (alternate supplement days with herbal days).

 

[ticklechin]

I fill the bowls up once a day, the amount in the bowl would last 3-4 days in case of a emergency and the chins were unattended for whatever reason they would have enough food, water and hay for that amount of time, at all times.

 

[tcraighenry]

Ours get fed and watered twice a day (because of poop in the bowls!) And we overfeed for the same reason ticklechin does.

 

[rem]

I have two chins and a three level FN cage. I used to have hay, a food dish, and water on all three levels. My larger chin (around 850-900g) has recently been twisting / hurting his back foot somehow. My vet indicated it may be the gain in weight since we first got him. (he was around 650g 15 months ago)

So I now have hay on all levels and give freely, and only give them 1 cup of oxbow split between two levels daily. I will also give them a hay block as a treat. I now only give one or two treats a week (shredded wheat, papaya, or rose hips). Their weight has stabilized, and Jelly (the larger one) has lost a bit of weight.

 

[saffy78]

my two 3 month old chins just seem to eat and eat, I thought I should give them around 3/4 tablespoons of Science select at 6.30pm but that was being finished before I went to bed for the night, so have upped it to more like 6 tablespoons, when I get up in the morning it's all gone, should I be refilling, they do get up during the day and look for food am I overfeeding or is it normal for them to eat and eat at this age?

 

[Amethyst]

saffy, young chins should be allowed as much food as they can eat, they are growing, and will eat more during growth spurts, but even with adults you really can't over feed a chin except with treats, which at only 3 months I assume they don't get anyway. They may slow down as they get older, my two who are 6 years old eat between 4-6 tablespoons (I just refill when empty) plus hay a day, but every chin is different, average is 2 tablespoons of pellets a day for an adult chin, more for one under a year.

 

[saffy78]

thanks so much for the reply Amethyst, I just needed someone to put my mind at rest that I wasn't going to end up with unhealthy overweight chinnies! I shall let them eat to their hearts content I am not giving treats yet, I was looking at chinchaff which is an alfalfa and herb supplement to give them once a week though, do you think that would be ok at their age?

 

[Cuddlebug]

If you are feeding a quality pellet, they do not need any supplements. their pellets and hay should supply them with everything they need.

 

[saffy78]

hi cuddlebug, thanks so much for the reply, I am feeding them Duggins which I am pretty sure is a good quality pellet, It's so hard not to feel the need to supplement! I will stick to pellets and hay!