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[LYChinchillas]

Hi guys!

I wanted to join and be part of this great community - I used to use this site all the time to answer questions, but never posted!

I recently started a chinchilla YouTube featuring my 5 babies, and wanted to share that with everyone www.youtube.com/user/LYChinchillas. Please check it out if you want to see some super adorable chinchillas and me talking about them and their awesome personalities! 

I also have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LYChinchillas and still photography at www.lisayangphotography.com. Regardless, there are many ways to keep in touch and I hope to contribute on this forum as well 

Have a great weekend all!

[GrayRodent]

I'm glad the Chinchilla Club has been of service to you. Welcome to the boards.

I see your chinchillas are very tame. Even more tame than mine and I handle him every day.
There certainly is a big advantage going straight to a breeder and getting them while they are young. That particular line seems to have some great behavioral traits and you certainly know how to handle them. You have some very beautiful animals and I enjoyed your videos.

There are some suggestions I would like to make about your chinchillas diets. Ultimately it is your judgement how you wish care for your pets.

The Chinchilla Club recommends that nuts should never be given to chinchillas as treats. The high fat content can lead to fatty liver degeneration (lipidosis) in the long run and this results in a slow painful death.

Dried fruit is fine but should be given in volumes less than the equivalent of two whole raisins per day for a full grown chinchilla. Cheerios are good too. Sunflower seeds are not. Raisins are commonly given with no ill effects but there is some debate about their safety.

Chinchilla diets in nature are very bland consisting mostly of dried grasses. Veterinarians and breeders consider chinchillas to have one of the most sensitive digestive systems among pets as they die easily from diarrhea or constipation. Their normal daily intake is not that large so the percentage of their diet for treats should be very small.

Healthy chinchilla diets should be loose hay supplemented with alfalfa-based pellets that have no treats or sugary items mixed in. Otherwise, it's been my observations, tooth problems develop that are almost always terminal as they pick the easy to chew items and don't get enough action on their teeth to keep them trimmed.

Another thing that chinchillas like is plain white paper. They'll chew on it and chase it almost like a cat toy. You may wish to experiment as I can get my pet to pose for photographs by luring him with paper and not be concerned about him getting sick on treats.

Have fun with your pets. Keep us updated on your videos. They are really cool.

[kageri]

Nuts are very controversial.  I would at least feed less.  I bought some small almond slivers to use as a rare treat but mine won't eat them.  I use flower petals a lot.

I would be interested in how you got them so calm.  The one we've kept from breeding our chins is friendly but still a spaz.  The ones we've bought usually have to be followed around the cage to varying degrees until they can be scooped up.

[LYChinchillas]

Thanks so much @GrayRodent and @kageri! Awesome feedback. As for nuts, I truly rarely feed them any - perhaps once every month or two months, but for the sake of the cuteness of them munching on video, I will give them one or half for effect. As far as diets go, I definitely stick to Timothy hay and 1/4 alfalfa hay, with Mazuri chinchilla feed, clean water, and treats include goji berries, dried apple slices, marigolds,  hibiscus, mangoes, and a variety of sticks and safe woods. I realize it may look like I treat them a lot, but I've had the luck of having some great breeders to learn from and also obsessively learning about chinchillas and what's best for them.

The ladies were REALLY good in the video - much calmer than normal, and not really indicative of how they are. I try my best to show them love while remaining strict - I don't tolerate biting on anything other than their cage and provided woods and certain pieces of furniture around the house, and the moment they do, I put them back in their cage to try and send a message. I think it's a trust thing, as long as they're good when they're out, they can have more freedom. Some of my chins aren't smart enough to understand the message, but some of them are. I DO have one really nonreactive chin, but I think that was just luck. All the kids will have a feature in the videos so stay in touch! I'll also post some videos as they come up on the forum.