Chinchilla Community Forums

Chinchillas => Cages => Topic started by: Indigoblue9572 on April 22, 2013, 09:45:30 AM

Title: Food hopper to hang on outside of cage
Post by: Indigoblue9572 on April 22, 2013, 09:45:30 AM

Hey all,

This may be a stupid question, but when we were shopping for our new chinchilla's cage, we bought a metal food hopper for their pellets as I'd read it was a better method of feeding.  It didn't come with any hanging instructions, just says it can be hung inside or outside the cage.  The way it's shaped, I can't fit the bottom through the cage bars to hang it on the outside though?  My husband seems to think the only way we can hang it outside the cage is if we snip off one of the cage bars and feed the bottom of the hopper through the widened space.

Anyone have any experience with these?  It currently hangs inside their cage, but takes up a fair amount of space.  I'd rather hang it on the outside but not if it means I have to modify the cage bars!

Thanks!

Title: Re: Food hopper to hang on outside of cage
Post by: chinclub on April 22, 2013, 01:04:50 PM

Your husband is correct.  You just snip just enough bars to fit the feeder in. Is it a metal feeder?  The few bars you need to snip shouldn't hurt the cage structure and if it the feeder is well made you will be using it forever so the hole in the cage won't matter.  That type of feeder is much better for keeping the food clean.  You do want to place it at a height where the chinchilla will have to stand on its hind legs to reach the food.  If the chin is a baby you might want to wait until  it is 6 months old before you cut the bars so you will have a good adult height to go by.  (Chinchillas are not fully grown until 8 months, but by six it will be long enough to measure the food dish.)

Title: Re: Food hopper to hang on outside of cage
Post by: Indigoblue9572 on April 22, 2013, 02:12:57 PM

Thanks so much for this info! 

They are babies, yes, born Feb 6th of this year.  So we'll wait.  And yes, it's a metal food hopper.

I'll let hubby know he was right again!  LOL  :)

And really - the height where they have to stand on their hind legs to reach the food?  I understand to keep the food clean it needs to be raised, I just wasn't aware of how high.

Thanks again!

Title: Re: Food hopper to hang on outside of cage
Post by: chinclub on April 22, 2013, 02:31:31 PM

Yep, it seems high but that is where you want it.

Title: Re: Food hopper to hang on outside of cage
Post by: Indigoblue9572 on April 22, 2013, 04:26:06 PM

Ok cool beans.  Thanks again.  I so appreciate these boards!