CORE FEED INGREDIENTS
Overcoming Misinformation in the Pet Chinchilla Community on Feed
This is the first of several articles to come on Chinchilla Food and the importance of understanding the ingredients, to include protein content, the importance of alfalfa-based pellets, other feed additives and also how it is processed by the animal into energy. Your chinchillas best defense against diseases and ailments is a proper diet, therefore understanding what’s in your feed is an important factor in the health and wellness of your chinchilla. The other day, my Ranch Manager tried to post ChillaBox in a Facebook group geared towards Chinchilla Owners. The admin would not allow the product to be posted for many reasons, all of which were ill informed; but the most striking to me was their statement that the chinchilla food we are using is “not safe” for chinchillas. At this point it dawned on me, that education is even more important that I had originally thought. There are so many different groups out there that claim to have knowledge on chinchillas, but this knowledge isn’t based on experience, it isn’t based on science, its solely based on opinion, hearsay and misinformation. With that in mind, I’d like to plant one seed today. When making decisions that affect your chinchilla’s health and wellness, take in multiple sources of information. Understand that chinchillas were introduced as pets less than 100 years ago, and there is not a lot of great information out there. I’ve found over the years, that even many of the vets out there get it wrong. This isn’t because they are bad vets, it’s because they don’t have a broad understanding of chinchilla anatomy, diseases and ailments. They apply treatments based on other small animals that are not similar in physiology. The information that I will be sharing with you in my blogs is experienced and network based. I do not have a background in biology, quite the contrary, I am a Civil Engineer believe or not. But what that background has given me, is the ability to step back and analyze. To take in broad amounts of information and to form rational conclusions after collecting a wide array of information. I am a well-known reputable chinchilla breeder in the United States and am known by many abroad. I have been doing this for over a decade and have a very strong network within the chinchilla community. I have been fortunate enough to develop a partnership-based relationship with a vet that is incredibly knowledgeable in dealing with chinchillas. My vet and I problem solve together; in that he recognizes my years of experience, combined with my network of chinchilla experts, has just as much value as his background in veterinarian medicine.
On the ChillaBox, What’s In the Box page, found at www.chinchillabox.com, there is a very long list of ingredients included in the food we have selected to use. I have personally used this organic food milled by Modesto Mills, for about six or seven years now and have been very satisfied with the results and the overall health and wellness of my chinchillas.
The Core Chinchilla Feed Ingredients
Unfortunately, little scientific research is available on the dietary needs of chinchillas. Therefore, you will find many differing opinions on what is acceptable. Many conclusions reached on what should be included (and avoided), in a chinchilla diet is through scientific studies of animals with similar digestive systems and of similar physiology. Additionally, staying connected with national chinchilla organizations, such as Empress Chinchilla, allows a greater opportunity for knowledge sharing obtained through experience. I have used both research and experience in the below analysis.
The essential, core ingredient in any chinchilla food should be alfalfa. You should avoid foods (commonly sold at pet stores around the world) containing nuts, fruits and vegetables. I also urge you to use feed that does not include corn in the ingredients. Corn is difficult to digest, is high in starch and, while still a controverisal subject, has been linked to bloat issues in chinchillas.
Looking at what is in your Chinchilla Feed
What’s in the food distributed by ChillaBox? On product labels, the ingredients will be listed in order of predominance. This simply means the ingredients are listed in order of its proportions; the ingredient used most in the formula would be listed first on the label and the ingredients that are added at a very small quantity would be listed last.
In this article, we are going to focus on the five core ingredients for Modesto Mills Organic Feed; which are Organic Sun-dried Alfalfa; Organic Oats, whole; Organic Peas; Organic Wheat Millrun and Organic Sesame Meal. In follow up articles, we will discuss those ingredients with less of a predominance present in the feed and their benefits to the health and wellness of chinchillas.
Primary Ingredient – Sun Dried Alfalfa
The most common primary ingredient in chinchilla feeds is alfalfa. Contrary to many beliefs, alfalfa is actually not a grass, rather it belongs to the legume family. Alfalfa is a great primary staple in a chinchilla feed for the following reasons:
·
Source of quality protein,
· low starch/sugar content,
· ,· contains a wide range of natural vitamins and minerals,
· higher calcium content than grasses and hays,
· and the fiber in alfalfa allows for slow release energy.
Secondary All Organic Ingredients – Oats, Peas, Wheat Millrun and Sesame Meal
Chinchillas require a diet that is high in fiber, and while alfalfa is a good staple ingredient, a well-balanced feed should contain additional ingredients that encompass the full dietary needs of your chinchilla. In Modesto Mills feed, they use grains and an addition legume to compliment the alfalfa base.
Oats: A grain known for high fiber content, assisting to combat allergens, improving fur shine, and promote normal intestinal function. It is easily digestible for hindgut fermenters (which includes the chinchilla) and is less likely to disrupt hindgut bacterial populations present.
Peas: Previously mentioned was poor diet staple foods to strictly avoid in chinchillas that included fruits, vegetables and nuts. With that in mind, there is no need to go into a panic seeing this ingredient on the menu. While peas are commonly known as a vegetable, in reality they are part of the legume family, similar to alfalfa. Peas offer high protein content, that is easily digestible. Most importantly present in peas is lysine. Lysine is an essential amino acid that is key to protein availability. This is especially true in animals with hay-based diets. It aids in delivering proteins (absorption) to the chinchillas which is needed for growth, fur production and overall fur qualities. Additionally, other essential amino acids, methionine and cystine, are present in peas which act as antioxidants and detoxifiers, respectfully.
Wheat Millrun: Wheat Millrun (wheat middlings) is the end product of the wheat milling process. It offers a high source of digestible fiber, protein, phosphorous and other vitamins and minerals, making it a valuable ingredient in chinchilla feed.
Sesame meal: Sesame meal is a derivative of the sesame seed and has a high level of the amino acids methionine and cystine, detailed above. It also has a high protein content and contains healthy levels of copper, manganese, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin B1. In addition to these benefits, it is also another good source of dietary fiber.
In our next article, we will examine other ingredients added to the feed we use and describe the benefits of those additives. We will be covering organic dried kelp in great detail, along with Ground Limestone, Diatomaceous Earth and other ingredients incorporated in the feed.