how much food?

[RachieAC]

I got Chili a couple weeks ago, and he was eating really cheap food with the fruit and veggie pieces and kaytee hay. I am still in the process of switching him over to Oxbow pellets, but I was wondering if I'm giving him enough food? He didn't used to eat everything, but now that I'm feeding him the Oxbow he gobbles everything up within a couple hours and still looks hungry. He is 2 and weighs 580 grams, if that helps.

[tunes]

I free feed. Fill up the dish and refill it if it gets empty or low. Same with hay. Big hand fulls of hay and refill as necessary.

[RachieAC]

Thanks Tunes!

[dawn]

Ditto here!

[RachieAC]

I have one more question...is 580 small for a 2 yr old male? I was reading another thread about not breeding females till they are 600g. Males should weigh more than that then right?

[chin_gal]

There is no set weight in chinchillas, same as in people. Your male might be what's classified as a "mini". As long as he is healthy, and you can feel that he has some good meat on him, he should be just fine. :) However, if he is skinny, then he needs to be fed larger amounts of food....and maybe even have to see a vet. Goodluck with your new chinnie! :)

PS: You aren't planning on breeding him..are you?

[RachieAC]

No chingal, he will not be bred. He went to the vet last week and she didn't say he was too skinny when she weighed him. I just wondered if he was small...I guess he is. He feels like he is pretty solid though, not skin and bones.

[Chinch]

we are not sure how old my Andey is, i was told somewhere around 5, but who really knows right? i dont get the feeling he is "young" though, Andey weighs 530 grams.

[wink568]

I've always heard the females were bigger than the males. They'd need more fat to support carrying babies, probably.