Feeding
Chinchillas need to be fed a pelleted food that is “pellets only” without any “junk food” mixed in. Mazuri is a very good brand and is available in small packages at Petsmart. Most of the top breeders use Mazuri or Tradition. We prefer Mazuri and occasionally supplement with a different brand for variety.
If you feed an alfalfa-based pellet, then you need to provide loose timothy hay and timothy hay cubes for added nutrients and roughage. If you feed a timothy-based diet (Timothy Complete for chinchillas is one), then you’ll need to provide alfalfa hay products. Chinchillas need both types of hay in their diet to stay healthy.
Providing different types of hay is permissible as long as you adhere the alfalfa/timothy rule and use the other hay products (orchard, oat, grass hay, etc.) as occasional treats. Always feed dried hay products since too much fresh greens upsets a chinchilla’s digestive tract. To find some good sources of food and hay products, type CHINCHILLA FOOD in the search box on this page.