Question:
for my chins i have the following items let me know if i am missing anything. here they are:

*food(10 lbs)
*alfalfa(24oz)
*dust house
*dust(10 lbs)
*and igloo to sleep in(BIG ONE)
*hammock
*a bird toy w/rope,wood bear,plastic shapes.
*wood for new shelves(8-10 selves)
*hooks for shelves
*leep-n-ledge(3)
*wheel(12" in diameter)
*chew sticks(4)
*play tunnel(6" in diameter)
*bedding(carefresh)

is there anything else they would need? if so let me know. i will post pictures when its done.


Answer:
you've got quite a list there. I have a few comments/questions about some of your items:

- bird toys with rope and plastic are not good for chins.You would be better off with all wood toys. The rope can cause impaction when swallowed and cause major medical problems. As for plastic, it's not really the healthiest for them to chew one. chunks can come off and cause digestive problems as well. Wood and pumice stone are usually the best.

- What kind of food and dust did you get?

- Alfafalfa should not be the main source of hay for your chinnies. It should be ok for now because they are still young but you should favour Timothy hay instead. Alfalfa is too rich for chins on daily basis and can cause soft stools and other problems in the long run.

- Your wheel is not big enough for a chin. You need a minimum of 15" in diameter to avoid strain on the animal's back. Do a search for a flying saucer wheel or Leo braun wheel to see some suitable wheels for chinchillas.

Otherwise it sounds like you have some nice items for your chinnie cage I'd love to see pictures when you are done setting it up!


Answer:
k thanks if i cut the rope on the toy and just leave the wooden bear for them to chew is that ok? adn the food and dust u would have to talk to McCaille on that i am buying it from her. oh and i looked at it wrong it is a 15" diameter i was just guessing thats all it is 15",adn at about the alfalfa should i get timothy hay now or when they are older and how old? i will post some pictures when i get it done. thanks a lot.


Answer:
Yes, removing the rope and plastic and leaving only the wood should be fine.

Food and hay should be fine if McCaille is providing it. She uses great products

I would ask McCaille what type of hay she is feeding them at the moment and stick with that. If she's doing alfalfa because they are babies, my vet advised me to stop feeding it around the 6 month mark. Otherwise, if they are already eating Timothy hay I would buy a timothy hay bag right away and continue them on that.


Answer:
oh ok thanks that way i didnt sped $6 on nothing and i cant return it cause i took all tags off but i will do that and for hay i will ask her i think she did say that she was feeding alfalfa b/c they are still babys. but if it is timothy then i will buy that too. oh and if it is timothy can they still have the alfalfa? just less of it?


Answer:
yes, they can have some alfalfa mixed in once in a while. Just not as a day-to-day thing. I would stick with whatever McCaille is feeding right now and they should be fine. If shes giving them alfalfa she can also tell you when she changes them to timothy hay.


Answer:
oh ok i will do that then i will talk to her about that.


Answer:
Hello :P Popping in quick before we head out.

For Feed, she'll be getting that from us, and we're feeding Tradition. We feed alfalfa/Timothy mix. It's extremely hard for us to get Timothy locally, and the hay we get is about as close as we can get bar ordering it in. I've spent quite a bit of time trying, but the few people who do grow straight timmy here are extremely reluctant to sell it to anyone else, or they do not do square bales (which where on earth would I even consider putting a round bale...haha) I was lucky enough to have an old family friend who does a mix.

Other than the bird toy and wheel your list looks pretty decent. I think I know the bird toy your referring to, is the bear blue? We bought one for our birds at one point. This is not a good idea for chins. Sophie pretty well covered both the toy and the wheel pretty well though.

Wheels - http://qualitycage.com/exwheels.html Either the first (Flying Saucer) or the last (Chin Spin) are ones I would recommend.


Answer:
Ah well there you go. You now have all your answers Sunshine


Answer:
thanks a lot. but for now i dont have $70 so should i return the on whell and get a bigger one? and yes that is the bird toy i bought. so it will still be fine if i just use the bear right? thanks