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[Observations] Feeding nuts ad libitum
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Autor:  davX [ 25.08.2012, 20:41 ]
Betreff des Beitrags:  [Observations] Feeding nuts ad libitum
Hello,

it is a common opinion here in Germany (and I think in the English speaking countries as well) that nuts are responsible for obesity in chinchillas and degus as well. Thus it is advised not to feed them in bigger quantities. However here in this forum we made different experiences with so called ad libitum experiments. That means that several owners offered some kind of nuts without restriction in the amount and observed the behaviour of the animals. The result was in all the cases the same, the animals fed at the beginning the nuts (whole nuts with shell) in larger quantities and used many nuts for several days and weeks. After a while it could be observed that the consumed nuts were reduced considerably and finally weren't eaten for longer times. In my case (I tried out walnuts ad libitum for my degus) the nuts were ignored for several months and finally were eaten first in very small quantities, later they increased the nut intake slowly and it stabilised at a moderate consumption rate.

In the following thread (in German) I collect such examples:
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3723

At the moment there are the following experiments:

1. A trial with walnuts and degus (my observations I described above)
2. A trial with peanuts (monkey nuts, ground nuts) with husk and chinchillas. The chinchilla owner reported that the nuts were ignored after feeding them intensively for a week. In a second group the amount of peanuts was limited at the beginning and over the same time the demand in the nuts stayed intact and did not change.
3. Another degu owner made similar experiences with walnuts (whole nuts) and degus as I made (confer #1)
4. Another chinchilla owner reported that he offered peeled hazelnuts to a chinchilla and after two days they were ignored.
5.A trial with hazelnuts and degus (it was reported first in a well known German deguforum). The degus know to store the nuts and use them frugal.

In addition there are some reports that some seeds are fed when the chinchillas are stressed and it seems that the chinchillas use the seeds to cope with stress. So the ad libitum seed experiments aren't as simple as many people probably think. It seems that some seeds contain some compounds that are only needed and fed in some special situations. Most nuts in contrast are fed at the beginning in big quantities and after a few days and week they are ignored completely or fed only in small quantities. Evidently chinchillas as well as degus know how to deal with an ad libitum offer of nuts, so that they can regarded as healthy supplement.

Abstract in German / Kurzübersetzung:
In dem Text hier habe ich einige Beobachtungen mit "ad libitum" Fütterungen von Nüssen und Samen vorgestellt, die wir in diesem Thread hier gesammelt haben:
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3723

Dabei habe ich die darin erwähnten Beispiele wie folgt kurz zusammengefasst:

1. Ein Versuch mit Walnüssen und Degus (meine Beobachtungen, die ich im englischen Text oben beschreibe und die ebenfalls im Originalthread auf Deutsch nachzulesen sind)
2. Ein Versuch mit Erdnüssen mit Schale und Chinchillas [der Versuch von Angelika/owl]. Die Nüsse wurden nach einer Woche intensiver Fütterung ignoriert. Eine Kontrollgruppe dagegen, die über die gleiche Zeitspanne sie in begrenzten Mengen bekam zeigte keine Änderungen in der Nachfrage und frass sie während der ganzen Zeit gerne.
3. Ein anderer Deguhalter machte ähnliche Erfahrungen mit ganzen Walnüssen und Degus wie ich (vgl. Nummer 1) [Atropa belladonna]
4. Ein anderer Chinchillahalter berichtete, dass er geschälte Haselnüsse einem Chinchilla anbot und sie nach zwei Tagen ignoriert wurden [Erfahrungen von Christina/Murx].
5.Ein Versuch mit Haselnüssen und Degus (er wurde zuerst in einem gut bekannten deutschen Deguforum erwähnt). Die Degus lernten die Nüsse zu speichern/verscharren und sie haushälterisch zu nutzen.
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