Hi,

you have had good help already

I used to feed Xtra Vital Chipmunk but it was no longer practical with the number of Chipmunks we have, it only comes in small bags so now we feed Johnston and Jeff Squirrel and Chipmunk food which can be bought in bulk and comes in huge bags.
A Chipmunk mix isn't essential, I know people who feed fruity Hamster mixes so I should imagine the Rat one would be fine. Yes most mixes contain alot of sunflower seeds and peanuts we have yet to find a Chipmunk mix that doesn't.

As long as the Chipmunk is given a balanced diet on top of the dry mix they seem to stay healthy.

Many owners start with a Hammy mix and then add extra seeds in, some cereals, some dried fruits, some human museli mix and some dry cat food. Some have used Parrot too. Some mix Hamster mix with Chipmunk food some have made their own mix from scratch buying all the ingrediants separately. On the Chip forum under past topics you should be able to find ingredients to make your own mix if you prefer that.

Whatever dry food you feed you want to feed plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, try and get the Chip to eat a variety so he doesn't get picky. Mine like most fruits but are less keen of veg but they do like the bags of salad mix so they get that with any fruits and veg they like. Mine quite like peas, corn on the cob, cucumber, some of them like carrots some don't like them much at all.

Their favourite fruits are grapes, oranges, apple I give it with peel but remove any pips. They also like cherry tomatoes, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, pomegrante.

Yoghurt is great most love it, we get the kids Petis Filous or Yeo Valley.
In the wild Chipmunks have been known to eat Birds eggs and baby Birds, grubs, insects, small rodents such as Mice. I give mine cooked eggs, cooked chicken and other small amounts of cooked meats/fish. Also live/dried mealworms or waxworms. Dried cat biscuits and dog biscuits will also add protein. Some like wet cat food too.

Small amounts of cheese. Mine outside have eaten spiders, moths both adults and larvue, worms and slugs which have entered their enclosure.
Someone I know with a Chipmunk found one of his had eaten part of a Mouse, it was suspected the Chip killed the Mouse when it came into the enclosure and I have known people who have had Birds in the same enclosure find their Chipmunks had killed the Birds so yes they do eat meat.

Something to mention is calcium, like Squirrels Chipmunks seem to need a supplement for calcium, I give mine cuttlefish bones normally they don't touch them much but when they are pregnant or nursing they sometimes can get through several. It is a good idea to sprinkle some grated cuttlebone on the Chipmunks dry food once a week just to ensure they are getting enough calcium if they never touch their cuttlebone. Chipmunks like Squirrels can get M.B.D. although it seems less common in Chipmunks. Most of the calcium will be in the fruits/veggies and yoghurt fed.

Too many peanuts and sunflower seeds not only can lead to M.B.D. if there isn't enough calcium given in the rest of the diet but they can also cause Chipmunks to get fat.

Nuts are good though they help keep the Chipmunks teeth worn down and having to break into the shells helps keep them occupied but try not to give too many extra peanuts than are included in the main mix as they do rather overdo how many are in there. I give various different nuts at different times so they can get variety, Walnuts and Brazil nuts need part cracking. Chipmunks can get in Walnuts but most cannot be bothered too they prefer easier nuts. Mine have never broken into a Brazil.

Wild plants are good too mine go mad for Dandelions both flowers and leaves, they also like clover, daisies, rose petals and rose hips, Marigolds, fresh grass shoots and fruit tree Blossoms.

Keep a close watch on your Chipmunks coat, a healthy Chip will have a smooth shiny coat. Any fur loss/dullness of the coat can be a sign of dietry problems/lack of vitamins.

He is a lovely looking Chippie I saw the pic on the other forum