Would love some advice on Chipmunk diet.

[Simon_and_Jet]

Hi guys, so from all I can gather Chipmunk and Squirrel dietary requirements are very similar, if not the same. I have found the information here invaluable.

I've learnt that lots of nuts and sunflower seeds aren't the best idea, but all the specific squirrel/chipmunk foods I can find have a lot of them. I've looked around the internet and found that a lot of people feed their Chipmunks rodent blocks. I've found one that seems to contain a good mix for a Chipmunk (I plan to feed veggies and certain wild foods as well) Just wondered if anyone thinks this sounds like a good idea? (Also, I'm in the UK so might not have have access to the same foods as most of you)

The food I'm looking at:
http://www.pet-supermarket.co.uk/Products/HB0952/beaphar-care-plus-rat-food

I had posted this to a Chipmunk specific forum and all the advice I was given was contrary to what I've read here, I was advised the chipmunk mixes (that contain a very high percentage sunflower seeds, monkey nuts and peanuts) is what I should be feeding.

So, am I wrong in thinking chipmunks should be limited on these foods and does that apply to tree squirrels only? I very much appreciate any advice you can give me :thumbsup

[Simon_and_Jet]

Please someone? Just a simple yes it's OK to feed the high percentage nuts and sunflower seeds chipmunk mix or no it's not would suffice :thumbsup

[Fireweed]

Hi! I'm not an expert on chipmunks (or anything else! :D) but I'm bumping this so that someone else will see it and hopefully help you out with your question.

I'm not sure about that food.
I can give you the name of a member very experienced with chipmunks, though. You can either PM her or go to her website and contact her through that. She has had many chipmunks and is also in the UK so she might be able to help you with more specific UK links/foods. :thumbsup
Watch out for the Chippie 'Music' on her site! :D

She says she feeds Beaphar's Xtra Vital Chipmunk food. She also mentions Johnston and Jeff Chipmunk and Squirrel mix. I'm not sure about either.
She also mentions it's important to feed veggies and fruits, mealworms, cooked chicken/boiled egg, a little yogurt for a well-balanced diet.

Her name is Chipmunk Lover (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/member.php?u=3852). Click on her name and it will bring you to her profile page where you can find her website info.

Could you let us know if you get a hold of her? Hopefully more people here will help you out as well.

EDIT: She also has an email address in her profile.

[Pointy Tale]

Simon_and_Jet— hi! Here is a link on this topic, there are others as well:

> Non Life Threatening Help Needed > Chipmunk ppl (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28517)



......

ChipmunkLuver, has their own Chipmunk site: http://chiptastic.webs.com/ here is the link for their diet:http://chiptastic.webs.com/diet.htm

UK chipmunk board: http://www.super-chipmunks.co.uk/#

psychotic feather said she feed Ahrlan the Escape Artist—click here for thread info (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showpost.php?p=404010&postcount=139) the following:

Romaine lettuce
Baby carrot (every other week)
Bell Pepper
Cucumber
Spinach
Portabella Mushroom
avacado
A few kernals of fresh corn
-----
Smile piece of whole wheat bread
a few cherrios
------
1 cherry
1 blackberry
1 blueberry
-------
small dab of peanut butter
--------
spoonfull of yogurt
-------
¼th cup of chipmunk food
which can be found here http://www.cunipic.com/ if you go to the "Home > Productos > Alimento > Alimento Conejos y Roedores > ARDILLA"
--------
5 mealworms
-------
2 squirrel blocks
-------
¼th tum once a week

Hope this helps.

Also, members, psychotic feather or Marci, may be able to help you too.

Good luck,

[Fireweed]

Simon_and_Jet— hi! Here is a link on this topic, there are others as well:

> Non Life Threatening Help Needed > Chipmunk ppl (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28517)




Also, members, psychotic feather or Marci, may be able to help you too.

Good luck,
Hi, Thanks PT! I didn't even know we had that here. :tilt Oooops!

[Fireweed]

S and J, I just heard from Chipmunk Lover. She said it's best for people to email her as she will get the email right away (the address is in her profile). Also, she's going to check her website tonight to see if anyone has tried contacting her and she will be back on TSB shortly, in case you want to talk with someone who knows chipmunks well. :thumbsup

[cnmnnaturalist]

Plant some sunflower seeds (just the birdfood variety, Black Oil) and grow them for sprouts. I swear our wild Chipmunks bury the seeds just to eat the sprouts! I find clumps of them growing right near burrow entrances.

They seem to relish lots of flower buds and blossoms, like rose, violet, dandelion, nasturtium, crab apple/apple and squash/cucumber blossoms. Sometimes they get to ours before we can enjoy them.

Ours eat a variety of insects as well, so I would suggest offering things like mealworms to them to see if they are interested.

[Chipmunk_lover]

Hi,

you have had good help already :thumbsup

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 :thumbsup