Diet

Feeding time is one of the most important moments in the day of a monkey.  Therefore it is very important that you take the necessary time to prepare it. 

A varied diet is very important to avoid boredom and loss of appetite.   Commercial primate diet should be included in their meal because it is very balanced and therefore healthy food for your monkey. 

Make sure that fresh water is available at all times.  

Feed your monkey twice a day.

For monkeys like spiders, capuchins, squirrels, marmosets and tamarins you should hang up your bowl or your feeding platform.

Depending on the size of your monkey you will have to cut up the food in bigger or smaller pieces.

Vitamins are very important for primates.  Especially new world primates (like marmosets and tamarins) need extra vit D3 if they are kept indoors (do not overdose).  When they don't have enough direct sunlight extra vitamins are required (or the use of Vitalights) to prevent them from getting metabolic bone disease such as rickets.  In our store we sell a Primate Vitamin Mixture that fits the need of your primate

Never feed your monkey raw meat, baby mice's or cockroaches (toxoplasmonia, protozoa, helminthes,worms ...).

Make sure that your fresh vegetables and fresh fruits is washed before feeding.

So what do I need to feed my monkey ?

• Commercial primate diet

• Fresh fruit like mango, apple, papaya, grapes, banana, ...

• Fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumber, fennel, onions, cauliflower, tomato, ...

• Cooked vegetables like peas, cauliflower, green beans, ...

• Baby cereal

• Hard boiled eggs

• Yogurt

• Cooked meat like chicken and turkey

• Cooked fish

• Rice

• Seeds, grains and nuts

• Insects like mealworms and grasshoppers

Marmosets and bushbabies are known as gum-feeders.  With their sharp teeth they gnaw holes in trees to get the gum. In the wild they spend 1/3 of their time doing this. Besides the fact that "it will keep them busy for a while", it's also a source of energy, calcium and other minerals. It is known that also other species like squirrels or tamarins like arabic gum.  You can buy arabic gum at our store. Mix one part of powder with two parts of water (or fruit juice). After two to three hours it's ready for distribution. Drill some holes into wood (like branches or bamboo) and fill them with this prepared gum.

In the wild primates have to hunt and search for food so they get a lot of exercise and it keeps them busy.  In captivity it is also very important that your monkey is busy all the time to avoid boredom.  If you just give all their food in a bowl, they will be done eating in minutes so perhaps it isn't a bad idea to make your monkey search and work for his food.  Here are a few ideas to keep your monkey busy with eating :

• Put their favorite food in a box which they have to open before being able to access it. 

• Hang up a plastic pipe horizontally with small holes in it and put some bedding and mealworms inside it.  Your monkey will have to wait till a mealworm crawls out before he can eat it. 

• Use a plastic bucket with a hole in it (size of your monkeys hand) and put some fruits or vegetables in it.  The nice thing about this bucket is that they can only take one piece at the time and there is also something like a surprise effect for them. 

• The use of several small feeding bowls on different places can be a good idea too.