Diet

The wild capuchins are omnivorous, they feed on fruits, nuts and seeds, berries, insects, lizards, rodents and small birds.

Recommended diet for capuchins should consist of:

2-5% Hi Protein Treats (Insects, Eggs, Etc)
5-10% Foraging Foods (Seeds, Nuts, Grains)
15-20% Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
75-80% Commercial Biscuit (Hi Protein)

A varied diet is very important to avoid boredom and loss of appetite.

Fresh water every day at all times.

Give your capuchins commercial primate diet supplemented with: 

fresh fruit like mango, apple and banana
fresh or cooked vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, corn, green beans and turnip
sweet potato
nuts and seeds (like sunflower seeds)
wheat bread
hard boiled eggs
yoghurt
insects like mealworms, crickets and grasshoppers
vitamin supplements

A Detailed feeding schedule:

This is a feeding example for 1 capuchin monkey (2-3 lb). Increase portions proportionately for increased body weight but do not overfeed.  Monkeys waste
a lot of food if excess is given and may overindulge which can lead to bloating.

  • Fruits and vegetables should be cut into pieces appropriate for the monkey’s small hands.
  • New World Monkey Chow can be soaked in Marmoset jelly or fruit juice.
  • Moist foods can be sprinkled with a vitamin mineral powder such as Vionate. (approx 1/4 tsp per animal per day).
  • Food should be offered at set times of the day.

Every day at A.M.

  • 1-3 oz canned primate diet (cut in small pieces) Zupreem, Science Diet
  • 10-12 pieces of soaked New World Monkey Biscuit (Mazuri, Spectrum, Purina, etc.) or can be offered dry up
  • 1/3 cup depending on size of the monkey. Soaking in fruit juice mayincrease palatability during conversion from poor diets.

P.M.

Mo-We-Fr: 1/8 apple
2 slices of banana 1/2’d
2 grapes 1/2’d
1 TBS diced orange
1/2 slice sweet potato (chopped)
1 1/2 TBS lettuce mix* (Romaine, cabbage, & celery)
4 primate biscuits (soaked in orange juice/mjelly)
8 peanuts
1 TBS sunflower seeds
1″ piece of carrot – chopped
1/8 slice of whole wheat bread cubed
4 snow peas
(*) Lettuce mix ingredients are placed in a chopper and mixed. Use long and thin pieces.
Tu-Th-Sa-Su: 2 slices of banana 1/2’d
1 TBS diced orange
4 green beans cut
1/4 hard boiled egg with shell (cut up)
1 TBS corn (thawed frozen or fresh)
5 peanuts
1 TBS sunflower seeds
1 heaping TBS avocado
few sprigs of parsely
1 heaping TBS black-eyed peas (shelled)
1/2 slice turnip
1 oz canned primate diet (cut in small pieces)
4 primate biscuits (soaked in fruit juice or M.jelly)
1/4 slice whole wheat bread cubed

Occasional treats :

  • Cricket or mealworm (dusted in vionate).
  • Cooked fish, chicken, turkey or beef (teaspoon-sized portions)
  • Soaked raisins, other types of fruit. Portion of treat/day should be less than 1 teaspoon in volume!

Note: Avoid foods which have been enriched with iron such as fortified cereals.

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