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[chinny]

Hi everyone,

  I just wanted to introduce myself..and my chins. I'm a big animal lover and have been since I could walk..we own 2 yorkies, 1 greyhound, 2 siamese cats, 1 hamster, and 4 aquariums. And off course..my chins.. I currently have 3 .. 2 standard males Crosby and Bear Bear , 1 beige male Tanner, and I will be getting another male , he is white with some grey on him ( what would you call that ? ) I'm getting him around Aug 14, and his name will be Indy. I am looking into getting 2 females also. So that will make 6 chins.. they are very addictive aren't they ? LOL.. I just love them all. I have the Ferret Nation cages for them, and I just love them also.. I have trays made for them so that shavings can be used.. I will post pictures soon.  I have gotten all my chins from a local breeder.  I'm not sure if I will want to breed them or not.. if I decide to it will be just the one time and I will be keeping the babies.

Love the site.. lots to read and learn here.

Jennifer

[chinny]

Hi again...I just wanted to post pictures of the 2 girls I'm picking up tonight. A young couple can't keep them because of the apartment they live in.  I don't know  how old they are , I can ask them tonight to see if they know. Looking at the pictures..they still look young. What do you guys think of their colors...are they considered just standards ?  I have 2 standard males that are a lot darker then them. I'm naming them Abby and Jessie.  This will make 5 chins so far. I just love them.

[Jo Ann]

   Cute chins!

I'm not sure if I will want to breed them or not.. if I decide to it will be just the one time and I will be keeping the babies.

If so, the cages these two are in now are not suitable for mom and kits ... the kits are born eyes open and fully furred and are playing within an hour or so.  Kits can climb out/fall out of cages with wires that are that far apart.  They can easily chill, starve, be squished or killed when this happens.

  Wires for breeding cages, to be safe, must be 1/2" x 1/2 " or 1/2" by 1" or smaller.

Chinchillas have all the emotions humans have, if you put a pair together, you don't know how long it will take them to produce a kit.  Do you think it is fair to put them together just to have one litter, then have to separate them for the rest of their lives?  {Something to consider.}  Some will breed the first time the female goes into season and others do not always do so that quickly ... I have one pair that were together for 4 years before they had their first and only kit.  They are now 12 years old and have had no other kits. 

During the same time period, another pair I had, had almost 30 kits.

Do keep in mind you can not house males and females together until they are old enough to breed ...

AND ...

Once you have both males and females in your home ... the males should not, in my opinion, share the same cage with other males ... males will fight, sometimes to the death, for the right to breed a female that is in season ... even if neither can get to her at that time.  It is called 'survival of the fittest'.

A male kit, at the tender age of 10 weeks, has to ability to impregnate a female.

A female chin, at the tender age of 3 1/2 to 4 months of age, has the ability to become pregnant, but is not mature enough {birthcanal is not large enough} to safely deliver kits.  Many times you loose the mom and all kits in this situation.

   Jo Ann

[chinny]

Thanks Jo Ann for your advise. I don't own the cage the females are in shown in the picture..that is the cage the young couple has them in. My cages I own are all the ferret nation cages.
 
I keep 2 males per cage now. The cages are the 2 level ones. If I have to in the future put the ladder up and make them into individual cages then I can. Is this something that I should do now ?

If I did choose to breed..when would I house a male and female together ?  Would it be better for me to house the females in another room ? Or are they okay in the same room with the males until they mature ? The chins I have were all born in May.. so they aren't very old.

If I did breed the females..I would just put the small mesh around the outside of the cage so the kits can't get out. Either that or purchase another cage with smaller wire.

Any other advise you can give me.. would be greatly appreciated. I just want to do the right thing. I don't want any of them to start fighting.

[Jo Ann]

   Each owner/breeder has to decide what chances they are willing to take with their chinchillas.  Some get lucky, others don't.

The cages are the 2 level ones. If I have to in the future put the ladder up and make them into individual cages then I can.

Will the upper half for the cage have a solid litter pan?  If not, the one in the top half will be peeing and pooping on the ones below ... not sanitary.

I keep 2 males per cage now. The cages are the 2 level ones. If I have to in the future put the ladder up and make them into individual cages then I can. Is this something that I should do now ?

If the males are in the same cage and in the same room with a female when she goes in season, there could be problems, as I explained before ... but that is for you to choose.

If I did choose to breed..when would I house a male and female together ?

  The age and size of most females will determine when the pair should be put into breeding ... each breeder has their own rules/guidelines they go by.  Personally, I do not put a pair together until the female is a year old and weighs 600+ grams.

Would it be better for me to house the females in another room ?

  I would, but, that's my choice ... I tend to lean to the safer choices for my little ones.

Or are they okay in the same room with the males until they mature ? The chins I have were all born in May.. so they aren't very old.

Males, at the tender age of 10 weeks (2 1/2 months) have the ability to impregnate the female.
Females, at the tender age of 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 months have the ability to get pregnant. (Which means they go into season for the first time by this age.)
Your chins were born in May ... figure out their age now ...   

If I did breed the females..I would just put the small mesh around the outside of the cage so the kits can't get out. Either that or purchase another cage with smaller wire.

If the cage is over 15 inches tall, personally, I would not put a momma and new kits in a cage like that, it is not safe for them.  Reasons:
(1) The kits usually climb to the top of the cage/wire withing 24 to 48 hours after birth.  If it is over 15 inches tall, the kits could be injured or killed by the fall.
(2) Kits can climb up and over the mesh wire unless the whole cage (including the top) is covered in the mesh wire.

   Jo Ann

[chinny]

Hi...well after reading on the site and looking at other sites.. I've decided not to breed my chins.. I only have the one female right now anyways.. and I have moved her into her own cage and out of the boys room. 
All I can do now is hope and pray she isn't pregnant..but if so.. I only had them together for 2 days.. the young couple that had them.. had them together for 4 months..so who knows.
I will enjoy my chins just as they are, I don't need to breed them.. everyone is happy the way things are..so why change it 

I do have a question though..the male that was housed with the female..should he be okay ? What should I do if he acts depressed or chooses not to eat for me ? These are things that worry me now.  Maybe just give him some time and he will adjust to the new situation ?  Do you think I will ever beable to  house him with another male ?

[Debbie.nl.ca]

What do you guys think of their colors...are they considered just standards ? 

That first picture looks like a hetero beige to me. Does it have pink ears? Looks like it in the pic.

I find when introducing chinchillas it's much easier when at least one of them is still a kit.
It would have to be the male if your were introducing a breeding pair, as the female would have to be of breeding age.
All of them seem to like babies, males & females. I don't get the same agrassion or teritorial situations as a kit hasn't leanred he/she COULD be alpha yet.

[chinny]

Hi Debbie,, yes he does have pink ears..and in person , he does look beige compared to grey in the picture.. I have 3 young males all born in May..I tried letting them all out lastnight for their playtime along with the bigger beige male.. I don't think any of them will beable to be housed with him..no one seemed to like him for some reason. I may end up just leaving him in his own cage as he is now.  The young couple had him for over a year.. he is much older then my others.. so he may be better just left alone.