Chinchilla Community Forums
Breeders => Breeding 101 => Topic started by: Debbie.nl.ca on October 24, 2011, 03:12:01 PM
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Well this was a first for me. I've had a trio going now for a couple of years. One of the females was older and had stopped breeding. I thought adding the second female might help.
The new female gave birth and the older one was a great help to her.It was hard to tell at first who had the kits.They were both wet and keeping kits warm. All was prefect.
Then one evening a few weeks ago I found the older female in shock and tore up on the floor of her cage.She never even blinked after I found her, I knew that wasn't good. She died in my arms just a couple of hours later.
I have no idea as to why she would do this, they were fine. Looks like the older one was held up in a tube as most of the injuries were to her face and head.
Just wanted to let you all know my trio didn't work after all ::cry222:::
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I am so sorry!! How weird that they would act that way after all of this time. I would never have guessed you would see that after years of being together. But then I did have a pair of males that successfully lived together forever in my herd room. They were both several years old and didn't seem to have an issue being in a room with other girls. One night, out of the blue, one turned on the other. So I know how you feel.
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oh debb, i'm so sorry that happened. :'(
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i am so sorry debbie :(
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Thanks,
Just when you think you have it all half figured out :::((( I thought I'd see it all.
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Its is always sad when that happens. that is one of the main reasons I am considering switching from colonies to just Runs
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Yes me too, or just keep them in pairs. it's heart breaking.
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So sorry to hear that happened. :'( Being a breeder, unfortunately, often teaches us some very harsh/shocking lessons ... when we least expect it.
Both males and females can become territorial ... not just in colonies or trios (they are the most common), but also brothers and sisters or even one parent and a sibling(s). It is rare, but, male kits have been known to be killed by their fathers ... to kill any competition even before it is old enough to be a compeditor.
Another problem, know as the traditional "survival of the fittest" ... is when two or more males live in the same cage with a female [or even in the same room with the female in a completely different cage]. When she goes into season, they will sometimes fight to the death for the right to breed her ... even if the female is impossible to get to, because she is in a separate cage. The males can live together for only days, but sometimes even years and all is well ... then, for no apparent reason ... they decide to fight over a female they may never be able to get to.
I had one female that would allow the daddy to visit/come back (to help raise the kits) after the first 10 days, but only when she had all female kits ... if she had a male kit in the litter, she would not allow the daddy back until the kits were weened. She may have sensed the male kit would be injured by the daddy ... ::shrug:: ...who knows for sure, but she always protected her male kits this way. Only mommy knows for sure. ::nod::
::wave:: Jo Ann
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Thanks Jo Ann , no we'll just never have all the answers will we. :(