Chinchilla Community Forums
Breeders => General Breeder Chat => Topic started by: Marip on July 03, 2012, 08:17:46 AM
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hi so i'm putting my female and my male together i wanted to know if i put them in the same cage the male could stay there until the babies born and what i have to do after that :
-when i should take the babies from their mom ?
-do they need some vitamins ?
-i have to give hay or alfafa to babies?
-what kind of care should i have with the female during and after ?
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I am assuming the female is at least 8 months old and you know the proper way to introduce them so one doesn't kill the other.
the cage needs to be 1/2 inch x 1 inch ir smaller wire. A baby will walk right out of a 1 x 1 inch opening.
If you leave the male in when the babies are born they will breed again right away and sometimes trample the babies to death in the process so place a small hard container in the cage for the babies to hide in. If you remove the male you will need to watch him closely for signs of depression.
You need to be feeding a good quality feed like Tradition, Mazuri, Show rabbit. Pet store brand chinchilla food will not do.
Good hay should be given everyday even after the babies are born. If you are feeding a good feed no other vitamins are needed. Don't handle mom a lot when she is pregnant. No dust bath for 10 days after delivery. :)
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-when i should take the babies from their mom ?
I think it's after 8-10 weeks if the kit appears to be ready. Some kits takes longer (up to 12 weeks) (See next post)
-do they need some vitamins ?
If you give them high quality pellets they will have the vitamins they need. Extra vitamin supplements can be harmful.
Supplementing with calcium powder is safe and can help the mother since her calcium reserves are used to form the babies' bones.
-i have to give hay or alfafa to babies?
Whatever hay you feed the adults will be eaten by the babies. Make sure it is fresh and high quality.
-what kind of care should i have with the female during and after ?
No special care is required. Just ensure it's a safe environment the babies cannot escape from. Discontinuing dust baths for 10 days after delivery is recommended to prevent getting it into any wounds caused by delivery.
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12 weeks is actually pushing it unless the baby is a very small runt. Males have bred back to moms as early as 3 months. Not common but it has happened. I have always weaned at 7 weeks unless there was a low weight. Most moms have weaned them by then and are getting fussy with the babies.
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thanks everyone for answering .
the cage should be one like this http://www.chickenwirenetting.com/chickenwire/rabbit-cage.html or like this http://www.rabbitcagesource.com/rabbit-cages/indoor-rabbit-cages/prevuepetsmallanimalhomeonstand.cfm?
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The bar spacing on those may be too wide and there are no vertical bars to stop babies from escaping. Look into something like this:
http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/r-660.jpg
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The bar spacing on those may be too wide and there are no vertical bars to stop babies from escaping. Look into something like this:
http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/r-660.jpg
but in terms of space wich one cause i will cover the cage with smaller wire .
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You want to keep the breeding cage one level. Otherwise the mom can leave the newborns and they will die. Some moms are good about not doing this but others (and especially first time moms are not). Plus young kits are not very coordinated and will try to follow mom up. They can get badly hurt falling from shelves.
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I know that rabbit cages are usually one level. Perhaps that can open up some options.
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thanks .
there's a way to be 100% sure that she's pregnant?
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There's probably a blood test that can be done, or a visual on an x-ray. Sometimes you will see a copulatory plug left behind after mating. Here is an example: http://www.huggablepets.com/huggablepets/preg.shtml
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thanks :::grins::