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1

General Breeder Chat / New Breeders.....Kinda of a vent?

« on: June 18, 2007, 11:22:53 AM »

Okay, I know we all started somewhere.  In fact I haven't been into breeding mutes for too long, standards for some time before that.  But where do all the new breeders keep coming from and why?    Most of the time the answer I hear is to have babies, their sister, aunt, cousin, or whatever wants one, but whats going to happen to all these baby chins?  What happens when there are no more homes for these kits?  Or what happens when a whole bunch of kits maloccludes because these new "breeders" use bad stock?

I know some people may have different views on the subject, and of course there is going to be new breeders, thats how we keep bettering the species.  But what about those who are just in it for cuteness and money?

I don't know, maybe I'm just thinking a rant to myself and shouldn't even hit Post to this, but does anyone else feel this way?  Or am I just overly paranoid?   It seems like everyone is a chinchilla "breeder" these days.........

2

North East USA / In search of exceptional standard male

« on: May 22, 2007, 05:13:43 PM »

Well I am located in PA, and I am looking for an exceptionally high quality standard male.  I want to pair her with my homo eb, who recieved the following comments at the show:  2nd place- "This animal is casty and showing some slight red.  I'd like to see more size for her age. If you are breeding this animal be very careful of who you put it with"

So Im looking for a standard with exceptional clarity and a beautiful blue hue to it.  I am going to pair her with him when she gets old enough (4 more months) so I have a little time to look around.  I would prefer an adult who maybe has been shown already?  But no young kits please.

If you have what Im looking for please let me know

Thank you!

Oh, Im located in Eastern PA!

3

General Breeder Chat / The chinchillas are in a tizzy........

« on: April 04, 2007, 11:18:17 AM »

And Im not quite sure why! 

Its my standard pair, Im quite sure she is pregnant, I'm guessing around 80-100 days now.  There is no way it could be any earlier as they were put together about 105 days ago.  But it could quite possibly be later.  She has gained about 80g so far.  And now today instead of the normal "hibernate during the day" they're both going quite bonkers in their cage.  She's pulling her hidey house back and forth across the cage, flinging bedding everywhere, and quite frantically just running around like a mad woman.  He just kind of sits there and watches her, and goes in and out of the house every once in a while.

Even the chin in the cage next to them isn't sleeping now like he usually is.  He's out and moving around.  And then the 5 chins in quarentine in the other room are calling and bouncing as well.  The rest of them aren't affected though, and are just sleeping as usual.

I put this under breeding because it is the pregnant chin who started this all, but I guess it could go under general chin questions.  Any ideas as to why the chins are all in a tizzy like this? 

4

Parent Chat / Baby Noah is Coming Soon!

« on: March 21, 2007, 07:05:08 AM »

I got the call from my dr. today.  They finally scheduled the date of my c-section.  It will be April 12th @ 8am.  I am so excited, and now can't wait for the date to come!

So keep us in your thoughts that day, and I will post pictures as soon as I can

Jacqui

5

Q & A / Tradition vs. Mazuri

« on: March 08, 2007, 08:45:11 PM »

I currently have the chins on the new formula of Mazuri.  I have to have it shipped in, and till its all said and done I get it for 1.19/lb.  I just found out that I can get Tradition locally for .25/lb.  Thats a considerable savings, especially when you have a bunch of mouths to feed!

So I was wondering what you all thought about the comparibility of Tradition and Mazuri.  I liked the fact that the Mazuri (the new formula) has the acidopholus in it.  I guess thats something the chins don't necessarily need though.

Thoughts anyone?  Thanks!

Jacqui

6

General Chat / Chinchilla Herd Software

« on: March 08, 2007, 08:41:31 PM »

Just wondering if anyone here uses software to help manage their herd and pedigrees and the likes.  I saw there was three main ones, I was debating between ZooEasy and Evans.  I like ZooEasy because you can keep track of things like their weights, and actually graph it so you can see a trend (useful in pregnant chins, sick chins, etc) but I dont like the way the pedigrees are done, they put the Sire on top and Dam on the bottom, so I get all confused 

Then Evans has nice pedigrees that are even color coded and mapped out, but then it doesn't have like the weight tracking abilities and things like that. 

Why can't the best of both worlds be in one software program? 

So I was wondering if anyone on here used either of these softwares, and if you do what you like and don't like about them.  I gotta make a decision soon on which one I'm going to use soon!  Otherwise Im going to have a mound of chin information to enter all at once.

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

7

General Chat / She's Here!!! :)

« on: March 03, 2007, 08:49:39 PM »

I just wanted to introduce my newest herd addition, I've been looking around, and when I saw her I was instantly in love! 

She's a homo ebony - I will be showing her at the York show this year, and then she's going into my breeding program 

Anyway, enough yapping, onto the pictures!  (Of course they don't do her any justice - every hair is stunningly jet black)

                     

She's adjusting now, a little chinny crying but I think she'll do well.  She's an absolute sweetie, just sits on your lap and lets you hold her for as long as you want.  Now that she's in her cage and adjusting, I'm going to leave her alone for a few days.

Alright, enough blabbering, can you tell I'm proud and in love?   

Jacqui

8

New Births / My Valentine's Present!

« on: February 14, 2007, 07:28:46 PM »

Wow Jaime, you must have sent some of that chinny baby wave my way!  Thanks alot - we appreciate it! 

I went to check on my chinnies and I had one who was pg (I posted a thread on average weight gain) but I just didn't know when.  She's been sleeping on her side a little, and I knew we were getting close, but not this close!

So I went to check on them and I was sitting at the cage coaxing her to come to me - she didn't right away and then I saw this little white thing poking its head at me!  I almost died!  And then I was looking around and I see another white thing looking at me!  Yes she had Valentine's twins!

I weighed them quick, and I did a quick look at their bottoms, but she wanted them back so I didn't want to keep them.  They were 42 and 48 grams, and what I thought to be one girl one boy.  When I was making their cage cards up, I wanted to be 100% sure, so I checked them again.  No female!    Two boys!  But they both appear to be healthy and their bellies feel full, and thats what counts!

Here's a pic:


Jacqui

9

Breeding 101 / Average weight gain during pregnancy?

« on: January 23, 2007, 11:45:09 AM »

Of course, I'm not sure there is such a thing, but I was wondering from your experiences what the average chinchilla weight gain during pregnancy is.  I have a female that has gained 70g so far but I'm not seeing any of the "near the end" signs either.  I'm sitting here impatiently, almost like watching a pot boil, and I know what they say about that!

I know it depends on the number of kits and everything, but from all you experienced people, what weight gain do you normally see?

She is staying well reserved in her house, and I certainly don't want to traumatize her by seeing if she'll sit on my lap and let me see if kits move.  So I just let her be.

Jacqui

10

Health / ACK I think my chinnie is SICK!

« on: January 13, 2007, 10:07:16 AM »

Since yesterday he has been really withdrawn pretty much just staying in one spot, I've seen him eat a little hay, but no pellets, and he won't even come over to the scale for me to weigh him (which he usually loves because there is a little dust bath in it) and his eyes are only half open like he's kinda sleeping, but even when I wake him up he still stays like that!!!!  He hasn't lost any weight up to yesterday, he was the same so if he did lose any it was overnight....literally

Don't worry, I'm not just posting here so you all can yell at me "GET HIM TO THE VET" I am on hold now with the vet trying to get in ASAP this morning.  I just pray its not something he was masking and now its too late....

Please say a chinnie prayer for him that all is well.  I will update after we get back.

Jacqui

11

General Chat / My Sad Trip to Petco....

« on: January 12, 2007, 05:16:23 PM »

Awww I was so sad today at Petco....I had to go and get dust for my chins, and for some reason the pet store that is close to me doesn't sell dust only the sand which I won't use, so I traveled over to Petco and I walked in...and there it was.....the chinny "cage"  There was about 6 chinchillas in there, all male according to the sign, looking to be pretty young.  They were standards, except they were selling one as a "fancy chinchilla" for 170.00 which looked to be a beige mutation of some sort.  They were all huddled in this little home sleeping....except one kept coming out and looking at me, I was so sad...I felt so bad for them in this glass octagon, almost no ventilation, no toys, no love, cage being tapped on by kids.  Just broke my heart I couldn't walk away from them I kept standing down at them talking to them.

My husband said, if you want to get another cage and another chin, go ahead...but I said even if I had all the money in the world and could buy all the chins on the spot and house them, they would just order more and the vicious process would go on and on.  Then I'd go back over in a month and there'd be 5 more there.  And I dont want to have a chin thats going to suffer from malocclusion in 2 years and send us through that heartbreak    And, I hope I don't sound selfish here, but I have a high-quality pedigree breeding pair coming in this weekend, and I don't want to give up their space  :-[

Thanks for listening to me ramble....I can still picture their little faces in that aweful place, I wish there was something I could do 

Jacqui

12

Breeding 101 / Gene Question....

« on: January 12, 2007, 08:37:07 AM »

Ok, question, and sorry to sound stupid here, but this one is puzzling me....so lets say I take two ebonies and breed them together, and one is a violet carrier and one is not.  My kits now have a 50% (give or take a few percent) chance of being a violet carrier.  But, how would you know that?  I guess thats one of those things you wouldn't you would just say "He's a medium ebony possible violet carrier?"  And then the second question, when does that violet carrier gene come into play and become dominant instead of recessive?  I'm assuming by simple genetics it would be when you have two violet carriers together, am I right?

And is it correct that a sapphire and a sapphire can only produce a sapphire, there is no chance of a standard gray at all?  And there is no lethal factor (from what I read correct me if I'm wrong)  How does that one work?

If anyone just has an article on it maybe I could read it and learn more, rather than sitting here and writing it all out lol.

Jacqui

13

Chit Chat / Happy Birthday Debbie!

« on: January 09, 2007, 12:23:51 PM »

I hope all your birthday wishes come true today! 

Jacqui

14

Health / *Sigh* Yes another poop question

« on: January 09, 2007, 10:19:10 AM »

Well it seems that my female chinchilla has developed soft stools that when she tramples on them squishes.  So I burnt some toast - imagine the looks when my husband sees me taking a piece of toast out of the toaster smoking  And I gave her a 1" square and she took some bites and then threw it down and walked away.  So my quesiton is, I know to increase the hay, I will work on her eating the toast, what other options do I have?  There has been no change in her appetite, there is no evidence of anything funky with the poop (mucous, blood, etc) Smells like poop I guess no real foul smell, and she is maintaining her weight, actually gained a few grams from a couple days ago.  She's active, and if it wouldn't for me seeing the poop I wouldn't even know anything is wrong.  And she's drinking normally.  She did have a raisin after her weighing today, but I'm not going to give her any more until it clears up.

So what other treatment options are available - or do you think I should just stick with what I am doing and wait a little?  And about how long does it take for the stool to return to normal?

15

Q & A / How to get my chin on the scale!

« on: January 07, 2007, 01:36:05 PM »

I have decided to start weighing them every day or every other I guess depending on my schedule, just so I can stay on top of any problems, esp. pregnancy for the female, etc.  Well, I clear a spot on the bottom of the cage and set the scale down and zero it with the tray on.  My "little guy" as I call him runs over and jumps in the scale the second he sees it!  Of course I give him a half a raisin for him to stay long enough to get the reading, and as a little treat for being so good   Ok he's done.  I actually have to kinda shoo him away!  Next I try to lure the female over.  She LOVES her raisins and loves me and will always come running.  But when the scales in, SHE WONT COME NEAR ME.  She runs off to another part of the cage.  I take the scale out, here she comes!  I put it back in, well now my little guy thinks he needs to be weighed again, and off she runs!  LOL.  It's a vicious repetitive cycle!  Any suggestions as to how to get the female to come over near the scale? 

Jacqui