Meet our Featured Contributor:
Lani Ritchey of
California Chins
I never dreamed that chinchillas would take over my life when I saw my first chinchilla in 1974. I had intended to work in the equine industry and breed dogs. I still have a horse (Tennessee Walker) and did breed and show Golden Retrievers. After seventy-two puppies, conformation championship, tracking dog excellents and junior hunter titles, search and rescue dogs, avalanche dogs and guide dogs, I thought chinchillas would be a quiet change. After all they are very small animals,
The university I attended ,CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY ,POMONA (CALPOLY,POMONA) or the other half of a float in the Rose Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena,Ca had a small chinchilla herd from
Knott's Berry Farm in Anaheim,CA. Don't ask what a boysenberry farm was doing with chinchillas in the 1950s and 1960s. I suspect they had been sucked into the get-rich scheme of raising chinchillas for fur. The herd was nothing to write home about. Terrible quality animals but that was where I got my first animals. For free!
Actually my senior work was with the Syrian Golden Hamster which has lovely coat colors, coat textures and color patterns. By comparison, I felt the chinchilla color was diluted (it is),nobody had documented coat color patterns (still true today) and there was lots of opportunity for first hand research (still true today). Besides my graduate mentor suggested I tackle an obscure species and do some original research (what a novel idea!).
But disaster struck in January 1976. FIRE!!! Almost all my hamsters (I had a lovely herd of gorgeous colored and patterned animals) and all but one chinchilla died. COOKED!
SOUTHERN FRIED CHINCHILLA! Barbequed hamster. So I phased out of hamsters and into chinchillas (big mistake).
Most farm species have huge databases of genetic, nutritional, physiological and veterinary information to tap into. Chinchillas didn't and they ,by comparison still don't have that kind of depth in animal and veterinary science. Which is frustrating!!!!!
 | The JOY OF CHINCHILLAS book came about by accident and frustration. While laid up for a nasty appendix (happened while I was at a dog show, didn't go to the hospital until after the show was over), I decided to write a short book for my chinchilla buyers and their new chinkids. When Betti Cogswell's (Chinmom) son decided to get a chinchilla, she got involved with my little book of basic information. |
She says she needed a new project after completing her Masters in Nursing. From there, things snowballed in the current edition of the JOY OF CHINCHILLAS, webpage (www.cachins.org) and CALIFORNIA CHINS CLUB.
When I decided to get serious about chinchilla breeding and showing (if you breed, you should show to keep improving quality), I was lucky to be mentored by some of the top breeders in the US. Rita Booker of Diamond Blue, Irwin Williams, Loyd Sullivan(Beige and Violet), and Dean Sullivan took me under their wings. I was lucky to meet Gunning and Somavia ( the father)(I show against the son,Vince.). I was lucky to be able to buy good quality herd replacment animals from them. Dean Sullivan and I syndicated top males for us and other small breeders in the northern California area. There were lots of small breeder clubs then. You show animals almost every weekend from January to the March nationals.
I am a member of Empress Chinchilla Breeders Co-operative and the Mutation Chinchilla Breeders Association (MCBA)(Both accept all chinchilla breeders now). I have shown chinchillas since 1983. I have taken the grandshow champion trophy home and I have also been given no awards. I have never failed to qualify for the national but sometimes my ribbon colors are not blue. Each show is a gamble based on genetics, environment and nutrition. Did I get it right this time? Or did I blow it?
If you breed, you should show. Put your animals down on the table and take your licking or take the prize. But always strive to IMPROVE. Even small breeders can win. Quality wins everytime. The one perfect animal can sweep the table and win all. So I encourage you to join Empress or MCBA if you are in the US. Canchilla is in Canada. If your European country doesn't have a chinchilla show, start one or go to another country to show. In Asia, you will have to start your shows. Perhaps you can convince a rabbit or guinea pig show to let in chinchillas. But get chinchilla show started some how.
Strive for quality in color, size, texture, veiling, density for the show table. But strive at home for the good health, good temperment , mothering and milking and fertility, they aren't judged on the show table.
|
|
|
|
