A few Things to Consider Before Breeding Chinchillas
Posted by Jennifer Snyder on Sat, Jul 18, 2009 @ 12:20 AM
If you are thinking of breeding chinchillas or happen to find yourself with an unexpected chinchilla pregnancy, there are some steps you should take in preparation for the new additions to the family. As a reminder to all chinchilla lovers, we know babies are cute, so cute in fact that many people find it hard to resist the urge to create and pair their chinchilla up with a mate. Chinchillas of course are very social and do really well in pairs. They cuddle, they "talk," they play, they dust together and truly enjoy the company of another chinchilla. If you own a single chin they will be far more dependent on you for interaction and risk becoming lonely, irritable, and disturbed if they do not have social interaction. For these reasons and many others, several chinchilla owners who start with one chin, end up with 2 or more. If you are thinking about getting a second chinchilla or possibly getting into breeding there are things you should do in preparation.
First, have a plan of action. If you have a male chinchilla and adopt a female, she will more than likely become pregnant. This is a fact of life and shouldn't come as a surprise. Being "surprised" by a pregnancy can be dangerous. Knowledge is power and preparing yourself and your chinchilla supplies is an important first step, not an after thought.
If and when a female chinchilla becomes pregnant, you will likely have no idea. There are very few signs that a mating had taken place. In some cases you may see a mating plug and notice some changes in behavior in the upcoming weeks and months for the expecting mother, like changes in eating, irritability, lor laying on their side stretched out while they sleep, but you shouldn't pry and feel around for the kits. This can cause harm to the unborn chins and undue stress to the mother. What you will need to do is assume she likely will become pregnant if you have her in the same cage as a male and prepare for the new additions. In preparation you should decide whether you will keep the baby or babies or find someone interested in buying or adopting the chinchillas, even before they are born. Regardless of finding a new home the mother and babies will need to be housed in a separate cage while she is nursing. Chinchillas nurse their young for 6-8 weeks. Nothing is more devastating than ending up with a bunch of chinchillas that you cannot care for and have no idea how to find someone who can. If you do end up in this situation there are chinchilla rescue services that can help. See the Links page for information on adoption agencies that can help. Our goal is to prevent this from having to happen by preparing you.
One of the most important step's you can take is having a small, clean cage ready for the baby chin and her mom. The baby chinchilla cage cannot be the size of most regular chinchilla cages. Babies can slide between surprisingly small bars. Assume that your baby chinchilla will likely escape and you will have to track her down. They are born fully furred and full of energy. They also have keen instincts and will be fearful of you. The room you keep your chinchillas should be chin proof, you should also be sure to keep the door shut so your chinchillas can be confined to a single area of the house should an escape happen. Having a confined area will also help to prevent them from harm. Many people like myself who are pet lovers will have more than just chinchillas as pets. If your chinchilla or your new baby escapes it may prove to tempting for your cat or dog and could end in devastation. Making sure the room where your chinchillas are housed is safe is paramount, especially if you may have babies on the way.
Before the babies are born secure the small cage, water bottle, wooden chinchilla house, and extra food bowl. A modified bird cage is a great, inexpensive option. You do not want anything too tall, or a cage with bars that are more than 1/2 and inch by 1 inch. We have found that the All Living Things cage at Petsmart is a good option. It does have multiple levels which will keep the mother from feeling cramped, anxious or depressed, but it is also small enough to help keep babies from escaping and prevent injuries should a fall occur. It is also nice that they can begin to get experience with jumping.
You should keep your mother and babies in this separate cage for 6-8 weeks until the babies are weened. Your male may become distraught being separated from his mate and family, but it is important not to reintroduce them immediately. Female chinchillas are most fertile right after they have given birth, and as stated in previous articles breed backing is a bad practice and should be avoided. It is very hard on the new mothers body. Male chinchillas are often good fathers, but not always. It is safer to keep the babies separate. If there is a female chinchilla kit born from their pairing it must never be housed in the same cage as the father. This means that you WILL NEED TO HAVE SEPERATE CAGES. This is in bold because I see this come up more frequently than it should. Animals are animals-- they have urges and do not distinguish from daughter to mother. I have had many surprised inquiries from people who have said they "thought" that the chinchillas that were part of their family would have a "scent" that would prevent them from breeding. This is wishful thinking. The same goes for having a male chinchilla. If your new kit is male he will also have to be separated from his mother after about 8 weeks to prevent inbreeding. With either case you are looking at adding a new cage, or finding a new home for your baby chinchillas.
I have had as many as 11 chinchillas at any given time, and it can become stressful at times. Cleaning 5 chinchilla cages is much more time consuming than cleaning 1. It is also far more intensive deciding which chinchillas will be able to live together. In some cases the answer might be they are not compatible with any other chinchillas in your herd. If this is the case you will need to have them in a separate cage or find them a new home. It is upsetting to me to see many breeder sites with chinchillas with chewed fur, missing pieces of their ears and other signs of fighting in their herd. It is unacceptable. You should not "hope for the best" and let one or more of your chinchillas become mauled. I find it surprising that these preachy breeders talk so much about perfect weight and show quality and seem to have such a lack of concern for a chinchillas happiness and well being. In short, accidents can happen, but that does not mean that we can not properly prepare and make a safe and happy environment for the animals that depend on us. The experience is rewarding and babies are a ton of fun, but just make sure you can dedicate the time and have the resources to make it work.
If you decide that breeding chinchillas is what you want to do, do it. Don't let this discourage you or other more experienced breeders scare you off. Just make sure your chins are breed quality,and you have done your homework before jumping in. Also if you have questions Chinchilla Place is here to help and there are several other sites that can lead you in the right direction.