Breeding Chinchillas – Mating and Pregnancy
Table of Contents
In this second of three articles in the series on breeding chinchillas, we look at the mating process along with the actual pregnancy.
Mating
We're assuming here that you are working with a pair of chinchillas that has already been well socialized. When the male is ready to mate (which of course he pretty much always is once mature enough – just waiting for the signal from the female) he may make a cooing, chuckling noise and both sexes may rub their chins on the floor or nest box. Mating usually takes place at night, but often it also can be observed in the evening or the early morning hours. Following what often becomes an all night romp you will often find bunches of fur and perhaps the “mating plug”. This is a waxy plug, larger then the “estrus plug”, about 1 1/2 inches long.
Hair Rings
After mating the male should be checked for the presence of a hair ring. Most males are very careful about cleaning the penis after each mating, but due to the often large amount of hair loss during mating it can be hard for him to remove all of the loose fur that can accumulate inside the penile sheath. This can create a ring of fur that will act as a constricting band around the penis resulting in pain, difficulty urinating, and eventually prolapse, swelling, and damage of the entrapped organ. This can lead to excessive grooming which leads to further damage. If hair rings are present the penis should be gently lubricated with petroleum jelly. The hair ring should then be carefully teased open and cut off (VERY CAREFULLY) with fine scissors.
Complications During Pregnancy
These are rare, but certainly a possibility. Spontaneous abortion can occur at any stage of gestation due to poor nutrition, a concurrent illness, stress (even loud noises), trauma such as a fall, and unskillful palpation. If an abortion does occur be sure to watch for signs of illness resulting from retention of tissue in the uterus.
Birth
A few days before the due date be sure to remove the dust bath. The night before delivery the female may become aggressive toward the male and any other cage mates. She may also refuse food or become more passive. Most births take place in the night or the early morning hours and are generally a quick process. If you have the privilege of witnessing the birth make yourself as invisible as possible! Preliminary contractions and the loss of amniotic fluid announce the onset of labor. The female may groan, writhe, stretch, and make sounds of pain and her genitals, mouth, and nose will appear wet. The strenuous phase is usually brief, about 1/2 hour and you are justified in being concerned if it lasts for more than an hour. Finally, the female will carefully pull out the kit. In multiple births the entire process can take several hours. Each kit has its own placenta and this afterbirth can be delivered after each kit or perhaps all of them at once. The female will eat it and this is actually good for her. While it may be messy, let nature run its course. She will be busy cleaning herself and the kits for quite awhile after this and would love to have a dust bath. DON'T give her one for at least a week. She will now warm and dry the kits, probably also nipping them to the point of squealing (her way of stimulating them and helping to clear fluid from the lungs) and then you'll be glad to know more about Development of the Young.
Complications at Birth
These also are rare but can include: dystocia (difficulty in delivering), metritis (inflammation of the uterus), pyometra (pus in the uterus), puerperal septicemia (bacteria from uterus get into bloodstream), agalactia (absence of milk production), damaged teats, mastitis (inflammation of mammary glands), caked mammary glands, cannibalism, tympanites (abdominal distention due to intestinal gas – associated with hypocalcemia), and constipation. In the case of dystocia if you have a female who appears to be having trouble delivering you should get her to a veterinarian within 3 – 4 hours of first observing trouble.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy
If the female becomes pregnant she will start gaining weight. Below is a diagram showing the weight of some pregnant chinchilla females.
Postpartum Heat/Breedbacks
Female chinchillas have a postpartum estrus. That means that they come into heat again right after delivery. If she hasn't just had her second consecutive litter it's okay for her to breed back. While most male chinchillas make wonderful dads it's best to separate the male if it's time for mom to get a break. Her postpartum heat will have passed within 7 – 10 days, at which time you can reintroduce dad. The best way to make this successful is to be sure to give the entire family plenty of supervised playtime during the day (when chinchillas aren't particularly interested in mating) to maintain the social structure. Otherwise mom may become very defensive of the babies and not let dad anywhere near them after a week or so. If this happens you will have to wait until the kits are weaned before reintroducing the parents.
(11 votes, average: 3.45 out of 5)
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My chinchilla just gave birth today but now she has a large bald spot right at the base of her tail and I am not sure what I am supposed to do or if it is normal because I can’t find out anything about it on the internet. I am hoping the hair will grow back but I’m not sure if I should be concerned or not
Has anyone had an experience of a chinchilla being overdue, where the pregnancy has been longer than 111 days? I am sure my chinchilla is pregnant, because we have seen the kicks and rolls, and I know the date she mated, however she hasn't given birth and we are on 114 days. I have been trying to research this and haven't had much luck, however I read that if a chinchilla goes overdue there could be a problem so to take her to the vets for a scan to check, which I am going to do tomorrow. But just wondered if anyone else's chinchilla has had a longer pregnancy?
I have had a mosaic chin that delivered at 119 days. She was never in distress & when she finally did go into labor the birthing process came & went pretty quick. Total of 4hrs (tops) from start of contractions to her chowing down on the last of the two placentas. Even though she was showing no signs of distress, at 120 days we would've been calling up our vet to have her come over to the house to physically check her out for a second opinion. I had already phoned her almost every day past 114 days (House calls were the days :) Our vet at the time specialized in chinchilla care, a pioneer of the time. Did she already drop her plug? Once her plug drops I wouldn't wait longer than 3 days to take her in to vets
I have had a rough week with my chins. The night before we left on vacation, one of my females was happily playing with her sister and no more than an hour later my daughter found her laying dead in her house. We buried her and prayed the other 3 would be fine while we were away. We just got home today, but received a frantic call from our chin sitter. My 2 females ganged up on my male and actually killed him. Does anyone know why the 2 girls would just turn like that and kill him?
She was probably trying to protect there babies it says that they get aggressive towards the males
Unfortunately that is just something that can happen Is usually typical if Chinchills Are not siblings And were bonded later on
I bought a chinchilla on Friday and was informed that she might be pregnant on Friday night she started bleeding yesterday she had something hand out half was and this morning when I went to check on her I noticed that she had miscarried the kit was not fully developed but the kit is still stuck on her what do I do please help
I have two chinchillas, male about 1 year old and female 3 years old, they are together about two months and male wants to breed but she does not, she lived with other male chinchilla about 2 years and they never had baby, she is perfectly healthy... any suggestions?
A good breeding time for a female chinchilla would be before they are 2 years old, and if she had never been reproduced by that time then she may not ever have babies or want too. So if you're not sure if she has been reproduced before then I'd probably get ahold of whoever you got her from in order to find out whether or not she was.
I am looking for some input. I adopted two chinchillas from a women a couple of months ago. One is a black male and the other is a beige female with red eyes. She had always had them together and insisted that I take them together (she really wants me to keep them as a bonded pair) Anyways. The female I was told is 3 years old and the male a year old. I am confused about why they never bred.... Since I got them I have learned so much more about chinchillas and adopted a couple more girls from a rescue. I am wondering what the odds are of that male being sterile or something I know it's responsible to separate the two. I hate to since they are already so happy together. My other question is will he be ok alone? Or will I need to find a male pal for him? Then i would hope the three girls can live happily together but i'm just not sure what the best decision is. Or the odds that I can separate them and bond them both to new chins...
If they never had a litter one of them might be sterile, ive seen quite a few of those now, thats why the profesional breeders almost always buy adult chins thats have had their first litter already. About separating them, I wouldnt do that if they are bonded. The chins should always live in (same sex) pairs or groups, never alone, so I wouldnt try to take the male away cuz he wouldnt probably get depressed, or if you try introducing him to another male he might be agressive towards him. If you dont want the couple to breed the best idea would be neutering the male and letting them keep living together.
Hello,
I took in three females from a friend as she had to move away for work, and had another supposed "female" in cage with them.
I quickly realised he was a he and seperated him and he has since become friends with the male i already had.
I wasn't quick enough though as two days later, the grey female gave birth to two kits, only one survived. A week later the white mosaic female gave birth to a little girl who sadly passed away after a week due to a heart problem. (The greys little girl, Freya, is now 2months and doing wonderfully).
But we found out last week the pure white girl was pregnant and should have given birth within a few days. Shes not given birth yet, so am a little worried. The vet says she will be ready in her own time, but she seems sad and tired all the time. She is still eating and letting me stroke her inside her home but doesnt want to leave. Is this normal? Ive never dealt with pregnant chins before as have only taken on males... Any advice? Thank you in advance. Just a concerned mum.
Please help, there is something strange coming out from the back of our female chinchilla----does not look like a baby, but is brown and red where it exit her body.....
regards
Rialette
Vet.
If theres a medical issue, always go to the vet. Is she with a male? Could she even be pregnant? is she sore? acting differently?
My chin just had two babies last night. I've seen her feeding hem inthe morning but now every time they go near her and look like they want to eat she hops away. Is this normal? Also, I removed her food bc babies can't eat it. How often should I offer her food? Thanks!
Ok! She is actually feeding them now. Whew! Can our male chin be put into the cage to see them? He seems so sad. I know he can't be near the mom since she can get pregnant again and we don't want that! Will he make chin be nice with the babies?
Hi,
Yeah don't take her food away. Babies mimic the parents and can eat or mimic from day one. Id day you can put dad in after a week for probably a week as they come in season every 20+ days. Then take him back out. Or let them run around outside the cage together then put them in separate cages still. That way they spend time together but no breed back. Just observe and separate if there's humping .
hello :)
was just wondering why my 2 chinchillas did not breed. i had them together for almost 3 years, but she wasnt allowing him to do his move.
she was older than him with 2 or 3 years.
they got allong realy well, hugging and playing, but that was all.. i wonder why this happend.
unfortunatelly. she died 3 days ago :(
next week I ll get a baby, she s around 10 weeks.
i hope she and the male will get along.
some people say they should stay in separate cages for a way days, near eachother.
some say they can be put in the same cage, cause usually males are protective with babies.
any advice will be appreaciated.
thank you :)
Hi, first don't put the new female baby in with the male until she's at least 8 months old. Just because the other female didn't have babies with him doesn't mean this female wont.
As for the other pair not having babies, I don't know when or who you got yours off. If your male was a rescue he may have been neutered before you came across him or neutered by his previous owner. There may have been fertility issues or even dominance issues. The female may even have been stressed and with chinchillas if they are stressed they can absorb the babies when pregnant back to themselves and show no sign whatsoever of there being a baby in the first place. The female may have been too old. She may have died because of a difficult birth and couldn't pass the baby. Without more information there is no definate answer.
I had a pair who weren't showing signs of any babies for 2 years. I separated them for a month then put them back together and 3 1/2 months later a baby was born.
These things just happen. It can be very tough for females to have babies, so if you are breeding make sure to do your research. Don't breed females before 8 months, I reccommend no earlier than a year old, personally. Also after a birth separate the male and female as they will breed back. Doing this over and over again can cause loss in bone mass for the female and she can become sluggish and ill. Make sure to give her lots of calcium (I use calcium droplets in my chin's water) and hay and food. Cranberry juice is also good for them (Not from concentrate though as its just pure sugar)
Hope this helped , Joel :)
thank you for your reply :)
the female died most likelly cause of an infection with Pseudomonas Aeruginosa,it presented all the simptoms. She had Otitis which caused the bacteria to make its way. we took her to the vet as soon as we realised she s not well, but they sent us from one clinic to another; apparently, they dont know much about chinchillas here!! and the 2nd day she died:(
the male was not neutered, he has everything in its place. we got him from a farm, when he was 7 months.
dont think stress was the problem, as the female was friendly. maybe a fertility issue or dominance, as she was in charge of the cage..we got her from a familly who didnt want her anymore, they said she s about 2 -3 years old.
well.. the baby and the male were put together. i believe he was feeling a bit lonelly. and the baby also needed company.
they got along, after a bit of jumping and sniffing...and she already shows dominance.
the breeders told us that they had no problems with males and babies and she wont let him mate with her until she s ready...
i m a bit worried now, after reading your reply...
Hi,
Males often don't have problems with babies, but with females they can get pregnant from a young age which can cause problems, which is not actually good for them. Think of it like this, humans can technically have babies as young as 12, it doesn't mean we should.
I had a "male" and put her with another male when she was 4 months old because we thought she was male (very early days). She got pregnant straight away. the baby was fine, and she was for a while, but she continued to lose weight and within a year she'd died. I highly highly recommend not pairing such a young female with a male. Give her a chance to grow and reach her full size and form, it can cause growth stunts and difficult births, not to mention the strain it put on a female to carry, birth and raise babies to begin with. You may get lucky and everything could go just fine, but why risk it?
Joel :)
Unless both your chins are pedigreed you should not be breeding. It can kill thr female. Sounds like the breeder you are talking to is a backyard breeder. Please talk to some reputable breeders. You can find some on facebook or join some groups for help finding a breeder near you.
So I have two male chinchillas, ones 2 and the other is 3. I recently just bought a new cage that came with a female who is 1 year old. She is a lottle bigger then my biggest male. Since I bought her from a previous owner, she very calm and tame but I noticed that her stomach is dirty like her white fur is yellow and clumpy from urinatig herself most likely. Is there anything I can do to clean that?? It doesn't look healthy to me.
Also I'm wanting to breed my chinchillas now that I have a female. She's a white mosaic chinchilla and my males are a normal grey color. The biggest one shows more interest in her and her to him. They sniff each other and almost looks like they give each other kisses. How do I know when the right time to breed is? When do they go in heat? Do I remove my second male? (The huge cage is one that can be split into two.) HELPPPPPP.
First off I would absolutely not breed this female until she has seen a vet. If she already has problems with her system the last thing she needs is to have a baby.
If you do breed her in the future I would separate so there's just 1 male with her, they can fight.
I do have to stress though that don't breed just because it would be nice to do. It's a serious consideration that shouldn't be taken to lightly. If she's already ill it would probably be best not to breed from her at all. Besides there's lots of chins out there as it is who need homes. If you really want to breed and there's no stopping you I would find another female altogether, who is healthier and then it gives you time to do lots more research into it. To me, from what you have said this female is ill and needs a vet, so take her there first. Make her well and ask the vet's advice about breeding too about her reproductive system and general info you need to know.
Hello.
I am looking for a help, as my female is pregnant, not sure what better to put in cage paper or sawdust?.
I would recommend using aspen chips
Hey!
We don't know if my female is pregnant and I don't know any ways to find out. I also don't have a scale small enough to weigh her on, is there any other signs I should look for? Also, will the male still try to mate with the female after she is pregnant? Thanks so much!
Also this is urgent because we think if she is pregnant she is close to her due date and we don't know very much about it so anything helps and I would be so grateful if someone could answer my question above
Hi,
Firstly, don't panic. If she is pregnant, the chances are you wont be able to tell until late n the pregnancy as females don't change too much until near the end. I could only tell that my females were pregnant because they were a lot heavier and denser in their stomach areas when I held them. Chinchillas are excellent parents, so don't worry too much. If you really feel you need to, I recommend you take your chins to the vet. If you don't intend on breeding your chins in the future, consider neutering the male, or finding same-sex partners for each of your chins. My females all got quite snappy with their male partners right at the end of pregnancy so don't tend to mate with the male, and when the due date is nearing in she will probably rest a lot more. Male chins make great fathers, though chins are known to breed-back so you should separate the pair for about 24-48 after the female has given birth to try and prevent that. Make sure she has enough food and water and that water bottles are within reaching distance of the kits. Make sure you have calcium supplements for the new mum as making babies is hard. If you have any more worries, I suggest asking your vet, :) Hope this helps.
Hey I was wondering if you could help me I have a male and a female chinchillas my female is in kit but tonight I have released that she is leaking some clear discharge she is absolutely fine in her normal crazy self, I was just wondering if the kits could be on there way or it’s just pregnancy discharge??
I want to breed my one female chinchilla with my one male how long do I keep them together for and how long is the female pergent for and how long until she has them she has had a litter before I got them but that was some mouths ago and if the mother and father are the same color does that mean the babies would always be the same color or would they be different colors
Talk to a reputable breeder. Without experince and your chins genetic history you are adding risk. Mom could die. Adopt don't breed.
Maybe someone here can answer a question for me. I have a pregnant chin and I do believe it is about time for her to deliver. For the past 24 hours, she has been laying on her side and will occasionally move very slowly around the cage. She doesn't seem to be in any distress, but she looks so tired and exhausted. Is this normal? I have never had a pregnant chin before so I am not sure what to look for and if there is anything I should be looking for in terms of complications.
my black female gave birth to 2 kits, she was very young when she got pregnant allegedly by her brother before we took her home dec 23rd 2013, 1 of the kits was stillborn,at least we think so, I did handle the female and she would stand on her hind legs on my hand. I would just barely touch her belly and kiss her head just to feel for a kick every few days ,I knew not to rub ,I would just wait for a kick, I don't think I caused her to lose one, but I feel guilty that one didn't make it, the one kit is bouncing around perfectly normal. just wondering what may of caused this, the mom did have and still has messy wet bowels for the past 2 weeks too. any help is appreciated,
Hi, I'm a hobby breeder and have breed for a few years. I have 2 couples. Both have been together for the same amount of time one has had 3 litters in 18 months and the other has had no babies. I don't know how to encourage them to do so. The female is bigger than the male, I didn't think that would be a problem though. I tried separating them and did for a few weeks hoping that distance would make the heart grow fonder but still no pregnancy. Could there be a problem with fertility? Boredom? Any help? Thanks, Joel
Is the mama chinchilla weak after birth and barely moves
No, she should be fine. She will have a rest and only with complications will she not bounce back (In my experience) She should be stopped after about 3 litters as she could become ill. In the past I had a female who was calcium deficient because she bred backed. She is fine now and the male she is with has been neutered. She lives with her partner and son (Also been neutered)
I have a question.
I have had my chinchillas for over two years now, and Im not sure why my female chinchilla is still not pregnant,they both are the same sizes but the female is thinner than the male.
do you have any recommendations for me.
And im still new to all of this
i have a male and a female chinchilla trying to breed them, how do you know when the female is pregnant?? I have had them together for atleast 2 weeks they have warmed up together great. i know they do there breeding mostly at night just not sure how to tell if she is pregnant yet? I am so new at this.
You won't be able to tell until she is at least two months pregnant because she doesn't show any symptoms this early. After the two months you will notice a large amount of weight gain and a lot of her time sleeping on her side and if you can notice she'll possibly have lumps on her sides.
Hi I have a male and female chinchilla they are about 14 months old I witnessed them mating the other day s it likey she will be pregnant or does it take a few attempts
Hi I have 7 chinchillas, 2 pairs one lone Male, my oldest breeding pair which I rescued last year are alot older than I was told, my problem is my female has died this morning leaving 5 week old kits( she had 4 but we lost 2), they are both healthy eating and drinking on their own will I need to give them a substitute milk to help them or will they be ok without thanks any help would be really appreciated.
I'm not sure how long ago you posted your question, but I had a similar situation and the babies were fine. They ate adult food and drank from the water bottle and played with their father. They grew up happy and healthy.
Do chins have thier babies where u can see them or do they cover them in the bedding? Another ? Is I have a pair of chins for about six months now and their never been any signs of pregnancy. But the ppl I got them from said they nether of them as been fixed? What is the sqeeking sound they make all the time
chins have their kits in full veiw of any one, mine were all born in front of us as we keep them in the living room where we can socialize with them, you can handle them pretty much straight away if the mother is comfortable with you touching them if not give them a couple of days then start handling them.
Chinchillas do have their kits noticeable unless you have to much bedding hen they will get burried under so make sure that its not above 1' high and chinchillas do breed at the month of six so your chinchilla might be pregnant or she might (possibly not) need to go to the vet
Will parents and offspring ever mate.
Yes they will, so once they are big enough they will need another cage ( if they are boy and girl you will need one for boy and girl.
I was wondering can a mother and daughter chinchilla live together? I have a female chin blossom who is heavily pregnant. If she has a baby girl I would love to keep her. Any feed back would be great. Thanks!
yes they can stay together, but if a male is with them, they shouldn't really.
I have a pair of chinchillas. The female I have had for five years, the male only about a year. When I got him they told me he was fixed. Well my female is now pregnant. My question is I have those 2 in a 5-story cage. Is it OK if I move the female (that way she is in a one story cage) and should I do it before or after she delivers. Or will a new cage stress her out too much. I just keep reading how it says not to have shelves for the babies to fall off of.
I think you should move them both now. The dad helps mum. Males are still fertile after for a few weeks, that may have been how they conceived, so chances are they won't be able to again. if you keep them together but move both into the one story I think, in my experience, it will be safer and more practical.
Joel x
I have 2 breeding pairs of chinchillas. My first pair had a son in August 2010, healthy standard grey boy. He grew up and is now paired with a female himself now. My question is about his parents. I'm not worried that they haven't had a birth since june last year, because it took them about 10 months before they had another litter. When they had the second litter, they were twins, a little girl and boy. Unfortunately neither made it. The girl died just hours after birth. She was significantly smaller than the boy, still wet when I found her. The boy died at 3 weeks of age. I had cleaned out the cage where the parents were and the next day he was dead with his mother pining over him (I could hear her distressed squeakes). I just want to know, if I come across what happened to the baby girl again, with bubbling blood from the nose (I'm guessing it was birthing liquid that suffocated her) what can I do? I did wrap her up warm and dab away the bubbles with a clean cloth. I just want to know I'm in a little more control of the situation.
Thanks, Joel x
It might not happen again but if you notice your baby chinchilla with red eyes and a soggy reddish yellowish nose take them to a vet, and I have a chinchilla about to have birth for the second time and after every birth she has i am going to take every kit to the vet and if you want to take both kits to the vet after they are born to check to see if anythings wrong thats best because then the vestrinariens would know about it and would take care of it
how long after a chin has had babies can you change the bedding? Don't you want to keep the kits in a clean environment?
I don't know if this is a sign of mating or if they are angry at eachother but my male chinchilla ripped out just about all of the female's fur on her back side . They are always on and off picking at each other's fur and then sleeping in a huddle together. Is he ripping out fur a sign of mating or a sign that they should be separated?
We have been breeding chinchillas for 2 years. For pets only. We have approx. 80 females. The first year was pretty good. This year, production has dropped drastically. Since July, 6 were born with 5 of them d.o.a. We use kiln dried pine bedding changed twice a week. Feed is Purina Advantage (18% protein) 1 tbsp. twice a day. The only thing different is I've been giving them 1 raisin daily as a treat. Water is from our well which has a certain amount of lime. They also get alfalfa cubes. Nursing mothers get a few calf manna pellets daily. Recently, a six year old male died. His breathing became labored. Otherwise, he was very healthy. We're looking for any kind of advice.
your water is from a well so everytime you change the water hold a flashlight up to it to see if you see greace bubbles alage or andykind of dirt or bugs or mud or well anyting like that
Anytime things can change in there water and food. I would change there water and food a little at a time , but not at the same time.
In regards to calcium, I have also heard that you can give them half of a calcium rich Tums flavored tablet per day. Now, I dont know how true that is, but my pregnany chinchilla seems to LOVE THEM! She eats it up like it's her favorite treat!
NOOO I FED ONE OF MY CHINCHILLAS FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS AND ON THAT LAST DAY SHE DIED
My Female Chinchilla who is 4 yrs old, just gave birth today @ 10:30 Am, the kit was 4 inches long, mom killed it by pulling it outm we removed the baby kit from the cage, she drank water and licked the salt block, she is now resting, her vagina is still dialated, could their be more kit's to come?
Could I do anything better?
Dust bath has been removed before labor.
Gatorade on hand.
Seperate cage for dad.
Wireless floor,solid, and the platforms are solid as well as their wheel.
I have a nice bed of pine shavings on the bottom, plenty of houses for her to hide in.
The cage is 6 feet by 5 feet. Great space.
This is our forst litter of Chinchilla babies.
Can you tell me more about Chins birthing please?
Thank you,
Jeanette
Jeanette, If you are having concerns about your female chinchilla still having problems from birthing, you may need to take her to a vet. It could be that the afterbirth is still in her uterus. It sounds to me like you hve a great cage set up for her. But, I would be careful about using pine shavings. Sometimes, chinchillas will eat the shavings and this can cause an obstruction in the intestional tract and cause death. Please be careful using the shavings. I had to put down one of my male chinchillas a couple months ago because he was pulling the tray out for my rabbit that had pine shavings in it. He got so sick, I had to put him down. I cant say for sure that is what caused his death, though. Ive been perplexed as to what he ate to obstruct his intestines. I and the vet could actually feel something in his abdomen. So far, my female chin, Violet has had two kits from two different times and she hasnt had any problems. Make sure though you dont let the male come in contact with her right after birth. They will be in heat and mate again right after birthing. Please be careful about giving gatorade. Gatorade has high amounts of sodium(salt) in it. It also has high potassium levels. Always try to give distilled water instead of water from the kitchen faucet. Distilled water is more pure than even spring water. I think youre doing a great job with your chins. I can tell you love them deeply. Make sure your chinchillas have fresh hay, they love alfalfa hay but that has to much calcium. That can cause bladder stones. Try giving them timothy hay instead. Oh, and be careful not to give them treats with high fat and sugar contents. Check the back of the package to see what the fat grams and sugar grams are. Keep it very low! their liver cant break down fats and sugar. I hope your chinchilla gets better and I wish both of them a healthy and happy life..............
Pine is not good for chinchillas. It can cause severe respiratory problems. A lot of the items found at pet store are made from pine.
I have always used fleece. And always use a one level cages for mom and babies. The one thing is everything dies and there is not one thing we can ever do about it . I love my little friends. But reading this I found that there are a lot of people that didn't read this. This was the only way I could tell people this cause I could leave a comment only a reply. I have read a lot and I have never stopped reading. And I guess all I can say is the things that are some in everything I have read are mostly the ones that are real.
Help???
My female chinchilla just birthed a little baby boy and I found her sitting on the baby. He was dead. When I inspected him he is missing an arm and a leg. I am devestated and worried about mom. We were out of the country when she started nesting and running Dad out of the cage. I separated them this morning when I saw the new agressive behavior between the two but I fear that it was too late. The female will not let me anywhere near her and I am afraid that she is still carrying a baby (either that or she is searching for the dead baby I removed from the cage). she wont sit still and is obviously distraught...Help????
the female chintas need liquid calcium when pregnant, as being pregnant can take all the mothers calcium. i got the calcium of the internet. My females last kit died and i left the baby in the cage all day so they got used to the babies death. The next kit she had was fine. The female chinta does get agressive days before giving birth, thats how you know the baby is due in the next couple of days. sometimes the female chinta gets ill, within hours she will lose control of her legs and it looks like bad cramp, that is a sign she needs calcium. You will only get these syptoms during pregnancy. You can get calcium sticks from any pet shop. This may not be enough during pregnancy, hence the liquid calcium. Which i will keep giving my chinta until the baby stops feeding from the mother. I was told about the liquid calcium by my vet. Hope this helps.
Pauline
Tina, It may have been possible that the father or either the mother became upset and began a cannibalism behavior. Its rare,but happens. Keep the father away from her for awhile. She is obviously upset and confused. It might be a good idea to keep them away from each other indefinitely. There have been cases when a male and female get along fine, but then they can turn on each other and kill the other one. Its strange behavior, but it happens more than you realize. Give her a little to time to calm down. Slowly go to her cage and speak softly and some baby talk to her, but dont attempt to reach in the cage. Do this for several days but give her alot of quiet time. Im sure she will adjust. Once a chinchilla loses trust of anyone even her mate, it takes some time to slowly develop her trust back again. If possible, put her in another room where there is no one in the room for a day or two. This should help calm her down. I believe if you do this, she will feel better and start responding to you, again. I wish you much luck with your chins, I know I love all 3 of mine........
All you need is the stones they use for birds beaks( you know the funny shapes thing you hang in the cage).
This is new to me so please bare with me... I rescued 4 Chinchillas & was told that only 1 was female. Now I find myself with 2 sets of mated Chins (seperate cages for each set) & was shocked to discover a baby this morning when I went to give fresh food & water. While I am happy to be a Chin 'Grandma', I am at a TOTAL LOSS as to how to care for this baby without causing problems for the parents.
The baby is walking around the cage & sniffing things & has eyes open. Hair is silver grey & the babe would fit in the palm of my hand.
Some guidance would be greatly appreciated. We named the baby 'Highness' since we are unsure as to sex (m/f).
We were told to separate the Chin because the female can become preg. again, which we think this has happened to ours. So you many need to get another cage. Be careful because if you metal bars are two far apart, the baby will climb out. We have two who love to do it. Danger mouse did it the first day, go figure. The mom will most likely take care of them, make sure she gets a lot of hay, this is where she will get her vitamins. This is as far as we have gotten...We are new to this too
the mother will feed the baby, but keep mum fed with calcium sticks. My chintas love some cheerios, cereal in the morning.
They also love apples and crispy lettuce. You will be able to tell the sex in the next week or so.
Hi, I am looking for advise. We just had twin Chinchilla's today. It was a shock because we were told they were all boys. We are just wondering how long to keep the mother and father separated because he is flipping out in his cage. Also, it says we should wean them off of milk in 2 months, is this true? How often should we check their tummies to see if they are warm, and if not what should we do? I know we are not aloud to handle them for a week or two, so how do I know they are getting enough. Any help will be greatl
Keep them separated for 8-10 days. make sure you,ve got calcium sticks, from pet shop. You can also get calcium stones for them to help keep there teeth small. They should be weaned of the mother about 6 wks. (asked the vet recently)
Don't ever put them back together or the female will just keep popping out babies. Do you have homes for all those babies? Soon your home will look like an episode of Hoarders. If you think your chinchillas are lonely, keep them in same-sex pairs. Get a vet to determine thier sex, as clearly you don't know how to.
Hey again! That's great!! You will want to make sure the babies are all who you think they are; inbreeding starts at month 3 and will cause birth defects. You don't want to rush the putting together. The mom might be cranky and it might result in a fight. Some people even have to reintroduce mates once they've given birth. I'd say let them play together, only WATCH CLOSELY, as mating can happen in thirty seconds. Wait until the babies seem more independent and have started eating pellets, hay, and drinking water more. Don't worry, it'll probably happen faster than you think! Also, since they were just born you might want to move mom to a smaller or single level cage so she can't leave the kits stuck on the ground! ;)
Please Help my female chinchilla is really under weight I didn't notice this because of her fur and shes always been on the small side but now she is exusted and you can feel her ribs and spine through her skin Iv'e placed cider vinigar in her water which iv'e heard should help she is eating but is finding it more difficult and the babies are taking all her strenh away even though I give them an extra feed on kitten milk and somtimes in the mornings to please help!!!!!!!!!!!!
Faye, are you making sure she has chinchilla pellets and hay to eat? I would stop the cider vinegar in her water. This may cause her to have digestive upsets. Try crushing down some cheerios and put in her food bowl. Make sure you are using distilled water or spring water from the grocery store. Has she weaned her babies, yet? You may need to put her in a different cage so she can get back her strength. If she continues like this, i would take her to a vet. I wish you much luck........
UPDATE- I made a vets appointment for Camilla (my female chin) but sadly she passed away in the night.When I took the triplets to the vet the she said that it was very unlikly that they would survive ( the middle one had an abcess and needed antibiotics and the runt found walking difficult) I hand fed the kits every 2hours then longer slowly and now Chuckie, Lilly and Rose are 10weeks old and perfcetly healthy and active....very active I am having Chuckie and their dad Charlie neutered so that all four can live together thank you to every one who gave me help and advice on chinchilla planet it has helped me sooo much :)
If you can get calcium sticks or go online and get liquid calcium. You give it to the chinta using, looks like a jag but it doesnt have the needle at the end . I wrap my chinta in a towel , this makes it easier to give her the calcium. Female chintas can die if they dont have enough calcium. Fill it half way up and give her it maybe twice a week to get her strengh back. There is a small animals vets in glasgow at Charing Cross. My female was really ill and it got worse quickly, once she got calcium, she got well within hours. As i said get calcium stick from any pet shop.
Sure ;p
Hi again my chinchilla gave birth yesterday to triplets! which I think are all girls I have seprated the parents but as they are very close the male has not been happy without her (to say the lest) though it says 7-10 days are best to avoid a breed back which I really don't want what would you say was the most accurate time to re-introduce them and how will I know when she goes on heat again so I can make sure sher has a long rest :)
Thank you so much animalluver for your help!!!! I will keep you updated on the chinnies progress :)
Faye: That's great news! :) Pregnancy period is about 110 days. She's probably close. You should seperate the mother and father when the kits are born as the mothers can get sort of grumpy :p. They only breed twice a year, though, so you should be ok with them once Mom is calmed down. Now that you know she's pregnant you should make sure you get chicken wire or some other covering with small openings and put it over your cage, as the kits are small and you don't want them escaping! Also, you might want to think about seperating the genders once the kits are 4 months old to prevent inbreeding, especially if you want to keep them.
I have a male and female chinchilla living togerther and I have noticed that the female who used to be quite skinny is really fat could she be pregnant or is thier any illness that could be causing this or is she just fat! I did think she was infertile as shes had sevral unsuccesful matings and her previous owner fed her rabbit food which I heard could cause infertility please help!
Is the chinchilla young, and how fast did the "fatness" happen? If she's under a year old and she grew progressively "fatter", than she was probably just growing. There aren't usually many signs of pregnancy once they're full grown, and if they aren't full grown they shouldn't be breeding!! Otherwise, I don't know.
animalluver and other people :) I've discovered she if pregnant! I touched her tum and felt the baby/babies kicking shes about 5years old so is fully grown and the males 3 years. Any one have any idea how long it will be until the kits are born shes started to eat less and is much more sleepy though will still come out to play but no as often also how long should she rest after shes had the babies before breeding her again as her and the male are very close any other tips will also be very helpful as I've never bred chinchillas before
i think if there is more than one baby like a boy and girl you should seperate them straight away as when a chinchilla is 7 years old then thats the age to stop breeding but i have chinchillas who had a baby in august last year but its been several months since then and there isnt a sign of any more kits so if you kept them together they may forget their babies so wouldnt be able to pair together easily again so then i would put the male young with the dad n the females with mum, but if its unfortunate that you have all males or all females then possibly keep them together and hope for the best they have no more, or ones that can go to the parents after theyre wiened!! after a few weeks like 1/2 of being born then thats the best time to put dad back in as the female wont be in heat but he can still get to know his youngens!!! :) hope this helps!
I have a problem with my chinchilla female. I think she is pregnant but she has this big growth under her chinchilla like a squirrel would have when he saves up food. It keeps getting larger. Is it a cold or infection in a gland? Do I need to lance it and let it drain?
Thanks so much.
I don't think that is a normal effect of pregnancy. I suggest calling a local vet; do you have a chinchilla/small animal vet near you?
I have a male Chin who is about 5 months old and loves to hump my foot, arm anything, is this normal behavior? He's like a dog lol
This is typical behavior, with the chinchilla trying to show "who's boss"
I found a breeding plug does this mean she is for sure pregnant?
What is a breeding plug?
I believe so.
You should make sure you've got some sort of covering, chicken wire works well, over your cage in the expectation of babies, because they are very small and will slip out of your cage upon birth.
I have two female chinchillas, one I just got that is a baby, and another that is almost 2. I have their cages side by side and I sometimes switch their cages. I also hold the older one up to the younger one's cage so they can sniff each other. Their sniffing is never calm, though. The older female sort of rams into the baby's nose, although she can't bite because of the bars. I'm afraid to let them run in nuetral territory, or even to take them in the car together, because I let them run together a while back and the baby had to do a fur-slip because the older female bit her. Is there no hope?
I would leave them in there own changes... give them some space. Forcing them together is not good! Maybe introduce the baby to the 2yr old ( keep the 2yr old in her own cage ) just a little at a time. See how it goes? After all she was there first and that is how she will feel. Invaded
I have 2 chinchillas Buddy (male black) Fluffy (female Gray) they snuggle and peep alot! We just love them.We have had them for about 6yrs now... They have only had one set of Kits (3 babies) 2 gray and 1 black.that was 3yrs ago. Friends have been asking for babies... but has been 3yrs... Fluffy is getting bigger. I think she is pregnant? She is presenting the same behaver's as last time. They do mate. How do I know????? We had to put them in a differant cage last time... Babies can get out of the normal cage.
HI, I have a mother and daughter chinchilla together in same cage they get along great together. The daughter I think is going to have babies,she was with a male chinchilla and they did breed. Can i leave the mother and daughter together when babies are born?The father is not in cage with them, I was not planning on breeding her yet but will keep babies we have seven now but this only our second time for babies. Would like any help. thankyou.
I just got a chinchilla. he's a male and his name is gus gus.he's only four months but he keeps on humping my shoes and friends. i'm wondering if he thinks he's ready or something. can someone tell me what time of the year the start breeding.
our chinchilla when we first got him was named gus after gus gus, we changed his name though.. but thats not my main point. we had ours from 2 months old, trying to save him from the bad home he was in before. as he got older he started humping people. it freaked me out really bad, first it was just me then eventually my husband so we decided to find out what was going on. turns out that chinchillas hump (like your discribing) to tell you the theyre in charge, its not a sexual thing at all (unless they have a major boner) and even then it doesnt really mean anything. he still humps to this day the little turd, i pull REALLY lightly on his fur to simulate grooming to get him to back off. its just showing you hes friendly and is in charge not you. no matter what you might think about the matter. chinchillas can be ready to breed at 8 months old (so ive been told anyways) but i would wait until theyre considered full grown myself at a year. my chinchilla (hermes) started humping people at about 5 months. im sure some of my information is wrong but this is what ive learned. breeding season is usually during november and may. smiles!
i got a male chinchilla late april 2010 he was a beautiful standard grey, but about 3 days later i decided to get another so i went to the pet shopwith my dad and i wanted a male and female but my dad said no, while i was asking the staff member to see the gender and to see it, my dad unknowingly went to look at other animals in the same pet shop, the chinchilla was beautiful and a noir black, i wanted it to be a girl so bad, and the woman said that it was, so when buying the actual animal i had to hide the fact it was a girl from my dad, i got her and after 3 more days i fully introduced them together, and they got along perfect, and on a few accations they humped, but she always snapped at him oh and he was 4 months old and a couple of days (i knew the exact d.o.b.) she was just under 4 months old (i estimated by her size) and on the next couple of months he tried to hump her but she kept snapping at him :S i really wanted them to breed, and it didnt look promising:( in the middle of august i went on holiday with my parents and i left the animals at home and i paid someone some money to look after them for the 2 weeks, i have gerbils, hamster, and mice too, a week into the holiday i got news that one of my breeding pairs of gerbils ate threw their cage so i was worried about that, and about 3 days before i went back home i got news that my male chinchilla escaped and was missing, well anyway i came home on the 25th of august 2010, and i found the gerbil the i found what was actually the female chinchilla not the male, behind the cd rack, my cd rack is in between my desk(which the chinchilla cage is on), and the wardoabe (which is in front/blocking the plug hole), the cd rack is wooden and has to go on a slant or will fall forward, and as i had gone on holiday i had to move the wardroabe forward to unplug the plug, so there is a tunnel to that little space behind the cd rack, i found her there, i re-untied her with the male(Chinchen-Itza) and thought nothing of it (her name is noah, i had to convince my parents it was a male), in the morning i had to clean all the gerbils out as i hadnt cleaned them out in 2 weeks, i got halfway through cleaning them all out and i needed the hoover, so i went round the back of the wardroabe to plug in the hoover and i saw a tiny tail run behind the cd rack, so i went around and i threw the cd rack and there scared to death, was a tiny newborn chinchilla kit, i realised that it had been without its mother all night, so i was jumping off the walls, i put the baby back and emidiatley noah sat and groomed the baby, i then realised it had been 4 months and a week or so since i got them, i realised that the reason she snapped at him was because she was already pregnant, and that she was about 8 months old , and i had already looked up breeding chinchillas, and found that you should only start breeding them at about 8-12 months when theyre in their prime and that she was 8 months when she gave birth and the baby is really healthy and has no defects, but the days following finding the kit i was stressed because , both noah, and chichen-itza are twins in their litters, and i only found 1 baby, so i was always franticly looking in spaces where a baby chinchilla could climb and i didnt want to find , in a couple of weeks, the corpse of a dead kit :(, but the baby was named lucky and is really cute and little and todays date is the 28th of august 2010, he is standard grey but has a black noirs tail (his mothers) today he picked up a piece of solid food and i estimated that the baby was either born on the 23rd of august or the 24th! and i thought thats maybe why she escaped so that she could give birth peacefully, its "lucky" i found him in time or he may not have made it :) so i am real glad and the dad is doing really well and noah is grooming and suckling him well, and its funny because his head is bigger than his body and he is the size of an adult gerbil, i am real suprised as i didnt think they would be having babies for about a year and he is hopping about everywhere i left the male in as she is young and i didnt want to upset her by taking him away and leaving her completley alone to raise the baby, also i have no space to seperate him :S but i will soon :) thanks for reading my experience with breeding chinchillas ;)
are you kidding me? you are horrible! you tried to breed these animals when you knew NOTHING about them! and what did you get? a DEAD chinchilla kit. good job. because you left your BREEDING PAIR (who were WAY too young to be breeding btw and you had to lie to your parents (who are much smarter than you) to get them) with someone else while you went away for 2 weeks (and didn't bother to ask this person (who you PAID) to clean the cage even once - imagine living in YOUR OWN filth for 2 weeks? Come on!). and WHO did you leave them with? Why did they let them chew through their cages and escape? I would suggest never leaving your animals with this person again.. or better yet, give your animals away since you obviously have no idea how to care for them. thanks for sharing this horrible story.
Hello, from your comment I was just wondering how much you knew about chinchillas. You see, I have two female chinchillas who do not get along. I am hoping to trade one of them for a male, because males and females are supposed to get along. Now I seem to be learning you have to introduce them just the same as same-gender chins. I have a few questions I hope you might be able to answer.
Will the chinchillas automatically breed even if they are too young to be doing so (the female 8 months and the male 3)?
Do chinchillas have life-long mates (I don't want to seperate a pair)?
What can I do, if anything, to prevent illnesses or birth problems?
If I should not, due to all these potential problems, be putting a male and female together at all, do you have any possible suggestion for bonding my two females?
Thanks so much!
Hi,
I've had this problem too as chins can be very territorial.
What I do is put them in fairly empty cages (Water bottle, food bottle and just a hut or house thing to sleep in). Put one in one cage and the other in another. Put the cages next to each other but about an inch apart so they can't bite each other's noses. I'd put the houses/ huts, food bowl and water bottles on the side of the cage next to the other cage so they have to interact as much as possible. After about 3-7 days put them both in a neutral environment (Like a new clean cage or the kitchen floor, away from wires etc). Then after about 30 mins swap them into each other's cage so they have to experience each other's smell and put the cages next to each other again. Then after another 3-7 days put them in a clean new cage (neutral environment). I usually leave them for an hour or two, watching them of course so they don't hurt each other. Cautious nipping I find Is ok, but if you see clumps of hair you should remove them and try the process again. I always find that this works for me. When they sleep next to each other they should be friends for life. Remember to clean a bit in each cage when swapping them over so there isn't too much mess and smell but you want a little left over so they can experience each other's smell - but not too much.
I have however had chin couples that for several reasons been split up and put with other "spouses" and had more kits. Remember to wait until the female is at least a year old before breeding. I always wait until they're a year old. My first Kit was an anomaly, which I didn't repeat. If you allow them to breed back make sure the female has enough calcium in her diet. try not to breed back more than once as she can get tired. I find separating the male for a day or two after a birth doesn't affect their relationship and prevents a breed back (leave him in a cage next to mother and baby(s).
I personally would wait a few months until the male is at least 8 months old as 3 months is far too young for him, he's still basically a baby.
Joel.
P.S. If your doing a male/ female pairing the female should be put in either a neutral environment or the male's environment as she can be aggressive if in her habitat when with him. I hope this helps. :)
Excuse me but CLEARLY you didn't read the story properly. There was no dead baby. The baby (Lucky) lived. I know they were young and at the time I was new to breeding chinchillas but I had done a lot of research and found on various websites (at the time) they wouldn't breed until they were 8 months. Obviously I know now that isn't the case. I didn't mistreat my animals. The person who looked after them didn't do a good job no, but I was under the impression she could be trusted. I never asked for her help again and I did pay her but only half as I wasn't satisfied. My parents don't know much about animals and I got my research from websites and forums like this one so I could get information about it. why do you think I ask questions like the ones I have put up? I care and love my animals. I didn't put this story up for people to call me "Horrible" I put it up because I found my experience to be a learning curve and to tell people they can conceive as young as 4 months. I put my story up so others wouldn't go through the same because I wasn't lucky enough to have someone tell me these things. At the end of the day you have to start somewhere, yes I was new at it. But I'm sure you're not perfect. The fact that this story had a happy ending in (Lucky being healthy and surviving) doesn't make this horrible, I believe it makes this story eye opening, that not everything you read online is true and to first get a second opinion. Thanks for your feedback and I'm sorry for taking so long to reply.
P.S. Lucky went on to have kits of his own and they were happy and healthy. With him I waited until him and his partner were at least 1 year old - Learning from my mistakes.
I have two chinchilla's, the female is grey and the male is black. The day i bought him i had them out together on the living room to see if they liked each other, and they did. I put him in HER cage and she didnt mind at all. Ive been wating to see if there are any changes but its hard to tell because she is already a big chinchilla. Now both my chinchillas are 3 years old, is there still a good chance that she can get pregnant?
Im thinking about getting chinchillas and would love to breed them, i was wondering wether the male and female can always stay together in the same cage or can they only be put together when i want them to mate. i herd that females come into season every month so would keeping them together mean constantly having babies because that a little cruel, i know you have to seperate them just before she gives birth but appart from that can they constantly live together. x
I have two chinchillas a male an female i am trying to breed them again but from the past history i know that its ok to leave them in the cage together i seperate mine 1 week or so before she is due becuase she gets crabby an i dont let him near her or the babys for about 2 to 3 weeks an then after that its fine but i would try to keep them seperate cages at night so that she doesnt get prego again an if ur goin to breed them again id wait about 3 or 4 months so it isnt so hard on her but once u try to breed them again the same cage is good idea.... hope this helps.
Chinchillas can stay together most of the time. but the male should be separated from the female when she gives birth to the kits as the female can fall pregnant right after giving birth. The male and the female should be separated for 10 - 12 days after the birth of the kits. My cage is on 3 levels I close a level off to let the female get some rest from the male. After the 10 - 12 day separation they then can be back together
Yes, remember though they're like people not all male and females get along. If they hit it off great if not your gonna have to bond them. this is done with two cages side by side touching if possible so they can sniff at eachother. Unfortunately it took 3months with me trying to put them together about once a week, in a cage that was unfamiliar to both of them os there was no territorial issues. after about two years and still no babies I bought a young female and after having her for a week i decided just for the fun of it to put her in with my male and female chins, ironically enough they got along great and when I put the younger female back in her cage the other female had a fit so my two females and male have lived together happily for three yrs and about an hour ago I went in to feed them and spotted a baby chin. It's so cute half standard grey, half mozaic. so to answer your question no they don't breed like crazy they are very high maitenance and fussy and have to be in the right environment.
I have a female chin, she's around 3 years old and she's gotten bigger over the years. I just got a male and not knowing what to do I put him in the cage and see how they would get along, then seen the female was jumping back on her hind legs and making snarling noises and chasing eachother in the cage. So I seperated them overnight and then the next morning I put them both in a room with a dust bath and let them play and chase eachother, the female is still showing aggression and looks like she is biting him or trying to. How do I know if this is them trying to mate or that she is trying to attack him? Also I wanted to know if this is what I should be doing or should I just sell him for his safety? Thanks so much if anyone can help!
We fell for a male chinchilla after visiting him over a few months' time at the pet store. We brought him home to our female. She has not been near another chinchilla for 18 months. She was, needless to say, very excited. They were rubbing whiskers together, dust-bathing, jumping around and checking each other out. All was pleasant until we put him in the cage with her. She became VERY agressive. He is clearly interested in pursuing the mating process, with happy grunts and groans. I am going to keep them apart for 2 weeks (separate cages) and have playdates during the day. After that, I'll buy a third very large cage and see if she can be civil. I've read that there will be fur lost during the process, and it will be obvious mating has occured. My husband keeps telling my son "see son, that's what happens when you get married". The kids keep humming "here comes the bride" and I'm sure she will eventually be a happy mom. I worry that I let her be alone a bit too long. I'll keep you posted.
i have two female chinchillas and would like to breed one of them with my friends male. She has been introduced and got along well with the male but i didn't know if i could leave the other female in the cage if the other does get pregnant when the kits are born.
My female has been laying and sleeping on her side a lot. I'm not sure if she is pregnant or not. If you could help me that would be great.
I wouldn't be worried. One of our females started sleeping on her side and sometimes flat on her stomach. This has been going on for a year or so. We were worried at first, but shes completely healthy. She just likes to sleep differently. Hope this helps you
well, this is really great news for me! my chinchilla often lays flat on her stomach and it really freaked me out! but i know she's healthy cause when i let her out of the cage she always runs around like a maniac.
It is possible that she is pregnant if she has been around a male, but it is also likely that she's just hot, chinchillas often do this when they are too hot.
Yes, and you should try many different foods in small quantities. It used to be bored. Any kind of food, you should find your self to a different treatment or favorite food from your diet it will be easier and your free time to meet the weight remains. They are so much better, and another thing you should do is try to go it on sheets feel good about themselves.
My chinchillas were fine together and now the female is becoming very mean and aggressive towards the male when he tries to mate with her. What should I do? If you can help me thanks.
I've been breeding for a while now and i have 4 mated pairs. My lovely mosaic was quite recently very pregnant: her temperment changed, she gained weight, and she began to sleep on her side more (which i find with all four of my females, they seem to be more comfortable like this when they are heavily pregnant.) I like to rest my females for several months between litters, so i seperated her from her mate as i felt the time was approaching, putting her into my birthing cage. i check on my little guys every morning and when i went down yesterday it was quite obvious she was no longer pregnant. she was smaller, her hips were more pronounced, and there was a small patch of blood on the fleece liner and and dried blood on her vagina.. but no babies. I searched the room, but there's virtually nowhere for them to go, and they've never ever escaped the birthing cage - it's not really possible considering that the walls are solid, not bars and only the top is open. So what has happened? did she abort?
I have 2 chinchillas that are brother and sister. I want to have my female get pregnant, but I cant get another male because they are too expensive in the stores around here. Will the chinchillas still breed? Answers would be helpful. Thanks!
Yes, they can, and WILL breed. Unlike humans, chinchillas do not care weather or not they are related. DO NOT let these chinchillas breed. Your babies will end up with major complications, most likely resulting in death. The mother is also at high risk for complications and death. Be prepared to spend a LOT of money on vet bills if you decide to do this, and be prepared to lose every single one of your chins.
Great info. Ive had a pair that grew up together, unrelated though. However, she just had kits about a month and a half ago. Then today, she has two more. Explain. Im a graduate student, and I have a couple ideas of how she pulled it off, but I think its impossible ... Comments? She obviously had over lapping pregnancies, but also, she got preg while she was preg, or two more ova were fertilized during the first preg. However, negative feedback and maternal recognition of preg shouldnt have not allowed a second preg....
I have not come across this in chinchillas but it is a problem with some cavy blood lines. The female ovulates inspite of being pregnant and the less well developed foetuses are often still born with their older siblings or all are lost as they place too large a strain on the females body. This has possibly happened to your chins. Hope this helps solve the mystery
Do i need to seperate the male from female when close to the females due date?Will the male kill the babys when there born if i do not seperate the male from the female? How long will she be pregnat?
You should seperate the male about 10 days before the due date. This will prevent "breed back", as the female comes into heat immediately after, and in some cases, right before she gives birth. If she gets pregnant during breed back, it can be harmful the female and all chinchillas involved are at a higher risk. It is also very likely that any kits already born will be trampled during this mating. You can put the male back in about a week after the female gives birth, he will not kill the babies, and most chinchillas make excellent fathers. Typical chinchilla gestation is 111 days.
How do we see if they will hurt each other . This is the first time they will meet. And i want them to mate and also how long do they stay pregnat. That all if you awenser this and send it to my yahoo that will be thankful.
You need to have an introduction process, rather than just throw them in together. Put their cages side-by-side for about 2 weeks, this will let them get accustomed to each other. Introduce them in neutral grounds, like a bathroom on multiple occasions before you even think about putting them in a cage together. Gestation is 111 days.
do I need to separate male and female when she is close to her due date? How can you tell if she is pregnant
How old do the males have to be to start breeding? It sounds like alot of work if you ask me. It wont hurt them if you dont want to breed, right? Im talking about the males.
i have 2 chinchillas 1 boy 1 girl ma girl is pregant hoping 2 give birth soon (this month) THIS IS HER SECOND ON HER FIRST SHE HAD a deformed baby 2 days after DO YOU THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN AGIN
Are your chinchillas related? That could be the problem. If you chinchilla has given birth to a deformed baby in the past, you should not be breeding her any more. Seperate her from the male and do your research. The point of breeding chinchillas is to better their quality, not produce "mutant" offspring.
My girl just had 2 babies. one was born yesterday morning..one this morning. why so far appart? and both born dead. ;(
we are devastated and dont know who to blame.
They may have been premature, they may have been aborted. Without more description it's hard to say. Sometimes after having one kit, a mother will have trouble giving birth to another, or it may be stuck, which is why you need to check closely, and learn how to palpate her stomach. You should take her to the vet because it is highly likely that there are underlying problems.
got my first chinchilla july tenth. she was born april 25th and i hope to breed in a year or so. i want to start my own breedery.
im trying my best to get all info. possible.
Hi,i have 2 chinchillas both girls.I basically have my own buisness where i sell and buy.I get verry mad at people who like to go kill them for there fur.I actally make them sign a contract and i do daily check ups for about 3 weeks.they had have a lot of baby kits but recently my male died.(he was old but very healthy)So this loss has made my buisness suffer and myself.i mean i miss him.but if you would reply i will ask u my ?s
Im sorry for ur loss i have a male his name is Ivory and i also just got a female four months ago her name is Ebony but she is still to youngto breed with my male he is already four almost five years old and hes a mosiac my female is a darker standard grey but dark black tips of fur like her father hes ebony in color but i have to wait atleast another five months to breed them but i guess it will be worth the wait okay i replyed so whats ur ?.
hi im just getting a chinchilla tomorrow..n ive been doing my research on them of course but the chinchilla i am getting she is a year old and deff. pregnant and im not really sure what to do becasue i dont know when she is due or anything..is there anything i should know about handling her while shes pregnant? or any special foods that i need to give her to make sure her n the babies are healthy during the pregnancy and after?
where are you buying her from? If this is your first chinchilla, you should not be getting into this. there can be many complications, including the death of both the mother and kits. Make sure you have a good exotics vet. A mother chinchilla doesn't need anything special to eat, make sure she has lots of hay.
Help Please!!!!! I own 3 chinchillas 2 males 1 female(Mom{Pregnet at the moment} dad and baby) and plan on breeding the female to my friends mosaic male or beige male(not related). How do i know for sure when she is in heat, How long to keep her with the other male, and the best pairs to start a small breeding service with to get as many babys without imbreeding?????? Thank you,
Chinchillas can not inbreed.
BULLSHIT A FATHER WILL MATE WITH HIS DAUGHTER .AS SOON AS SHE GOES INTO HEAT IF THEY ARE LEFT TOGETHER THAT LONG. THAT IS INBREEDING, HOW DO U GET GET THEY CAN NOT? THEY ARE JUST LIKE ANY MALE SPIECES. THEY WILL MATE WITH ANY FEMALE THAT IS IN HEAT. SO THAT THEY CAN INSURE THIER SURVIVAL.
There are a few ways i know of telling if your chinchilla is in heat.1.about every 30 days they go into heat 2.has your chinchilla been increased on noise and activity? 3.the last 1 is if you look at the cone of the vaginia and its opened she is and if its closed like normal she isnt. Simple right?
You cant really know how long to keep them together...it just kinda happends.
BUT...There are signs of pregnacy....1.increased weight 2.increased appitite 3.lying on the side 4.Behavior changes 5.Feeling for babies is a no no 6.eloganated nipples
AND!!!!!!!You can NEVER tell how many babies shes gonna have!!!!!!!!!!Thanks bye!!!or contact me on my new buisness if i have a website yet!!!!!!!!! M&E Chinchillas
WHEN A FEMALE IS ABOUT NINE MONTHS OF AGE SHE WILL THEN BE READY TO INTRODUCE TO THE MALE DO THIS BY SAY AT HER SEVENTH MONTH PUT HER DUST BATH IN HIS CAGE AND VICE VERSA WITH HIS TO HER LEAVE THAT IN THE CAGE SO THEY CAN GET USE TO ONE ANOTHERS SMELLS THEN INTRODUCE THEM IN A AREA THAT IS NOT THERES DON'T PUT THEM IN SIDE OF EACH OTHERS CAGES THEY WILL FIGHT THEY ARE VERY TERRITORIAL OF THERE CAGES AND U CAN INTRODUCE THEM TO ONE ANOTHER ABOUT FIVE SEPARATE TIME THEN IF U MUST PUT THEM TOGETHER THEN PUT HER INTO HIS CAGE BUT NOT INTILL SHES OLD ENOUGH IT WILL KILL THEM BOTH IF U DON'T WAIT HE WILLKILL HER BY GETTING HER PREGNANT AND THE BABIES KILLING HER OR AS SHE KNOWS SHE IS TO YOUNG TO HAVE BABIES INSTINCT WILL KILL THE FATHER SO SHE WON'T DIE
Hey! I have a question about chinchillas. When are males not interested to breed? I would not want to put the whole family together if the male wanted to breed with the Mom. I would want to be positive this would not happen. Thanks! :)
Males are always interested in breeding, it is just a matter of when the female is in heat.
My chinchilla only had one baby, is that normal?
my mom's chinchilla only had one chinchilla 2. so i AM PREETY SURE THAT IT IS NORMAL.
YES THEY EITHER HAVE ONE OR TWO I MEAN THE MOST I HAVE EVER HEARD OF OR SEEN IS THREE BORN TO THE SAME LITTER BUT I MOSTLY ONLY SEEN A FAMILY WITH ONE BABY OR TWINS ARE MORE COMMON I GUESS SO YES IT IS WITH OUT A DOUBT NORMAL SO DON'T WORRY K
I have been looking everywhere for an answer to my problem and have found nothing yet. Hope you can help me.
My female (Gidget) is pregnant and due any day now. We were 100% ready for everything: baby-proofed the cage, bought another identical cage for Dad so he wouldn't freak out upon move, have talked with the vet about our options for Dad...
...what we weren't prepared for was the depression.
Spike (Dad) was moved for a trial run to the new cage last night...it went very very poorly. He literally started making a noise like he was sobbing. We put Gidget's cage next to his and he immediately ran over to the cage wires, stuck his nose through and they "nosed" for about 10 minutes, each reaching through with their little hands to grab the other...
I decided to give him a chance to get used to the idea. After about 20 minutes, he was jumping around. He ate some hay, cleaned himself and played in the hammock. But then he started getting fidgety and upset again. He started whimpering and when Gidget came close to the shared wall, he climbed the cage...something he has never done before and started to try to bite his way through the wires.
We took him out and played with him separately for a while longer. He had a bath and then we decided to try again.
Again, he seemed happy enough and we left the room to give him some quiet time. But I started hearing him whimper again so I went in and took him out of the new cage and put him back in with Gidget. He immediately ran over to her and in a dramatic movie scene type of way threw his body over hers, nestled his head in her back and even grabbed onto her fur like her was clinging on for dear life.
We left him for the rest of the night with her. But decided that it was best if we made him spend the day today in the separate cage.
So at 6a, when I got up this morning I took him and put him back in his new cage.
When I went to check on them before I left for work, he was laying on his belly with his head on his little hands and was looking forlorn and dejected.
I don't know what to do.
He isn't drinking the water in the new cage and I'm afraid he won't eat.
The best I can do is put them together when I'm home and awake. The separation is what's best for them and the babies Gidget is about to birth.
But what I don't want is for Spike to become so depressed that he makes himself ill and dies. This stress for him is just so much...he's such an emotional chinchilla. And since we have decided with the vet that it is best for him to be neutered, I don't want him under any inordinate amount of other stress at the time--we have decided that if the birthing process is smooth, then we will have him neutered shortly thereafter so they are still separated for pregnancy reasons during his recovery and we don't have to extend the separation too far.
If you have any suggestions on how I can help Spike be more comfortable with his separation from Gidget, I would be very grateful. It is just heartbreaking to watch him be so heartbroken and I am so worried for his welfare.
Thanks
Amy
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEPARATE THEM NOT INTILL THE BABIES ARE BORN .ONLY THAN CAUSE U ARE NOT MATING THEM AGAIN . EVEN THEN ITS ONLY FOR 7 TO 10 DAYS INTILL SHE GOES OUT OF HEAT . U CAN RETURN THEM TOGETHER.THE WAY IT SOUNDS HE WILL BE AN EXCELLENT FATHER. REMEMBER SHE GOES INTO HEAT RIGHT AFTER SHES GIVES BIRTH SO INLESS U WANT MORE BABIES. SEPARATE THEM WHEN SHES IN LABOR.WHEN U REINTRODUCE THEM DO IT OUTSIDE OF HER CAGE IN A NETRUAL PLACE SO U CAN SEE IF SHE WILL TAKE HIM BACK WITH THE BABIES SHE MIGHT BE OVER PROTECTIVE. SO TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE DO EVERY THING SLOW AND BY THE BOOK, OH YA AND CHINCHILLAS GO INTO LABOR AT NIGHT, OR IN THE EVENING OR,SOME TIMES VERY RARELY IN THE WEE EARLY MORNING HOURS AROUND 4 OR 5 AM. YOUR SAFE THERE THEY ALSO MATE AT NIGHT SO EVEN IF THE BABIES COME IN MORNING HOURS SHE WOULD BE SAFE INTILL EVENING HOUR.YOU WOULD KNOW IN PLENTY OF TIME TO REMOVE HIM.OR YOU CAN WAIT INTILL THEY MATE AGAIN THEN GET HIM FIX. SO U DONT EVER HAVE TO SEPARATE THEM AT ALL. THEY CAN BE A HAPPY FAMILY. REMOVE THE KITS AT 8 WEEKS OF AGE.HE WILL TRY TO MATE WITH THEM . AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT THAT
No, the female can actually get pregnant up to 10 days BEFORE she gives birth, which is when the male should be seperated. He can go back ten days after the babies are born. Keep their cages next to each other, but at least 6 inches apart, because breeding can actually happen between cages. If he is not eating/drinking after 24 hours of being in the cage alone, you can feed/water him with an eyedropper.
How? How is that even possible? She is already pregnant. I have had chinchillas for 20 years and have never seen or had that happen. You remove them just before because of the mothers ability to get aggressive and have hormone changes and to reduce the risk of injury to the male in case she gets aggressive with him. In 20 years you are the first and only person to say this.
Not sure how old this post is but in my research I have found that it is possible for a female to become pregnant while pregnant. The uterus is a y shape so pregnancy can happen on one side of the y and then later on the other side. The second pregnancy will cause smaller, more weak babies. A female will go into estrus right after having a litter and can become pregnant again.
Hello we have two chinchillas at the moment one male and one female, they have successfully mated on 3 occassions and have had four healthy babies. Unfortunately another one was born with a problem with its back legs. we are quite clued up when it comes to every aspect of their general care as well as mating and the birth of new kits. But we have One question though, do chinchillas mate while the female is already pregnant? After our last litter it was necessary to separate the adult pair as we had a female baby and we kept mum and baby together to prevent dad from inpregnating baby. they have been reintroduced frol quite a while and we were convinced she is pregnant again but, they were mating last night could that mean she was not pregnant? We now suspect she was not but does anyone know wheather they still have sex if they have already successfully mated? Thanks.
THEY CAN HAVE SEX THROUGH A CAGE IF U KEEP THERE CAGES TO CLOSE TOGETHER HE CAN IMPREGNANT HER THOUGH THE WIRE MESH AND I DON'T THINK THEY MATE WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY EXPECTING THEY ONLY MATE WHEN THEY LOSE A BABY LIKE WHEN THEY MISCARRY OR REJECT THE EMBRELO MAYBE SHE LOST THE BABY AND NOW THEY ARE REMAKING A NEW ONE OR MAYBE LAST TIME SHE WASN'T IN HEAT AND THEY TRYED BUT IT WAS TO LATE SO NOW SHES IN HEAT AGAIN AND SO THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS SO THEY DO IT AGAIN AND SO NOW SHES DEFINITELT DUE TO HAVE BABIES AGAIN IN 111 DAYS SINCE THEY DID THE DEED LAST.
my chinchilla is pregnant is it possible the babies can die inside her
YES I WOULD SAY THAT THE BABIES CAN DIE INSIDE HER. IF SHE IS ACTING OKAY THAN SHES OK.EVEN IF OTHERS SAY TO REMOVE THE FATHER. I FEEL U DONT HAVE TO. I THINK THAT THE FATHERS HAVE A LARGE PART IN RASING THE KITS UP. AS WELL AS THEIR MOTHER DO. EXCEPT FOR 7 TO 10 DAYS AFTER SHES GIVES BIRTH YOU SHOULD REMOVE THE FATHER /THATS INLESS U WANT MORE BABIES?U REMOVE HIM AND ONLY FOR THE 10 DAYS. THEN YOU REINTRODUCE THEM AND PUT THEM BACK TOGETHER TO RAISE THE KITS TOGETHER. THEY ARE GREAT PARENTS.
Hi Shelby,
The whole process takes about 111 days, but your female seems as if she's getting close. Remember to start separating the father now, as the mother needs a break from mating, because right after birth, she's in heat again.
I would say.. 10-20 more days?
Good luck!
~Aya
I have 2 males and 1 female. Can they all live in the same cage or should I keep them separated? When the female goes into heat will the 2 males fight over her is another concern.
I have a 2 year old female chinchilla that I purchased from Jim Ritterspach. She has never had any babies before and was a first place champion at a chinchilla show. I thought she would make very nice babies so I put in my male Mosaic with her and they have been together in a breeders cage for about 3 months. I checked her nipples today and they are thin and about a quarter inch long. I heard that when a female chinchilla gives birth her nipples stay long but if she has never given birth and she has long thin nipples does that mean shes pregnant? She was always a HUGE chinchilla but she looks like she gained even more weight. Please someone let me know if Im just get to over excited about the possibility of her having babies or do you think shes pregnant? And if so...about how long would you think till she gives birth? I heard that their nipples get long and skinny a couple weeks before birth. Thank you.
It takes approximately 111 days give or take one or two.
I have had two females and one male in the same cage for over a year now and no babies yet, any ideas? I also have a beige male who has been part of the family for about six months he's about 2years old. I have a mosaic female whose about 2yrs old and tried numerous times to put them together in an unfamiliar cage but the female keeps attacking the male, I never had this problem bonding my older male and older female, any suggestions?
hey gina,
1st about the no babies thing.
if you want to breed the chinchillas, get 2 cages, put the female in one alone and the male in one alone for about 1-2 weeks, and then reintroduce them in the evening hours, they should try to breed then.
2nd,
take 2 cages, take everything out of them.
take one, and put it inside the other, one chinchilla outside the inner cage and one inside the inner cage.
that keeps them from hurting eachother severly.
leave them like that for about 15 min or until they settle down.
if that all works good, take and open the inner cage and let them see and smell eachother.
if they start to try to nip at eachother, start over.
WATCH THEM THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS!!!!!
hope this was helpful to you!!!
-matt
Hi Matt,
I have 2 chinchillas one male and female both about 10 weeks. I bought another cage to separate them. They love to play together and I'm thinking of putting them together when im around. My question. Is there a way for me to tell when they are about to mate?
My two year old female gained a lot of weight (she was the skinniest chinchilla I own) and now has four nipples (two on each side). Is she pregnant or just a possible pregnant?
I have a male and female chinchilla and today we can see and feel her nipples they poke out of her fur. About how long untill she has the babys? She also has a very large belly and is very grumpy(more than usual and is very food posesive) i have baby proofed the cage and would just like to know about how long untill she has them. Thank you shelby
well, you know what, chinchillas are usally pregnet 110-120 days so 3 1/2, 4 months
not sure what happened, My daughter bought a chinchilla @ a pet store was told it was male and well she woke up to two babies this morning, We are now proud grand parents
I have a hetero beige and a mosaic male . My female had a normal pregnacy and we were very sad to see she had the baby and it looked like she was eating it. I have never had a pregnant chinchilla before ? Is this normal behaviour? This was her first baby for her.The baby was born at 111 days and she was healthy and I am so sad about this. Any idea what happened?
i am a chinchilla breeder and my chinchilla had two still borns bad news but it takes one hundred and eleven days for a chinchilla to have the baby
if you go to pitterpatterchinchillas.com they have a good section on breeding and a gestation chart.
I wish this also included how long they are pregnant. But other than that very informitive.
Chinchillas are pregnant for about 111 days.