THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BREEDING:
The time will come when it may become necessary to separate your kits from their mom, especially the males, by the time they are 4 months old, and you will, obviously, need a NICE cage for them.
THE FACTS:
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Vital Statistics Pertaining to Breeding
Other Interesting Vital
Statistics
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Chinchillas can have from 1 to
6 kits in a litter although more then 3 is unusual. While chinchillas do
have 6 nipples it is very difficult for them to raise any more then 4 kits
so you may to learn a bit about hand
rearing.Young chinchillas can reach sexual maturity as young as 4 months old so it is important to remove the kits from the family cage by that time if there is any family member of the opposite gender living there. Inbreeding is a very bad practice in chinchillas.
While young chinchillas are sexually mature at a young age the females should not be bred until they are at least 12 months old. It is actually best to wait until they are at least one year old as they are still growing themselves until then! The drawback here is that it's harder to introduce older chinchillas so the ideal set up is to have them in two adjoining cages. If the female is not in heat you certainly can (and should) let them have supervised play time together.
Healthy chinchillas in captivity live for up to 17 years. Until they are about 10 years old they can be in breeding. After that they certainly deserve to enjoy their retirement!
The Right
Pair
The main things to consider here are: health, age, compatibility, genealogy, and color mutation genetics. It's important to breed only very healthy, young chinchillas that have not been over bred. I've already mentioned breeding age.
Here is a quote from the MCBA website: "Most ranchers will not put a chinchilla into breeding unless the animal is at least 600 grams. It is acceptable to put a male in that is a bit smaller as long as his other attributes are good for your breeding program. If an animal is extremely large, say 1000 grams or more, it may not be a good breeder because of its excess weight. This is not always the case, but you should be aware of the possibility."
It is also important to take into consideration that it's not always easy to pair up chinchillas. Please go to my "ChinFriends" page for plenty of information about this. Also, it is a very bad idea to inbreed chinchillas. There should be no family relationship back at least 2 - 3 generations. The last consideration is color mutation genetics, which I cover in more detail on my "ChinGenetics" page. The important thing to understand here is...
There are two color genes in chinchillas that are referred to as "lethal genes". These are the Velvet (TOV) gene and the White gene. Neither of these genes can exist in the homozygous state, meaning a gene pair of Velvet + Velvet or White + White would not develop beyond the early embryonic (zygote) stage as it is not viable. It has been said that when this embryo dies and is reabsorbed it can cause blockage of that uterine horn (chinchillas have two horns to their uterus that branch out from the cervix). I doubt this is the case as a zygote is microscopic, but the resorption could cause other problems. The result of breeding two animals with lethal genes may just be smaller litters, but it is probably best to avoid such a pairing. Any two animals carrying the Velvet gene should not be bred together (i.e.. Black Velvet + Brown Velvet, TOV White + TOV Violet, etc.) and any two animals carrying the White gene should not be bred together (i.e.. White Mosaic + Tan and White, Ebony and White + TOV White, etc.). Any of these colors can, although, be bred with any other colors. This is also discussed on the "ChinGenetics" page. The other thing to understand before establishing a pair of chinchillas is:
Chinchillas come in several different colors - one of the things that makes them SO ENJOYABLE to raise. Again, this is discussed in more detail on the "ChinGenetics" page. The main genes for colors are Standard Grey, Beige, White, Violet, and Sapphire. The genes for color patterns are Velvet and Ebony. The combinations of these can produce a whole "rainbow" of colors and if I get started on it here I won't know where to stop, so go visit the "ChinGenetics" page and have fun imagining all of the wonderful colors you could have!
Chinchillas are seasonally polyestrus from about November to May with heat cycles anywhere from 25 - 50 days and an individual heat lasting 3 - 4 days. There is often a mid summer heat as well. When a female is in heat the transverse opening of the vagina, normally not visible, becomes visible, moist, and reddened. She may also expel a small (0.5") waxy "estrus plug". Her behavior maybe noticeably different, perhaps more aggressive or more submissive, and urine spraying and fur slip is more common at this time.
I'm
assuming here that you are working with a pair of chinchillas that has
already been well socialized (see the "ChinFriends" page). 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 1½" long.
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.
Gestation/PregnancyPregnancy lasts an average of 111 days. During this time the mated pair, and perhaps another female or two, live together harmoniously. By day 90 the female should have abdominal enlargement and her nipples will be swollen and reddened. Avoid palpating her as this can cause harm to the babies. The best way to monitor a pregnancy is by monitoring weight gain. A weight gain of 25 - 30 grams per month is expected initially, increasing in the last month of gestation. A healthy, balanced diet is very important at this point. Supplementing the diet with a sprinkle of Calf Manna in the first two months of pregnancy is beneficial but can be harmful in the last 2 months as kits can get too large. Also, a nest box should be provided on the lower level of the cage along with at least 2 inches of pine shavings. During the final weeks (or month) of pregnancy the mama-to-be will often lie on her side and you may even be able to see signs of the kits moving about.
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 it's 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 it's course. She will be busy cleaning herself and the kits up 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 and then you'll be glad to know more about "Development of the Young", but first you need to know about:
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. I don't want to go into detail about most of these here but would be happy to answer any questions or concerns about any of them. I will say that 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.
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.
The
First Hours
Right after birth the fully developed and instinctively intelligent baby will crawl under it's mother's body, where her body heat and licking quickly have it dry. Soon the kit will be making whimpering noises and mom may gently nip the back of it's neck, as may other cage mates. Even though the kit may now squeal louder this is usually just healthy socialization and you'll continue to hear this "don't-hurt-me" noise until the kit is a young adult. Be sure to observe the relationships among the newly restructured family to be sure that no chinchillas in the cage pose a threat to the kits. Most male chinchillas make wonderful dads, but there have been reports of attacks to the kits by dads. The biggest concern would be other adult females in the cage.
The most common cause of loss of young is hypothermia. On colder days I've put a few cups of pine shavings in the microwave to warm and put them right into the nest box (after making sure they are the right temperature). A chilled youngster can also be held in warm water, submerged to the neck, and then toweled vigorously to increase it's body temperature. The chest can be gently massaged. A heat pad on the low setting (or just a return to a dry cage and warm mom) will then help maintain it's temperature.
The First
Days
Baby chinchillas are referred to as nidifugous or precocious, meaning they are fully developed at birth, fully furred with open eyes and ready to drop and run (well, almost). They may actually climb up the cage mesh and hop onto low objects on their first day of life. It's a good idea to give them the opportunity to get accustomed to being held in these early days if the parents are relaxed enough about it. If not, it can be counter productive if mom or dad are sending out negative signals that cause the kits to associate human interaction with something bad. Just wait until the whole family is okay with it. It may work to just lure mom and dad away with some juicy raisins and gently scoop up the babies. Unlike other species, chinchilla parents will NOT reject their young if they smell human scents on them.
This is
almost always a job reserved just for mama chinchilla. In addition to it's
mother's milk a newborn chinchilla will start nibbling on stalks of hay
and soon it can eat pellets as well. The changeover from mother's milk to
solid food is gradual allowing the little chinchilla's stomach and
intestines to adjust slowly. After three weeks the kit's birth weight
should have doubled. If you have an underweight newborn or an older kit
that isn't gaining weight you may need to supplement the mother's milk.
See the next two sections.
Raising Orphaned Young
If the mother dies you will have to either find a "wet nurse" for the kit or plan to hand raise him/her. A suitable wet nurse would be a chinchilla or guinea pig mother with only one kit of approximately the same age as the orphan. A good trick to try is to put mentholated ointment on the orphaned kit's back as well as on the new mom's natural kits so that they all smell the same. Watch the litter closely to make sure that the orphan is accepted. If not you need to hand raise them, an endeavor that is not always successful. For rearing milk try using KMR (available at pet stores, feed stores, and veterinary offices) or a product designed for feeding baby lambs. Newborns need to be fed warm rearing milk (freshly prepared) every two hours for the first two weeks, then every three hours. Gradually lengthen the feeding time and reduce the amounts fed until they can be weaned at 6 - 8 weeks. You can go a little longer with night time feedings, but not too much as these are their normal awake hours. I've found that an insulin syringe works better then an eyedropper for feeding newborns, then a 3 cc. syringe, then an eye dropper or regular water bottle as they get older. Hold the newborn cradled upright in your hand, making sure he doesn't choke and get milk in his lungs. After the feeding gently massage the tummy. Go ahead and provide hay and pellets for him to nibble on. I avoid providing a water bottle (with water in it) for at least the first few weeks so as to encourage a good feeding of milk. By 2 - 3 weeks of age you shouldn't need to hold the little guy in your hand anymore as he will sit upright for his feeding. You can also gradually add baby cereal to the milk.
If there are 3 - 4 kits in a litter the mother's milk may not be plentiful enough for them. If you don't help her with providing food for her young they may nip, bite, and injure her nipples in their struggle for milk. They may also become aggressively competitive with each other. You can supplement their feed in a manner similar to feeding orphans, but in smaller quantities and less frequently. It may also be advised to separate the kits into groups, removing one group for about 6 hours (and supplementing their feed) then rotating with the other group to give mom a break and prevent sibling rivalry. You may prefer a different schedule, like separating the groups for 8 hour segments (when older) then putting everyone together at night. You may want to give mom a time all to herself, allowing all of the kits to maintain some contact with each other, especially if you won't be keeping everyone together at night. See what works best for you and your family but keep in mind that the kits should only go for short periods without mom's milk when very young, then for longer periods as they get older. Also remember to weigh them frequently to determine whether or not they are gaining an adequate amount of weight, adjusting your schedule and supplement amounts accordingly (a lot depends upon the mom's milk supply).
As
mentioned before, weaning is a gradual process that is normally complete
at 6 - 8 weeks of age. You can keep the young with their parents until
they reach sexual maturity. If you separate them right after weaning be
sure to observe closely to be certain they aren't overeating. This would
most likely be indicated by changes in the stool - either diarrhea or
constipation. If you sell a weanling be sure to tell the new owner what to
watch for and how much to feed. A weanling only needs 1/2 - 1 tablespoon
of pellets daily along with a handful of hay or a small hay
cube.
And now we've come full circle,
moving on again to puberty, breeding age, etc...
The circle of life
continues.
May you consider your involvement in it a God given honor
not to be taken lightly.
Resources
used:
Richardson,V.C.G..Library of Veterinary Practice, Diseases of
Small Domestic Rodents.Oxford. Blackwell Science
Ltd;1997
Roder-Thiede,Maike.
Chinchillas, A Complete Owner's Guide. Munich. Barron's Educational
Series. Inc; 1993
Topics of
Veterinary Medicine Magazine, 2000; Vol 10 No 1, pg 30 - 31
last updated January 2006
| © | 2006 - AMY HAMOVITZ - CHINBIN IN OREGON |