| Things to know about your pet chinchilla |
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| Disclaimer - The following information is provided by the site owner as the practical application of chinchilla husbandry as I have learned it, in theory and practice. There is no warranty or liability for the contents of these pages. It is my opinion and is merely offered as a suggestion or possible solution. All information is solely that of the site owner and no ammends will be made. |
| Reproduction - Part 3 - work in progress |
| So, what is going to happen now? Gestation and birth process... About 111 days after mating, the female will deliver an average litter of 2 kits. On the average, you will get half male and half female kits. Most of the time you will not know when mating took place, so the exact due date will not be know either. You may have heard of the mating plug, but in the near 10 years I have been around chins, I have only seen one personally that came from on of my females. You may notice that when you female lays on her side, there is a huge bulge in her belly, and she may become more docile and a bit combative towards her mate. When you feel she is pregnant and nearing that time, she is best placed in a cage alone, with the male right nearby so the bond it not broken. The best cage for the female to be in before the babies arrive is a solid floor cage that can hold a deep cushion of bedding. Wire size/spacing is important. A new born chin can get through a 1x1 inch opening. The wire on most of my brood cages is 1/2 inch by 2 inch and I have never had a problem with babies escaping. That 1/2 inch size is very important. But there are other ways for babies to get out. Loose fitting doors, J-feeders (pellet hopper feeders) and tray slides. Take a hard look at anything that may allow your newborn kits to escape. My cages are 18X30 inch, solid floor, not shelves or ramps This keep momma on the floor with the babies and there is less opportunity for falling kits. She has a hiding place and maybe a perch in there, until the kits are born, then these come out. I want her on that floor with the babies. Once the babies come, mom does not get a dust bath at all for about 7-10 days. ( See the birth of a chin litter here... ) Chinchillas are born with wide, bright eyes, fully furred and able to run and bounce about on the very first half day after birth. Once the dry off and get some milk from mom, they are very active for babies in the rodent world. They will begin to climb and follow mom everywhere, whether it is safe or not. I have seen babies that are less then twelve hours old scale the side of a cage like tiny furry super heros! Mother chins that are used to their keeper, are not too fussy about their babies being handled from day one. Babies are often born late to mid morning. This would coincide with the time a wild chin would be denned up during the light of day. Baby chins would have time to dry and nurse well before dusk when the parents would become active. Once your new kits are dried off, pick each one up gently and check it out just as we do our own new born children. Chec Also, unlike smaller rodents, I have never seen a chin kill a baby or eat a corpse. If the baby dies, they will just avoid and ignore it. |
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