question for chinchilla breeders.

[Countrypunk92]

How can you tell if your female is prego? Pika is about 11 months now and has been sleeping alot. She also does not want to come out of hwr cage like before. Are these signs?

 

[shelleyd2008]

I don't have chinchillas (and honestly don't think I've ever seen any posted on this site), but a quick google search found this information:

It is really hard to tell if your female is pregnant until it is almost time for delivery. The surest way to tell is by feeling for her nipples. Normally they are just a small bump and practically impossible to find. During the last few weeks of pregnancy they will begin to grow until they are almost as long as her hair. To feel the nipples hold her up with her belly away from you. Start at her "arm pit" and run your palm straight down. If you can feel very thin long nipples you will know that your female is pregnant. If you don't find any it may be that she is just not that far along yet. Chinchillas do not make nests, but they can become more hateful when pregnant.
​

Taken from http://www.huggablepets.com/huggablepets/qna/mojofaq.cgi?cat=preg#mojo7​

 

[Countrypunk92]

Thsbk you so much, it helped. And zi am seen chins posted before. But rarely. I knew someone who raised them but deleted the messages.

 

[Spoof]

She should (hopefully) not be far along at 11 months of age, mine normally come into heat for the first time between 8-12 months.

Most breeders introduce between 11-16 months or hold off until their pelvis is large enough. Once they get pregnant the pelvis quits growing making it very difficult for them to pass kits if it wasn't large enough to begin with. Chinchillas continue to grow and fill out until they are 3+ years old, they are very slow to mature.

I've never seen any proof behind the nipple thing though it is occasionally brought up at shows and meetings by new breeders. The most common method is manual palpation or watch for a mating plug (big long wax thing). Most big breeders just waits six months, douch/clean the uterus, waits another six months, maybe swap males, then cull.

When they are within three weeks of delivery you can hold your hand under her belly - mine gladly rest on my palm - and feel the full-contact football game going on inside. As she gets even closer you will see her sides visibly ripple.

This is a big time of year for having babies, the next wave is usually around March/April unless you've got lights on timers.

Good luck!

 

[afchicken]

chinchillas are the reason im afraid of most small furry animals when i was a kid pet shop guy let me hold 1 i was considering buying ME"do they bite?" PETSHOP"no they do not bite i garuntee it" CHINCHILLA"sniff sniff chomp right on the tip of my thumb" didnt rly hurt drew blood and i have never been so freaked out in my life i cried and wiped my nose on my moms sleeve......srry went on a bad trip down memory lane when i seen post

 

[Countrypunk92]

My chin has grown alot lately . She doesnt like to be messed with and sleeps alot. Occasionly she will play with her mate. Her tempermet has chsnged and wont come out of the cage