Hi there all. In the last issue of the CRYPTmag, I discussed the history of the Chinchilla and keeping them as house pets. In this article, I will talk about some minor health issues and breeding the little creatures for profit.

An explanation of some minor health issues will now follow. This will exclude medical disorders where you should consult a vet. It is very important before you decide to breed Chinchillas that you have a healthy stock pair. Do they have fine luxurious coats? Are they happy animals? Do they have bright clear eyes? They must not be related! You cannot breed brother and sister for example. In addition, Chinchillas are gnawing rodents and they can suffer from teeth disorders. It would be very bad practice to breed from Chins where either or both have such a disorder Purchase a male from one pet supplier and a female from another supplier. Try to purchase two different colours and as young as possible (6 months to 1 year old is ideal) and then just maybe you could be on the right course for happy families, or maybe not!

OK. So you have found a healthy male and female that you would like to breed from, what next. Well if you think you can put them together in a cage and watch the money roll in from the sale of the babies then you are wrong. How would you like to be shoved in a room with a strange male or female and be expected to breed?

You will need TWO cages, one for the male and one for the female. Place the cages side-by-side or end-to-end and allow the Chinchillas to take the time to get used to each other. Allow each Chinchilla to have separate recreation time and dust baths. After a few weeks, the pair should begin to know each other. This does not mean that they will like each other. Time now to find out. Always put the female into the male's cage and never the other way round or you will see fur fly. You may see fur fly anyway!

If the pair fight, then separate them immediately and try again in a few weeks time. If all goes well they will bond and it is a lovely sight to see them kiss and cuddle. However, you need to be prepared that your little velvet marshmallows will not bond and you are stuck with two Chinchillas in separate cages. Such is life my friend. However, if the two Chinchillas bond then it is for life.

Now of course you did test the market for the sale of baby Chins in your area BEFORE you got this far? Remember a pair of mating Chinchillas can have up to two litters each year and each litter can contain from one to three kittens per litter. That is an awful amount of little creatures if you cannot sell them. In addition, remember they will need to be all kept according to sex in separate cages once they reach mating age!

Our Herbie and Crystal were brought from a local pet shop as a bonded mating pair. They had already had one litter of two kits prior to purchase so we had none of the above problems. In Pic1 below, you can see them enjoying a dust bath together in their playpen.

Pic1

So when do they breed? Chinchillas may and do breed any time of the year, normally they will mate in late November or early December. Litters usually begin to arrive from March onwards. The gestation period for the female is 111 days from conception to birth. So if you are lucky to see them "at it" make a note in your calendar. Chinchillas frequently mate again soon after the female has littered, this means that you can expect more kits being born around July to August. From September to early November, few breedings will occur, and this is the norm for many small animals. It is the time when the old coat is shed and a new one grown. The shedding of the old coat and the growing of a new one is sufficient strain on their bodily resources to make breeding habits dormant.

You will not likely see the female give birth as this occurs at night. Remember Chinchillas are nocturnal creatures and "our night" is "their day". Mum requires no help what so ever from humans during birth and will deliver the kits, clean them up and eat the afterbirth. The afterbirth is a high source of protein for her. The kits are born fully furred, complete with whiskers, teeth and with their eyes open. They will be up and running around the cage in less than an hour from birth and look just like a miniature version of the parents. You can handle them from an hour old with no problems from the parents. You will need to do this in order to sex them. This is easy. They are built the same as us so you should not have any difficulties here.

At this stage, you may need to keep a close eye on the male. He may become jealous of the new arrivals and attack them. If so then the male needs to be separated from the female and her litter for a while. I will not talk about how to overcome this problem, as I have no experience of it. Herbie is a model father and it is so fascinating to watch him care for Crystal and the little kittens. Below in Pic2 is Tom an off-white marble male just ONE day old. He was sold later for £60.

Pic2

Below in Pic3 is Tom at 3 days old, don't they grow quickly?

Pic3

Below in Pic4 is Tom at 8 weeks old. At 12 weeks, he will be fully "weaned" and can leave Mum and Dad.

Pic4

Well that's all for now. If you decide to have one of these cute animals as a pet, I am sure it will bring you many years of joy, whether you decide to breed or not. Chin, Chin for now.