Out of the Blue...

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Riven

Bad Chin
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
3,584
Location
Central Nebraska
This is an article I wrote and thought I would submit it here to be enjoyed.

Out of the Blue

The Blue Diamond or violet sapphire is the newest color hybrid trending in the US. I have had the wonderful experience to be the first person to import these guys and wanted to take some time to tell how they got here. While talking with some other people about this color that was kind of a like a unicorn of the chinchilla world, heard of but never really seen, I started to do some research. At this time I was between classes and was hoping to write an article on the color for the Breeder. I contacted a couple breeders who claimed to have the color and that’s how I came in touch with Niels Sorig from Denmark. I asked about the color and told him I was hoping to write an article.

While talking with Niels we talked about different chin related things he told me that he was very interested in finding some Goldbars. I told I worked with the Recessive Whites that were similar to the Goldbars ( we now know that these two mutations cross indicating they are the same mutation) and he was very interested in them. He wanted to work on creating a triple recessive mutation in efforts of producing a consistent pure white pelt for the market. Upon further discussion we decided to set up a trade, Blue Diamond’s and carriers for Recessive White’s and carriers. During this time I was in touch with Mark Miller about the discussions I’d been having with Niels and he showed interest in coming in on the deal and shared the shipping costs and reimbursed me for 1/3 of the animals I sent in return for 1/3 of the animals from Niels. Niels and I discussed the article further and although he had orders to fill for people in other countries he wanted to bring the Diamond’s to the US and promote sales here, he talked about having me broker for him and promote them at shows.

Let me tell you that shipping animals internationally is full of red tape and hoops to jump through! USDA, Fish and Wildlife, Customs... paperwork and more paperwork. I had to have my facilities USDA inspected and approved for international shipping, I had to go back and forth between the US and Denmark to make sure everyone had what they needed so the animals didn’t get stuck somewhere. Got the vet work done and due to school I had my friend take them to the airport 3 hours away stopping they the state vet to get everything ok’d only to find out the local vet didn’t fill out the right paperwork, finally to the airport only to get there and find out they messed up the flight information and the next flight didn’t go out until the next day! After calling vets, faxing health papers, calling airlines, and finding a hotel close that would take animals they went out the next morning.
 
With the Recessive Whites on their way and the Blue Diamond’s here there was much excitement. The newness, the feeling of knowing that you’re the only person who has imported this mutation into the US was so exciting. The animals themselves had a light sapphire color but the interesting part was they seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. They were not big, they were not dense, they did need work, but it was a starting point. I was unsure how to continue the article honestly as I felt they needed a lot of work, like most any newer hybrid does. An agreement was made between Mark and I to work with the color and try to improve the overall quality without telling everyone they were here yet, to bring out a strong, large, dense animal and present it to the US. Unfortunately things changed when Mark announced that he had Blue Diamonds on a chinchilla forum in September that year and that in this time he had been in further contact with Niels and discussions of Mark brokering for him were underway. I was upset, I had put so much work into obtaining these animals and I was unable to be the one to debut them into the US.

During this time I had paired my two males with 12 females each and was beginning to have some very nice double carrier kits born, I was excited for what could be but doubt was creeping in. Would I be able to offer the space and quality of females that this mutation really needed to reach its full potential? I wanted more for this color than a quick buck on the latest trend. My barn breeding capacity was 160 females, although not full, I was still working on improving my standard lines, and was working with the Recessive Whites as well. I was having troubles finding high quality violets and violet carriers to cross into the lines and I began doing the math on my 3 year improvement plan. To work with the Diamonds the way I wanted to I would have to reduce some of my other lines or give up my Recessive Whites that I had already been working with for years. I made the hard decision to list them for sale. I listed the entire line for much less than market value, and soon after listing them one of the violet carrier females from Niels littered 3 violets that carried sapphire, and a week later my first Blue Diamond was born to the other female from Niels along with another violet who carried sapphire. It was a bittersweet moment that made me think about changing my mind. I knew that there was someone else who could work with the color and do better for them than I could and with this an agreement was made to sell the animals to Jim Ritterspach.

During the time I had the animals they didn’t have much troubles adjusting after I had gotten them even after a long trip and major changes of location, feed, water, and environment. I know that Niels took great pride in culling out any known health issues and preventing putting in any animals out of known lines with genetic issues. The only health problem I had with them while they were here was some issues of fungus on the nose. It did not affect the animals I had put in with the males, but would affect the males and one female that had been imported. It did not spread any further and cleared up quickly when treated, but resurfaced again later. I assume that it maybe an immunity issue that they didn’t have to deal with there, perhaps a certain strain or what not. When talking with another person who had gotten some Diamonds they said they had a similar issue, but I’m guessing that this immunity will easily be gaining in the next generations.

I feel that the Blue Diamond is a beautiful addition to show tables across the US with work and with dedication by people who love this mutation I can see it becoming a top contender. I am proud to have played a crucial part in getting these animals to the US and think that they have a lot of potential in all markets due to their gorgeous coloring. I wish all of the people working with this hybrid the best of luck and can’t wait to see the progress made with them in the upcoming years.
 
Nicely done! Hey, you should nominate one of your chinnies for Pet of the Day! Then more people could learn about these beauties! I appreciate all the detail in the article about dealing with regulations and shipping, by the way!
 
I definitely liked your information~! It's definitely interesting to hear about the introduction of the blue diamonds and the consideration you took in this important decision. You included tons of information which I really enjoyed. :)

From a purely literate stand-point, I would still go through and proof-read. Some of the sentence structure is more conversational then what is used in most articles. I would also replace those general words such as "thing", "very", etc. I only point this out because this is an article that you may intend to use else where besides here, especially because the subject matter is quite interesting. You did a great job though and this is only a helpful critique. :)
 
Thanks Alex, I'll look over it again. I usually let them sit a bit then revise or edit them so I can read them as if I haven't read them before. :D
 
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