A1? I'm so confused!!!!

I just had a mystery kit a couple of weeks ago that came shooting out from under my breeder cages when I was cleaning. At that point, I had a set of breeders done already and hadn't noticed anything telling me there should have been a baby in a cage. I checked bottoms to all of my moms and everyone was clean, so I have no idea who he belongs to. Thankfully, a mom with a week old baby took him in. It's the first time in 15 years that has happened. Of course, this little guy was a newborn - a few days old tops, but it does happen. I've seen them climb out of an empty feeder before, after trying to figure out how the heck they got out of a cage they shouldn't have been able to. They're pretty sneaky sometimes....

I know it can happen. Just recently I had a litter of 2. What I didn't know is that there was a hole in the wiring big enough for a baby chin to get out of in the back of the cage. The cage is 3 cage levels up. One day, as I was cleaning the other side of the room of cages, I noticed a kit running around. He went under a storage cabinet. I went looking for him - pulling out things to find him. Then I noticed the bugger climbing up the cages and back into his mother's cage. I quickly found the escape 'hatch' and fixed it. I then wondered how long that was going on. There are plenty of places for the kit to hide so that I wouldn't notice for awhile if the kit remained hidden

I too have walked into the room and saw a baby run across the room. Most likely got up through an empty feeder, or possibly a pan that was not fully pushed in all the way. Granted, it wasn't weeks old--maybe a day or two at most.

I also had a kit in a run who I didn't see for several days. Turns out there was a small section towards the back where the wall c-clips onto the run that a c-clip came loose, over the time the chins biting at it was able to pull a flap down. I never noticed it while cleaning cages... but it was just large enough for a baby to jump back and forth between cages. It took me a while to find her--most likely because she was constantly back and forth between the two cages at any given time and one female has not bred in 3 years--so I am not expecting anything from her.

It happens...rare but it does happen. I've heard of it happening several times to other breeders, and ranchers. Chins are escape artists, some more then others...

Could the OP be lying? Sure- perhaps she bred two of her chins and this is an excuse to post the cute babies and not get bashed. Or, perhaps a female was pregnant and littered without her knowing, and she didn't find the kit because she was not expecting to see a baby. Heck if its true and her boyfriend has been letting them out for the past several weeks on their own...there is the perfect chance for baby to get out. Considering they were let out in the evenings, and put away in the early morning---he had plenty of time to nurse from mom.

I've got my first chin 4 months ago my second and third 2ish months ago, and my 4th about a month ago. This has all happened so fast. I hadn't planned on getting more for a while cause four chins are a ton of work. I couldn't imagine people with 10+.

Thank you to those that shared stores. You made me feel a bit better. My booger nicked a toe in the big boy cage so he is back in the cat carrier. I'll let him run around in his baby safe fn cage when I can watch him (pseudo playtime seekg as he can't really have playtime.) I'm not sure how he nicked his toe so I want to be able to watch him. I cleaned it with some peroxide qnd but a little of the regular neosporin on it. He hated me cleaning it. I'll watch him closely for infection:

Good to have cleaned it, but if it's only a nick - it should heal up pretty quick.

I agree with Brenda. A good thing to have on hand for little nicks is called Blu Kote - they would sell it at Tractor Supply Company stores, or really any livestock/feed store.

It looks like this.

Please keep us updated.

I am completely new to chins, but this climbing in and out of a cage is not new to me haha. I lived on a dairy farm growing up and we had a jersy mommma that learned to hide her babies. She would push them under the fence and they would sleep in the small patch of trees by the fence. Then at night milking she didnt come in and fed them but was there for morning milking every morning. It wasn't until a worker told me that she started this habit that I watched her. and sure enough she would wait for the cows to be let in barn to call to her baby, and it appeared. Quite smart she was sick of people taking her babies from her haha.

LOL!! On that note - the last Scottish Highlander calf we had born wouldn't stay in the fence either. Every morning I would find him in the middle of my flower garden!

How is the little guy doing? Hopefully you might have some new pics for us!

notforgottenapbt said:

I am completely new to chins, but this climbing in and out of a cage is not new to me haha. I lived on a dairy farm growing up and we had a jersy mommma that learned to hide her babies. She would push them under the fence and they would sleep in the small patch of trees by the fence. Then at night milking she didnt come in and fed them but was there for morning milking every morning. It wasn't until a worker told me that she started this habit that I watched her. and sure enough she would wait for the cows to be let in barn to call to her baby, and it appeared. Quite smart she was sick of people taking her babies from her haha.

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That's really interesting. Kinda makes one feel bad that their babies are taken from them when all they want to do is nurture them.

Jessica

he's doing great! I paired him slowly with my other boy who abesolutely adores him. Its been great for both of them because they snuggling and neither are barking anymore. My baby is just so stinken cute. He's all fur. I'll post a new picture soon. Best accident ever.

Congratulations