My mom and I adopted two chins off of craigslist last night. A 2.5 year old female and a 2-3 month old make. They had been housed together. I was told she "might" be pregnant. I was holding her last night and Im pretty sure I felt a baby kick. I did not press on her tummy, but just gently held my hand underneath. I have never had a female before but her nipples seem long. Would anyone have pictures for comparison? Her belly also felt "lumpy" in places by just gently touching. I've tried looking this up on the Internet but am not sure if the sources I found were any good, and could not find pictures of a pregnant Chins underside. The male is of course out of the cage. The female is in a cage with 1/2 inch bar spacing. It's a tiny cage, but a baby safe cage should be coming in the mail any day now from Quality Cages. I'm afraid she could end up giving birth if she is in the larger cage that came with them, which has 1 inch bar spacing. I'm going to call my vet when they open, to see if they can tell me for sure. People are so irresponsible. This whole situation makes me mad. She is currently eating Mazuri pellets. I was going to switch her to oxbow, but I didn't think that would be a good idea if she is pregnant? Thanks guys! Im just panicking realizing I may have taken in more than just two chins.
Possibly pregnant chin?
- Thread starter ReneeM
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Jenn
ZooKeeper
Wow, congrats? Hopefully momma won't have any problems caring for her kits, but learn all you can in case a problem does come up. Good luck, I hope everyone thrives for you. I would love to see pics of your new family when you are up to it 
I will take pics when I get home. I'm out to buy more food that they came with an chew toys/ better hay. My dad saw them running around after I left for work. Two white and one gray. Momma won't eat them if I touch them will she? Only thing I have ever had were baby hamsters and I couldn't touch them. Im calling the mother Mira. The babies are going to be named, I know it
Looks like you took in 5 chins! Congrats. I hope the chinnies do well with momma and get nice and chubby for you. I'm not sure you ought to move momma to the new cage when it comes. People who know more about breeding can confirm. Just seems to me moving her to a new environment when she's caring for babies might be a bad idea. I think many people have their females give birth in 'runs' which aren't very big at all. I'm not sure a small cage is really a huge issue for a momma and kits since you want momma to stay as close to the kits as possible and you want all of them not using up all their energy hopping about. I think it would be safer to leave them there until they are weaned. However, I think you're going to need two kit safe cages. Again others can correct me if I am wrong. But the male and female kits will need to be separated once weaned but might still be able to escape wider bars.
momenteller
Well-known member
I would keep her on the Mazuri. You may want to offer her loose alfalfa hay also. Did you remove any ledges/wheels? I think its okay to touch the babies, in fact, you may want to get a gram scale and weigh them daily to make sure they are gaining weight. If not, you may have to supplement.
Hope mama and babies thrive for you.
Hope mama and babies thrive for you.
The cage is only about 14 inches wide by 24 inches long. It was all I had on such short notice realizing how pregnant she was. I had a cage on order but had to cancel it to order a baby Safe cage. I actually have seven chins p. I have my two boys I have had since august. Mira and the 3 kits, and a baby beige male I took in because his owner was going to take him to the humane society . I'm going to let him settle for a few weeks before trying to find a home for him. I'm his third home in two weeks, along with the female. I didn't want him to go to a humane society, my dad let me take him in on the condition we do try to rehome him. Now we have the three kits to worry about as well. Lol, so much to take in in less than 24 hours!
p. I have my two boys I have had since august. Mira and the 3 kits, and a baby beige male I took in because his owner was going to take him to the humane society . I'm going to let him settle for a few weeks before trying to find a home for him. I'm his third home in two weeks, along with the female. I didn't want him to go to a humane society, my dad let me take him in on the condition we do try to rehome him. Now we have the three kits to worry about as well. Lol, so much to take in in less than 24 hours!
Shooper
"Ellie Mae"
Im so happy that she delivered w/o any problems! Cant wait to see them!
I gave mom fresh fleece when I got home. Everything was covered in blood from their birth. I'm not sure if that was the right thing to do, but I didn't want them to keep walking through it. I managed to get a few pictured of them nursing. Nobody wants to come out from under mom.
Butt shot? The little one was squealing up a storm. Mom made a sound like she was coughing?
I almost died laughing at seeing this. I'm not sure if it's nursing, or sleeping?
Two of the babies are light colored, and one is dark. A slight squabble, before the darker baby went to the other side an an empty nipple.
I'll try and get more pictures later. Is three a big litter for a chin? Should the babies still wobble on their feet? They are only about 5-7 hours old now. Mom had then between 5-7 am. I couldn't sleep and checked on her at 5, my mom found babies at 7.
They were not expected, but boy are they cute!
I'm wondering what colors they are? The dark one I think is a standard? The two light ones, either white or beige? I know nothing about chin colors! I contacted the person who I got them from asking for contact info for the original owner, I wanted more info on them. But that might not be a good idea. I might let her have it for rehoming a female a week away from giving birth.
Butt shot? The little one was squealing up a storm. Mom made a sound like she was coughing?
I almost died laughing at seeing this. I'm not sure if it's nursing, or sleeping?
Two of the babies are light colored, and one is dark. A slight squabble, before the darker baby went to the other side an an empty nipple.
I'll try and get more pictures later. Is three a big litter for a chin? Should the babies still wobble on their feet? They are only about 5-7 hours old now. Mom had then between 5-7 am. I couldn't sleep and checked on her at 5, my mom found babies at 7.
They were not expected, but boy are they cute!
I'm wondering what colors they are? The dark one I think is a standard? The two light ones, either white or beige? I know nothing about chin colors! I contacted the person who I got them from asking for contact info for the original owner, I wanted more info on them. But that might not be a good idea. I might let her have it for rehoming a female a week away from giving birth.
Airyn
Well-known member
Adorable! Congrats again! I hope they do well for you!
I'm in love
I have a question though. The young male she was housed with, his cage is about twelve inches from hers. Does he need to be further away from her? He seems really depressed. He was staring in the direction of her cage today.
I will eventually rehome him, but was wondering if it would be better for him to be bonded? I don't want to stress him out sending him to fourth home right now as it would be his fourth in two weeks. I'm going to keep him with me at least a month or two. Perhaps try bonding him to a male baby? He is a lovely 3 month old beige male. He is supper sweet as well.
I have a question though. The young male she was housed with, his cage is about twelve inches from hers. Does he need to be further away from her? He seems really depressed. He was staring in the direction of her cage today.
I will eventually rehome him, but was wondering if it would be better for him to be bonded? I don't want to stress him out sending him to fourth home right now as it would be his fourth in two weeks. I'm going to keep him with me at least a month or two. Perhaps try bonding him to a male baby? He is a lovely 3 month old beige male. He is supper sweet as well.
Airyn
Well-known member
I only bred once, but I kept my male in the top half of a CN with the mom and kits in the bottom half without issue. Your male has been through an awful lot, so I'm not surprised that he's depressed. I would just give him some time to settle in, as chins really do fine alone. I had my male alone for 2 years before I decided to breed him. Just shower him in love so that he learns what the good life is and he'll be alright.
The male kits are going to be with mom for another 8 weeks, so take it one step at a time. For now, the biggest thing is to make sure all of the kits are nursing and gaining weight. I had 3 kits, had to handfeed one because she couldn't latch on, and had to rotate the other two because one of the kits chomped mom's nipple almost completely off. The culprit died after 8 days, despite my handfeeding and rotation efforts. The other two did perfectly fine. Just enjoy the babies, read the breeding FAQs like it's your job, and keep a close eye on them. Typically everything moves along smoothly and you shouldn't have to do much.
Sending positive juju your way!)
The male kits are going to be with mom for another 8 weeks, so take it one step at a time. For now, the biggest thing is to make sure all of the kits are nursing and gaining weight. I had 3 kits, had to handfeed one because she couldn't latch on, and had to rotate the other two because one of the kits chomped mom's nipple almost completely off. The culprit died after 8 days, despite my handfeeding and rotation efforts. The other two did perfectly fine. Just enjoy the babies, read the breeding FAQs like it's your job, and keep a close eye on them. Typically everything moves along smoothly and you shouldn't have to do much.
Sending positive juju your way!
)
Riven
Bad Chin
Dots in ears wear off fast. I trim the tip of ones tail if I need to tell them apart. It will grow out after several months.
All of the babies together. Mira (the momma) practically jumped out of the cage into my moms arms when we went to weigh the babies. My mom held her while I weighed them. They were 41,43 and 49 grams. I was wondering if around 65 degrees is to cold for newborns? My basement feels chilly to me. Its around 65 though. Our upstairs is around seventy. But the kits and momma are downstairs, away from my older boys.I was reading kits can weigh from 30-70g at birth? Are the previous weights I listed good for newborns? Should I be covering the cage to give them privacy? Nobody is around them except the other male, Moshi. And my dad occasionally watching TV.
Cuddlebug
Well-known member
Those weights are fine for triplets. I prefer to keep kits at a slightly warmer temperature, but that may be just me. You don't need to cover the cage for privacy. They will be fine. You may, however want to cover the cage with 1/2 inch by 1 inch, or 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch, hardware cloth to keep the kits from escaping. Cover the top, too. The little guys can really climb and kits have escaped out of the top of a cage before.
Oh, and it looks like you have 2 pink whites and a standard gray.
Oh, and it looks like you have 2 pink whites and a standard gray.
They are currently in a cage bars that are 1/2 inch between them. It's not a grid though. The horizontal bars are pretty long. I was to afraid to let them stay in the big cage, which has one inch spacing between the bars. I'm keeping my fingers crossed their cage comes tomorrow. I'll talk to my dad and see if he can't warm up the basement.
I was debating switching the quarantine areas (mom and kits are in the basement, Terrance and Phillip are in my room, upstairs). My room is warmer, but my dog sleeps with me. Terrance and Phillip ignore her when she sniffs around their cage or barks at someone coming in the front door. They are used to her, I don't know how kits would react.
I was debating switching the quarantine areas (mom and kits are in the basement, Terrance and Phillip are in my room, upstairs). My room is warmer, but my dog sleeps with me. Terrance and Phillip ignore her when she sniffs around their cage or barks at someone coming in the front door. They are used to her, I don't know how kits would react.
I tried sexing the kits tonight. Im pretty sure I did it right. I believe I have two boys and one girl. I have pictures below:
Baby girl?
If so she is one of the pink whites and will be staying with me as a cage mate for her mommy, Mira. I came up with the name Marika if she is indeed a she.
Baby boy?
Baby boy?
And the terrible Trio together:
I want to name them all so bad, but know I can't. If I do they won't be leaving.
Each baby gained between 2-4 grams since yesterday. I was wondering if that was a good weight gain? The little standard is the biggest at 51 grams.
Baby girl?
If so she is one of the pink whites and will be staying with me as a cage mate for her mommy, Mira. I came up with the name Marika if she is indeed a she.
Baby boy?
Baby boy?
And the terrible Trio together:
I want to name them all so bad, but know I can't. If I do they won't be leaving
.Each baby gained between 2-4 grams since yesterday. I was wondering if that was a good weight gain? The little standard is the biggest at 51 grams.
