A1? I'm so confused!!!!

[Andrea]

How could a kit survive outside of a cage for that amount of time? I'm not saying it's impossible but he's 150g which is 50g less than what most breeders wean at.

The OP said she thought the beige female was the mother because the kit is beige, which would make sense if her only male is standard, however, yes...if the mother got pregnant prior to living with the OP then the father could have beige genes and it could have been any of the females who birthed the kit. It just seems very, very odd to me that the kit has just now been discovered, and he's clearly not even near to newborn age.

 

[jags]

I would check all females you have for engorged nipples and also possibly missing fur from around the nipples, one of them is more than likely the mother.

 

[addictedtochins]

What is your cage set-up like? Could he have left and gotten back in his cage by himself at will? Maybe he just reached the size where he felt he couldn't get back in the cage with his mom.

 

[Vyxxin]

First, congrats on the cutie pie. Second, what an oddity! He is definitely NOT a newborn, and appears to be either beige OR brown velvet (could just be the photo). I haven't delved into your past posts...but a bit of history on your chins may help if your boyfriend isn't owning up to it I do not suspect the chin was a gift though considering it's size...as NO responsible breeder sells kits that young/small. That all said, a bit of history will help. Your females, how long have you had each and could they have been exposed to a male during that time? Also, any idea how you could miss a kit this long? Even if it was escaping the cage daily (which IS possible) there is NO way you'd miss seeing him that long. So yes, check nipples as that will be the ONLY way to tell who the mother is...if no nipple elongation then there is a real problem. Either your other half is lying...or? Do you have any close friends/family that would surprise you with a chinny that no breeder should've sold?

 

[Godins Chinchillas]

well if he/she was a gift it certainly didn't come from me. There has been alot of babies on craigslist lately in our area. Check your females. Do you let them all out at playtime together?

 

[muzzyj]

Wow....ok I had quiet the night. So. After talking to my boyfriend, he fessed up to giving the chinnies unmonitored playtime when I leave for work. The room is completely chinproof, but I personally think its way too scarey not monitoring them. He said he lets the girls run around all together nightly, and typically they go back in the cages on their own....mind you I didn't have them all caged together until a few days ago...Anyway. He said he's been lazy the past few weeks and he has been just making sure they are all back by 5-6am...I get home between 7:30 and 8 am. So there was ample time for the booger to escape. I just don't understand how the heck he looks so healthy. I do have a couple of smaller tubes in the cage, 4 in diameter, 6 in length. They are mounted to the cage, and honestly I don't check them, so tha'ts the only place I could think he could of hidden...I feel like such an awful chin mommy for missing this. Until last week, I was working 5-6 overnights a week, and I'd give my babies their play time for about 30 minutes before I went in. (Coy ALWAYS gets separate play time because I'm not ready for chin babies...obviously).

I checked all of my girls, and Peppers nipples are red and longer then the other two...not as long as some of the pictures I've seen on the forum though. My black velvet I had for like 2 weeks, and Snowy I've had for about 2 months, but shes only 6 months old. She's still a peanut, and not even 500g yet.

So my surprise....has been doing well. He finished the hay pile I gave him last night, he looks like he played more with the pellets than ate them. (they are all over the cage lol). He's been taking goats milk from me. I'm so glad we have a local whole food store. He seems to like the milk. The last feed I did was at 8am my time and he took 3mls. He's doing ok with the water bottle. It seems like he knows how to use it, which is a good sign. He truely is a lucky little guy.

 

[muzzyj]

Also. There will be no more unsupervised play times. My boy thought he was doing me a favor by letting them out, but apparently he didn't realize that it was a VERY bad idea. I told him they would be fine with the one playtime a day I give them already, they really don't need a second one that lasts all night. -.-

 

[LovinTheSmallAndFurry]

Wow......I would be PISSED.


On another subject, how old is the little tyke ya think? :tease:

 

[muzzyj]

I have no clue...I have nooo experience with kits. my guess is 3-4 weeks? Anyone with more experience?

 

[Becky]

He is at least a month old. I am sure he went back and forth in and out of the cage to be with mom. He is old enough to wean, if need be. I would also add a dry mix for him.

From our FAQs:

As an added nutritional boost, you can place the following formula that the JAGS developed in the cage with mom and the babies. Moms seem to enjoy it just as much as the kits. Be sure to provide hay, pellets, and fresh water along with this formula.

1 part calf or goat milk replacer (a dry formula-purchase at a feed store)
1 part crushed pellets
1 part 50/50 mixture of dry rice and oatmeal baby cereal

(Tip - A coffee grinder makes quick work of the pellets.)

 

[muzzyj]

He is at least a month old. I am sure he went back and forth in and out of the cage to be with mom. He is old enough to wean, if need be. I would also add a dry mix for him.

From our FAQs:

As an added nutritional boost, you can place the following formula that the JAGS developed in the cage with mom and the babies. Moms seem to enjoy it just as much as the kits. Be sure to provide hay, pellets, and fresh water along with this formula.

1 part calf or goat milk replacer (a dry formula-purchase at a feed store)
1 part crushed pellets
1 part 50/50 mixture of dry rice and oatmeal baby cereal

(Tip - A coffee grinder makes quick work of the pellets.)

Thank you!!! I'll try this

 

[addictedtochins]

Wow! Sounds like a new Discovery Health channel show. "I didn't know she was pregnant and had a toddler!"
Weigh him every day at about the same time to make sure is he gaining.

 

[Runewitch77]

I'm not an expert in breeding as have had chinnies for over 10 yrs but always male pairs.
Last Sept we lost 6yr old Charlie after a tooth op so got a (supposedly) non breeding female who had lost her partner from the pre-loved website as they were both miserable alone.
Chocolate & Ollie (in my profile pic) surprised us on 8th April with 2 gorgeous kits. They were born in the early hours (I found them in the morn) & I couldn't believe how big they were for newborns. By evening they were so active, they were running around fast & were climbing out through the cage bars (they were in a 6ft high cage with a tube around the outside & many levels but Mum had sensibly chosen to have them at the base of the cage in the house they rarely used). I saw one of the cats under the cage & thought, what is going on, then found a kit, luckily unharmed!
Put baby back in the cage & tried to kit proof it by tying cardboard all the way around the inside but the kits were little houdinis & as I watched, jumped above the cardboard (about 6 times their height!) & climed through the bars again! Played it safe this time & moved Mum & babies to a small, standby cage with 1/2 inch square mesh.

Even at 1 mth old when they looked far too big to get through, when I held Jazz up to say hello to Ollie in the big cage she grabbed the bars & pulled herself through. Luckily she is v friendly & got straight back into my hands so I caught her again no probs.

The point of this is;
A) The chinny newborns were far bigger than I expected them to be, and
B) They are agile enough & can sqeeze themselves thin enough (all that fur!) to get through bars you never think they could.

So, MuzzyJ, maybe you are not as mad as you seem to think you are!

Our babies (Jazz, female-Jazzy Jasmine & Oscar, little boy) are now nearly 2 mths old & last night I was finally able to put them back in the big cage. Ollie has been neutured & our little family seem really happy together + the babies are loving the big, metal John Hopewell wheel.

Now, I'm trying to find out when I need to have Oscar neutured so he doesn't impregnate his mum & sister! I've read in various places not to get him done until a year old but I've also read they can be sexually active from 8 mths old so I'm wondering if I can get him done earlier than a year? If anyone out there knows, please help! Experienced breeders only though please as conflicting advice only confuses. Many thanks

Good luck with yours MuzzyJ x

 

[RDZCRanch]

MuzzyJ-Oscar should be separated from the rest of the "family" until he can be neutered. Males can become sexually mature at 8 WEEKS not 8 months. Until he is older and can handle the surgery, he needs to be separated. You will have to talk to your personal veterinarian about when they recommend the surgery be done.

 

[muzzyj]

MuzzyJ-Oscar should be separated from the rest of the "family" until he can be neutered. Males can become sexually mature at 8 WEEKS not 8 months. Until he is older and can handle the surgery, he needs to be separated. You will have to talk to your personal veterinarian about when they recommend the surgery be done.

Not me with Oscar

 

[Mikayla]

How is he this morning? Is he on his own or with his supposed mom?

He's lucky one And a cute one!

 

[Dewdrop]

Wow, that's wild!

 

[Amphy64]

Our babies (Jazz, female-Jazzy Jasmine & Oscar, little boy) are now nearly 2 mths old & last night I was finally able to put them back in the big cage. Ollie has been neutured & our little family seem really happy together + the babies are loving the big, metal John Hopewell wheel.

Now, I'm trying to find out when I need to have Oscar neutured so he doesn't impregnate his mum & sister!

I may have misunderstood, but you have them all in together, dad, mum, and youngsters? If so, keeping two males, even neutered males, in the same cage together with females is very risky, they will still want to mate with the females when they come into heat and could fight and kill each other. As said, Oscar needs to be separated anyway.


Lucky is a cutie, and it sounds as though the name is very appropriate. I'm amazed at the story.

 

[momenteller]

This is all so.... unbelievable. :err:

 

[muzzyj]

Boyfriend is lucky that i found a live kit... He'd be in even more trouble if... Well no need to go on. I've searched and haven't found another thankfully. I think lucky was an only child. He's doing well. Full of energy.