babies

[kylierie]

hey
my baby chinchillas are about 7 weeks old how long do i have to keep them with their mom for. and did any one have to hand feed their baby chinchilla because mine will eat with me and not anybody else please give info thanks

 

[chechinchillas]

I wean my babies at about 8 weeks and 200 grams. I have weaned them as late as 10 weeks and have seen them still nursing at that age. It also depends on the individual kit. If I have triplets and 1 of them is a little smaller I will wean the other 2 at about 8 weeks and let the little one stay with mom until 10 weeks. When you say hand feed do you mean feeding goats milk with an eye dropper? or are you referring to pellets and hay? I don't feed goats milk unless the baby is not getting milk from mom due to death or a large litter, etc.

 

[kylierie]

My female chinchilla rejected one of the babies at birth so i took him to the vet and they told me to give him kitten formal and to use ether a syringes or an i dropper and hand feed since his mom bite off his tail and was never feeding him. but i am wonder when i can tell if they are a female or a male so that i do not have any unplanned babies

 

[Cuddlebug]

You can tell as soon as they are born. Gently lift up on the tail with the rear end facing you. If you see a gap between the anus and the urethral cone, it's a boy. No gap, it's a girl. For future reference, do not use kitten or puppy formula for chinchillas, use goat's milk.

 

[kylierie]

you can tell when they are born? the vets told me kitty formula

 

[Cuddlebug]

If you post pictures of them we will be able to tell you what genders they are. Start by placing them on the table in front of you with their rear end facing you. Lift up gently using the tail until the back feet no longer touch the table. Take your pictures.

Goat's milk is better for them. Kitten formula is formulated for carnivores and has to much protein in it. Chins are herbivores, hence the need need for a low protein diet. They just do a whole lot better on the goat's milk.

 

[kylierie]

hey is their any way i can e mail you pictures i do not know how to post pictures on here sorry

 

[Terbear24]

I have weaned babies as early as 6 weeks and as late as 10 weeks it just depends on the chins. Although if they are 7 weeks old they should be eating regular food. If you have never offered them hay or pellets before they wont know what to do.
At just a few days old I have seen babies munching on hay and pellets and watching mom is how they learn

 

[kylierie]

the baby does not have its mom to watch over is their anything i can do to help him learn on his own