Bitting/Nipping "New Kids" - Help Please !

[grace]

HELP !
I Used To Have Chinchillas As A Teenager, LOVED THEM ! - Smiles.... Many Years Ago... I Recently Purchased A Male And Female From A "Reputable Breeder" Who Said They Were Most Gentle, Never Bit (Please Keep In Mind, I Had Wanted My Grandson To Be Involved, Learning Not Only The Importance Of Caretaking, Also The FUN Of Being Involved With Chins !) Well ... The Male Bites, The Female Nibbles Hard -
I Do Not Recall My Chins EVER Biting Me ! Advice P-L-E-A-S-E ?? As I Want This To Be A Positive Experiance For Both Of Us, As We Will Have These "Kids" For Many Years - Thank You, Grace

 

[chins1222]

are they caged together?

if so i would reccomend seperating them or you will end up with babies, which would be especially bad if they were related or they were not breeding quality

and even if they were males and females are not kept together all the time

as for biting how long have you had them?
didnt you hold them at the breeders? how did they act there?
when did the biting start?

just b/c the breeder says they are "tame" and "friendly" doesnt mean they are, unfortunatly some people just want to get rid of things

for now though i would try to leave them alone so they can get used to their new homes after a week or so try just giving them some treats by hand and try giving them some chin/head scratches and go from there

it may take a while if they were not used to being handled and now they are in a strange new place with new people and sounds so they are scarred and need some time to realize you are not going to hurt them

hope i helped some and i am sure more people will be on with ideas
good luck

oh also giving is some info about their diet,treats,dust baths, cage size and anything else you can give us about their care will help alot

 

[grace]

Reply To Message About My Chins Biting

Thank You !
As For Your Questions (Sorry, I Am New, Not Really Knowing How This Forum Works)...
I Am Feeding Mazuri Feed - Timothy Hay, Alfalfa Blocks, Apple Twigs, Compressed Timothy, Also Pumice Stone Available. I Was Told To Feed Few Treats (Which I Understand, Why Eat The "Good Stuff" If You Can Eat "Candy". I Have A Large Cage Purchased From Pet Smart (3 Levels) And Have Been Giving Dust Baths Every 2 To 3 Days - You Have NO IDEA How MUCH I Appreciate Your Information !!!
My Grandson LOVES Them, However, I Also Want Him To Be Able To Handle These "Kids".
Most Sincerely, Grace

 

[grace]

Gosh ! I Am New At This ! I Wrote Back To You To Answer Your Questions... Well Anyway, I Will Try Again, My Apologies, As I VERY Much Appreciate Your Help !
Their Diet Is Mazuri Feed, Timothy Hay, Apple Twigs, Alfalfa Cubes, Compressed Timothy As Well - I Was Told To Give Few Treats, As All "Kids" Would Prefer "Candy" To "Real" Food. They Are In The Same Cage, The Chins Are Not Related. I Purchased A 3 Tier Cage From Pet-Smart. I Give Dust Baths Every 2 To 3 Days (They Get Along Very Well Together). I Can "scratch" Their Heads, Rub Their Ears, No Problem. Again, If I Am Duplicating Something I Have Already Written, Major Apologies ! Please Forgive The "New Person" Sincerely, Tamara

 

[tunes]

Hi Grace. Can I just make a quick suggestion. Please don't capitalize every word (unless of course you have a keyboard malfunction). It makes your post hard to read, especially for old folks like Becky who has to squint already (ha!).

Try giving this a read: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?p=95#post95. It might have some helpful tips in there for you getting your new guys settled in and a bit more relaxed.

Welcome to CnH! We look forward to seeing pictures of your new family members.

 

[chins1222]

good to hear they are on a good diet and everything

are you planning on breeding? is that your goal to be a breeder etc?

and i would still seprate them even breeder do not keep males and females together year round it will over breed the female and i dont know what the male would do to the babies

plus you need a special baby proof cage so the babies cant get out etc there is alot to breeding if you dont know what you are doing

 

[grace]

Big smiles and thank you - i feel welcomed, grace

 

[chins1222]

no problem

good luck at getting them to calm down
did you read the edit i made to my previous post?

 

[grace]

Thank you chins 1222'
Yes, i would like to have some hetro ebony babies - although i would seperate after birth so as not to have "breed back" (are those the correct words ?). The cage is "child safe" - So i need not worry about that - I was told the male is a good dad with his offspring and has sired 10 kits - then, again, i was told he did not bite ...
i appreciate your interest and educating me, i need it !!! Thank you ! Grace