Colonies?

[Ash]

So, this is something that has me curious. So many people breed in runs and the idea behind it is so much simpler, shutting the holes, etc. But for those of you who breed in colonies, how do you do it? Do you pull your female when pregnancy is confirmed and put her in a smaller cage? Do you pull the male and leave all the females together? Or do you just leave everyone in together and only pull chins if a problem arises?

Also, on average, how big are your colony cages in correspondence with how many chins are in it and if you leave the babies in?

 

[Megan]

I've used, and still do both. My cages were 30 x 18 x 36 and had 2-3females and 1 male in at any given time. Unless there was a problem, everyone stayed together.

I now use runs. My runs are one of two ways: No one is collared, Everyone is collared( for the females that fight). The runs I DO shut off and contain a female to a hole when she has kits in most cases. I do have one run where the baby is in the run too, and she's doing fine. Large litters get contained, and if I have a female who isnt the mom but wanting to take over the mom duties i'll shut off the real mom. Had to do it with my violet girl. First time mom, and the "proven" mother who doesn't have any kits on her wanted to care for this kit, kicking out real mom. I shut the hole.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I have two colony cages and depending on who I need in the cage and who will get along I'll have between 3 to 5 females with a male.I decide to separate them or leave them together depending on how vigorous the male is and how many females are in the cage. If there are more than 3 females I usually won't leave them together unless they are strongly bonded. If the male is one that ALWAYS wants to breed...I have three that are like that and because of it they are usually in a colony, I'll always take out the pregnant females. Those three males just absolutely cannot leave a female in heat alone.

Other than those two cages I mainly use runs and a few pair breedings. I much prefer my runs because I have a few females that detest the sight and smell of other females. One of my girls is absolutely sweet and loves to cuddle with me and she loves whatever male she's with but she's gotten out of her collar at a previous breeder's house and killed another female. So...a lot of my females HAVE to be in pair breeding or in runs.

 

[CJR]

What does it mean to "collar" them?'

Those three males just absolutely cannot leave a female in heat alone.

Isn't that most guys, though? :hilarious:

 

[tunes]

It's a metal collar that goes around a female's neck. It is used for a run breeding, where you use jump holes on the back of a "run" that goes from cage to cage. One male can service many females that way, and basically the female can't get away. She's stuck in the cage, he gets to run back and forth.

They look like this: http://www.ryersonchinchilla.com/arc015006.jpg

Once you put them on, the female cannot get them off (in theory, some do) and you have to remove it.

 

[starleomach]

I do colonies. I pretty much just leave everyone together to raise the kits. I pull the dad a few days usually. If he is a good dad he goes back in. I pull anyone who is involved in any problems. Many of my colonies though have been and remained together for a few years

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Do you have a high rate of breedbacks in the colonies?

 

[tunes]

Do you have a high rate of breedbacks in the colonies?

No. In 9 years I've had a handful of breedbacks in the entire herd, and none of them have been in the colonies.

 

[Ash]

This was my biggest concern, as well, with colonies. Do you leave your males in, Peggy?

 

[starleomach]

I leave my males in. I have few breedbacks, when I have learned quickly who breedsback and who doesn't. Like I have to pull Mohawk for a few days with Euphrates because she will breed back but if Nile or Danube have kits they do not allow breedbacks. same with Sam and Chibler, when Sam has kits Chibler needs to be pulled. But I only have a handful that I have to pull everyone else regulates very well.

 

[Ash]

Alrighty! And here Tab told me breedbacks were pretty common. Someone go smack her for me! Or just take the "v" away from her chins....