Hoping to get a baby chinchilla

[Caroline]

We are wanting to get a chinchilla and have found a baby on Craigslist. It is still to young (4 weeks old) to be weaned so we need to still wait a few weeks before we can bring it home.
The owner says that she is to busy for her chinchillas and must therefore sell them. Baby has not been handled. The parents are not registered. Mama is a mosaic and papa is grey.
How soon can we bring baby home?
I am wondering if not being handled very much will make a difference in how quickly it will become socialized?
We are very excited to bring this baby home to our family.

 

[starleomach]

It may take a little longer to socialize a chinchilla that has not been handled but it will be fine. Chinchillas are not not the type of animal that gets registered. Congrats to you!

 

[Caroline]

There is also an ad for 4 month old babies, would it be possible to tell what their personalities will be like at that age? Which one would you recommend?


If they aren't registered, how do breeders keep track of bloodlines etc? Could anyone just start breeding and keeping studbooks? (sorry I am a horse and dog person and don't know appropriate chinchilla lingo) How does that all work?

 

[greychins]

Chinchillas' personalities can vary with age. I have a female here who we got in as a baby... super sweet... she's now affectionately referred to (haha) as our alligator-chin....we stay far away from those teeth. I've seen some babies that are sweet that stay sweet, and some not. Really, though, they're still developing their personalities at that age. If I was going for pet-only, I'd actually prefer to get an adult, because they'll be more set in their personalities and you'll know what you're getting.

...however, even that can change. One of our rescues came in as a scared-as-all-heck biter... (he's 3 years) with some handling and time, he's turned out very nice and he's a very sweet chin...but personality is more set once they get older.

Reputable breeders have pedigrees on their chinchillas, and keep track that way. A new chin is born, they write up a pedigree for that baby using the pedigrees of the parents. Unfortunately, a lot of people out there just breed whatever chins they can find, and so those chins mostly aren't pedigreed.

As for registering... I believe there is some registration that can be done with ECBC, though I don't know the details other than the chin has to place a certain place within an ECBC sanctioned show... so it's not quite "registering" the way you'd register a dog with the AKC. With chinchillas, pedigrees are the way it's done.

Anyone could start breeding, but ideally, they'd want to do so with chinchillas that are pedigreed, and more importantly, have done well on the show table. Typically, that doesn't involve going out and purchasing two craigslist chins, sticking them in a cage, and waiting for babies to pop out (though that's what so many people do). Gotta start with the best if you want to get the best.

 

[addictedtochins]

What sex is the kit (baby)? If it was a female I would consider getting the mom and baby now so I could socialize them, esp the kit. If the father wasn't taken out before the kit was born the mother may already be pregnant. Gestation is apx 111 days. I would do a seach of sexing pics on here so you will know for sure if it is a boy or girl kit. Some backyard breeders do not even get that right.
Where apx. are you at? There may be some breeders or shows in your area. Oh, and that reminds me. Reputable breeders will do their best to breed healthy chins without hereditary defects unlike many BYB's. So that may be the best route to go. Welcome to CnH, Theresa

 

[Caroline]

Not to worry, changed my mind. Found Sue Irvin of Viking Chinchillas in Sammamish Washington. We will be going there on Monday to meet her and her chinchillas.