Intro info

[kendra]

I was searching the forum about intros and notice there isn't any real specific "these are signs to break up/stop intro" and "this is normal" so don't freak out (or there are and I'm totally blind which is possible too!) so I thought it may be helpful to have something

My understanding at least is

bad: blood drawn, overstressed chin, large amounts of fur slip

normal: some dominance humping, small amounts of fur slip, chasing, kacking

and no matter what to be there supervising because normal can turn bad easily!

 

[mrbojangles13]

i am also intrested. if anyone could offer up any more info i would greatly apreciate it. also what is considered small amounts of fur slip? when is the line drawn?

 

[chinclub]

Your biggest concern is biting. If one chinchilla is chasing the other non stop and pulling out mouth fulls of fur this is not bonding and they should be separated. If they are doing short bursts of chasing with small amounts of fur loss combined with nose to nose yelling with no biting and mutual humping they are working out the relationship and you should let them keep at it. Always stay close by and watch closely. If they lock up and start rolling separate them immediately.

 

[Rickman]

If they lock-up, you're already too late! Someone's gonna be hurt!
You'll know seperation time!

 

[CommonYak]

introductions with poor outcomes

Once I was supervising an intro between hkkjstwcl's chins, Giorgos and Adonis. (She may have pics up of the two.) The erstwhile companions decided that they'd had enough and started to quarrel in earnest. Somehow, I could see things were going wrong, and I managed to interpose my hand just as it began (mere luck, I am not usually that fast). There was a blur of movement; after a pregnant pause I lifted my arm and found a startled and perplexed Giorgos hanging off of me with his teeth sunk into my hand. After a few painful seconds, he dropped off and went about his business.

If it hadn't hurt so much, the look on Giorgos' face would have been funny. He seemed quite surprised and confused at the new outcome. At least the chins were uninjured.

Here are some observations I have made supervising various introductions:

1. I should be wearing gloves if I stick my hand between quarreling chins.

2. If the chasing becomes relatively continuous and desperate, things tend not to end well.

3. It seems that if a chin has had the experience of been bitten in a previous introduction, he may be more prone to bite during a subsequent intro. (Even if the subsequent intro is weeks or months later.)

4. A chin that has tried to bite someone before may be prone to do it again.

5. Some of them seem to have personalities that are more "open" to meeting new playmates.

Because my observations are limited to a handful of intros, some of what I saw may have been coincidental. Do others experiences support or contradict these observations?

 

[Laurie]

I also wanted to add check for bites are ears and toes. Also with girls, it's normal for them to spray each other to assert dominance--males don't spray.

 

[chinclub]

Yes, I should have added wear gloves if you don't like bites! :laughitup: Usually all goes well, but every once in awhile even chinchillas that have been properly introduced in side by side cages with go straight to the lock up the moment you put them together. I never latch the cage during an intro I hold it closed with my hand. This is because you never know when you will have to separate immediately. I have certainly had my share of bites, especially from the ranch run girls. Its always funny when they realize they have bitten you. You can see the "Oops" in their little face.