Pedigreed Breeders

[tunes]

I'm sure there are some acceptable chins in pet stores but I still think you would be hard pressed to find the next GSC there.

Oh, you would be surprised. Ask the JAGS about their GSC pet store chin that they pretty much started their herd with. I've seen some awfully nice animals come out of pet stores.

The large ranchers are culling these chins for a reason whether it be size, fur, genetics, ect.

This is what I struggle to explain over and over again. No, they are not "culling" these animals. The culled animals go to research. Most wholesalers will not accept adults. They want babies. Babies sell, adults don't. They have a contract that needs filled. They go to a rancher and say "I need X amount of chins." The rancher goes down the aisles and starts pulling out babies. They pull them at anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months. As you know yourself, there is absolutely no way to know what a chin is going to be at 3 months of age or younger. They have a contract to fill, as does the wholesaler, so they send what they have. I have heard more than one person who sells to wholesale comment that they probably shouldn't have let "that" one go, but that they needed to in order to fullfill a contract.

So yes, it is very possible that the next GSC has been sold many times over through pet stores.

 

[Essentia]

A rescue that I took in last year came from a pet store and he was STUNNING. He was big, blocky, beautiful fur...I was dumbfounded. If I knew then that I would be going to a show in the future I would have kept him just to see how well he did. He would have been a little old by now for showing, but I would have shown him anyway.

 

[jags]

Well Peggy you were close, it was a Reserve Grandshow Black male bought from our local pet shop at the time that beat all but one of Shoots string and many other ranchers that showed that day. I do not pull 6 week old babies but some do. I try for the 2-6 month old range to send out in hopes of not sending out my next Grandshow. And people on here might be amazed how many people on here sell to pet shops and wholesalers. Its not about making money as much as it is having an outlet to clear out some animals without resorting to pelting them in the quest to better the breed and make the best quality chinchilla's I can. Be they pet, breeding stock or top show quality.

 

[tunes]

I knew I was in the ballpark - just couldn't remember exactly what you had told me. Thanks for posting that.

 

[aznmexaggie]

My white girl, Gizmo, is from a petstore and took Class Champion at the first show I went to. However, I still decided not to breed her. I just don't want to take that chance when I have access to and can buy high quality animals with known lineages directly from a rancher.

In regards to "breeding because it has a pedigree," I definitely think there are many pedigreed animals that should not be bred. A pedigree does not equal quality. I do not think all of my offspring I produce should be bred even though all my animals have pedigrees. I only breed the very best of my animals or those which I have complimentary mates for. The others I sell as pets or to breeders who may have an animal which may compliment him/her.