Last November (ish), I got a male chinchilla, Wolke, for my female, Annie. I put them together in hopes of them breeding and having kits. Now I did do excessive research and every once in a while I do more. I realize it wasn't very smart for me to breed them since I do not know their genetic history, or whatever you'd call it, but it's a bit late for that now. I put them together not too long after and they got along just fine. Annie has gained some weight and I'm super excited and impatient. As soon as I put her with Wolke, I began tracking her weight. She started out with a steady 1lb 8oz and now she weighs 2lb 5oz. A lot of the weight gain has been recent and from what I've seen from my research, that means she is close to giving birth. Maybe I am being overly impatient, but it feels like she has been close to giving birth for a while. This is her first pregnancy that I know of, her previous owner didn't even know she was a female. Anyway, I guess my question is: Does anyone know how much longer I will have to wait for the kits to be born? I am probably not at all prepared for them, but I just can't wait. Also, any advice on what I should be doing to prepare for the kits and keep Annie healthy would be appreciated.
Pregnant Chin
- Thread starter Josie
- Start date
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I would first separate them right now, the female can breed again right before and right after giving birth, and being pregnant again that quickly can kill the female. I wouldn't put the male back with the female unless you get him neutered (it's a risky surgery). I'm sorry but backyard breeding is not something to encourage, so ok you were stupid, but as you said it's a bit late now, just don't do it again now that you know.
Make sure the female is in a kit safe cage, single level bar spacing 1/2" or less, ideally a short cage (2ft or less tall) not just shelves and ledges removed since kits can climb, and make sure there is nice soft bedding to give birth on. You can give her alfalfa hay to help with the pregnancy and milk production. As to how soon, chins are pregnant for 111 +/- days, so hopefully that helps give you some idea if you know when they mated. I would also get a scale the measures in grams not pounds and ounces, chins weigh so little grams are a more accurate measurement, especially for kits where they should be gaining a couple grams a day.
Next I would look at some of the breeding threads, I'd start with Breeding FAQ and be prepared to need to hand feed kits every couple hours 24 hours a day if the female can't or wont feed them. I would also have a vet you can call at all hours in case something goes wrong, they tend to give birth at night/early morning so not when a vet would be normally open. Also keep in mind that if a c-section is needed it's often a few thousand dollars, so hopefully you have a vet fund of credit card of some sort.
Make sure the female is in a kit safe cage, single level bar spacing 1/2" or less, ideally a short cage (2ft or less tall) not just shelves and ledges removed since kits can climb, and make sure there is nice soft bedding to give birth on. You can give her alfalfa hay to help with the pregnancy and milk production. As to how soon, chins are pregnant for 111 +/- days, so hopefully that helps give you some idea if you know when they mated. I would also get a scale the measures in grams not pounds and ounces, chins weigh so little grams are a more accurate measurement, especially for kits where they should be gaining a couple grams a day.
Next I would look at some of the breeding threads, I'd start with Breeding FAQ and be prepared to need to hand feed kits every couple hours 24 hours a day if the female can't or wont feed them. I would also have a vet you can call at all hours in case something goes wrong, they tend to give birth at night/early morning so not when a vet would be normally open. Also keep in mind that if a c-section is needed it's often a few thousand dollars, so hopefully you have a vet fund of credit card of some sort.
I have already seperated them. I have learned some of what you shared through research and I am grateful that you took the time to help me out. I will try to get a scale that measures in grams soon. Do you know if there is any way to find out your chinchillas history other than asking the previous owner? Annie's previous owner thought she was a he, so I doubt I'll be able to get much reliable information there. Wolke's previous owner seemed more knowledgable about chinchillas, though I never thought to ask. In both cases, I am not sure I have their contact info anymore. I would love to keep breeding, but I want to be safe and as you've pointed out it isn't very smart to backyard breed. Thank you for your help!
Unfortunately if you just got them from someone they may have came from either a pet store or another backyard breeder situation, meaning there might not be any info available to find. Your best bet if you seriously want to get into breeding would be to get chins from a breeder. You need to know the genetic history of the breeding line(s) you want to use, things like do the females tend to have any issues giving birth, are they good milk producers, etc. As well as make sure they are clear of other genetic issues like malocclusion, fur chewing, diabetes, kidney failure, etc. You need to know at least grandparents back, but farther back is better, since some issues can skip generations. You'll also want a breeder that can mentor you and help with pairing, when breeding you really should have a goal in mind, not just creating more chins. 
