Puberty

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

When do males and females go through the stage of puberty? What can be expected?

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

I'm not too sure on the specific age, but I think it's around the 9month + for when it starts... but that's basically just a guess...

I know my younger boy will rub his penis and mess with that whole area more. Stolie seems only to do self hair ring checks, as where Sambuca will play with it just simply to play with it. He tends to be a bit moodier (not just in a mean way) and has shown the most change in personality since I have had him.

 

[Diva Chins]

Doof first went into heat when she was 11 months old. Aiko first went into heat at 10 months old, Rini has yet to go into heat (from what I've observed).
Doof was messing with her genital area a lot, as well as Aiko but Aiko swelled a bit from messing with her area so much. (She was still with her other owner during her first heat cycle)

 

[starleomach]

other than what is listed above I find that when my chins reach puberty, they also try to re-hash dominance. often if they were put in with older chinchillas when they were babies, the chins when they reach puberty will sometimes try to become doninant so I will see some minor squabbles while it is all worked out between them

 

[Chinniechantel]

Female chins can go into heat as early as 7 weeks...I believe someone had a pregant 9 week old chin?

 

[razberry224]

Female chins can go into heat as early as 7 weeks...I believe someone had a pregant 9 week old chin?

I did not know that, a pregant 9 week old chin.

 

[Chinniechantel]

Yes, that is why it is so important to wean male kits at 8 weeks, and keep baby girls away from daddy after 8 weeks as well.

 

[Jaina_Organasolo]

My males went through Puberty at 7 months old. This is fairly normal i believe.

Behavourial syptoms were increased mounting/working out dominance - which including going to their hind legs and almost boxing like rabbits. They frequently squabbled verbally between themselves and spend a couple of weeks chasing each other around the cage. No biting or real violence occured. The testicles also descended so they were visable.

By 8 months, the behaviour had stopped and they were back to their usual peaceful selves. No-one warned me- it was a bit of a shock to the system I can tell you!!

 

[Sandi]

This is good to know. I guess that is why I joined this forum, to learn. I have a 3 1/2 month old male with a 1 year old male and I've been noticing them trying to mount each other for about a split second then whoever is getting mounted jumps away asap.

 

[heymom32000]

Mounting and dominance are 2 signs of puberty for males or at least has been my experience.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

^I'm glad this is useful to someone else. All my males are past puberty...a couple years past it. But this girl I go to school with has a male who's only a couple months old ask me when male chins with through puberty. Said something about him latching on to her hand with his front paws and such. He doesn't do anything just gabs her hand with his front paws and stands there. To me, it doesn't sound like he's trying to hump her (thats what she thinks)

 

[Jaina_Organasolo]

From what I have heard, Single males can go through hand humping (but i think you're right, i don't think he's there yet) They can also undergo a personality change, often becomimg 'stroppy' and sulky with owners.
She'll know when he hits it for sure.

 

[VanessaBobby]

Our chin is about a year and half and he recently started the "hand humping" where he grabs onto my hand and then does his thing..... is that puberty? is there something we could give him for that, meaning a toy or some kind of outlet for their "urges"? we were shocked the first time it happened, so happy to hear on the pages that it's a normal chin habbit.

 

[bryhansen]

We've had our chin for a little over a month and at 2 years old or so and now that he is comfortable around us he does go for the hand hump quite often, or even tries to hump my foot during play time.
We are looking into getting a second male and hope to cage them together, is that a good idea? He isn't agressive at all, just seems to have this humping habbit.

Thanks!

 

[jfleenor2]

My Weeko hit puberty at 10 months. At that time her and Picchu shared a cage, slept together, and got along well. Picchu was about 5 1/2 yrs old. Then Weeko started the dominance hump, Picchu would run away and Weeko would chase after her. Then Picchu said "That's it!" and she attacked.

Now they can't be together. Weeko still wants to hump and Picchu attacks. Other than that, I didn't see any other change in Weeko's behavior. She still acts like a silly kid. She's almost 2 now.

 

[Gumby and Elmo]

Elmo hit puberty around 5months, (very obvious >.<, he was grumpy, wanted everything his way, wanted to hump EVERYTHING!!) I thought I was gonna have to separate them, cause Elmo was being such a meanie to Gumby.

 

[lydz]

Will they act different to each other during this time if they are brothers and have been together since day one?

 

[leitnickgirl]

My chinchilla is only around 4 months (almost five!) and he's acting really grouchy. My boyfriend says he caught Po self gratifying in his cage today, and he has been tending to his nether regions lately... Could this be the start of puberty? And will he grow out of the sulkiness?

 

[ljiayi]

How will the hand humping look like?? The chin is completely on your hand or what?

Also, will the humping stop or it will be an on and off thing after they experience puberty?

 

[ticklechin]

Hand humping looks like the name, the chin jumps on and tries to do the act, some grow out of it, some don't. I have a 10 year old who I have a daily battle with when I go in his cage to service it. Cleaning the penis will go on for a lifetime, they will do it as needed, puberty lasts until around a year/year and a half, where chins become more psycho than usual.