Sorry if there is a post on here about this but I was on of 7 and couldn't find anything to match my problem. My chin gave birth to triplets last Sunday, Nov 10. They were 46, 47, and 48 grams. After a week two has gained steadily and are at 70 grams. The little guy has been gaining a gram a day. He is at 55 grams. I have been letting him have alone time with the mom whenever possible. My question is, should I supplement maybe twice a day with the runt? Or leave him go cuz he is gaining but only a gram a day so far. Maybe give goats milk in the morning and at night? (Can only buy the kind in the can in the baking section) Do I add a little bit of baby cereal in with it if I should supplement?
Runt question
- Thread starter Abren603
- Start date
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javachin
Well-known member
You can supplement if you feel its necessary. It is good that he's gaining weight though. The canned goats milk is fine and yes, you can put baby rice or oatmeal cereal in it to thicken it a bit.
Ok and mom won't stop feeding the runt if we do supplement a few times a day? Also. Is it normal for the chin babies to play or is it actually fighting they are doing most likely? It looks like fighting but I don't know if they play and just doing that.
greychins
NWI Chinchillas
I've supplemented the smallest kit sometimes several times daily, but I find, when I'm not there, the kit would still be hungry (I work, so I'm only home in the evenings, really). And they can still drink from mom and gain, but with supplementing, they'll typically gain quicker.
The babies can play, but it can be fighting. My thought -- if it looks like fighting, it probably is. You can pull the baby from mom if he's getting injured (or if he's not, currently, watch, cause if he does get injured, you won't want to leave him with siblings).
The babies can play, but it can be fighting. My thought -- if it looks like fighting, it probably is. You can pull the baby from mom if he's getting injured (or if he's not, currently, watch, cause if he does get injured, you won't want to leave him with siblings).
javachin
Well-known member
Mom still will feed the kit if you are supplementing. As greychins has said, it is probably fighting, and they can injure each other. If that's happening, you might want to increase the number of times you feed him.
6Dusters
Well-known member
You put the drops near the lips and they will take it in. Slow and steady. Let them drink one drop at a time. They let you know when they don't want anymore with a struggle or they try to back up in your hand.
At first the kit will think you are feeding him poison and wiggle. Just continue to be patient. If he takes a drop and refuses, just put him back and rotate the others as much as possible. In the meantime you can try again. He might get enough with mom with rotation and not want the supplement.
That being said, with continued attempts and patience, he will begin to eat. You warm the milk to just "warm". Nothing hot nor cold.
And the kit might just thrive with rotation and you won't have to supplement at all.
You Tube also has video of people hand feeding. You can see examples there.
Note: I just finished hand feeding two boys. Mixing the formula and freezing it in ice cube trays is the way to go if you have not looked into that. It's posted somewhere on the forum in Q&A. Simply remove them when frozen and put in a zip lock bag until you need them.
