Stumpy and Speckles are my little "boo boos"

[ChinnyMama]

I have 2 brothers. One is named Stumpy, he is light gray and the smallest out of all the babies the momma and pappa have made. My freind owns their parents and brothers and sisters. Speckles is a light gray little cuddly guy with spotted ears. My kids call them our little fluffy boo boos.
Lately they have been fighting and I had to seperate their cage into a top and bottom. Stumpy is the aggressor even though he is smaller. Speckles has had blood drawn by him and hair pulled out. I have also noticed pee stains on the wall behind their cage so I believe the agressor Stumpy is spraying and trying to claim the whole damn cage. I have seperated them and have always made sure they had 2 of everything. Just trying to learn what else I can do to help them get along again or try to tame Stumpy a bit. Hoping they don't have to stay seperated forever. All though we do want to grow our little clan of boo boos and try to introduce a female for Speckles. I believe Stumpy is too agressive to be around babies. I only have him because he was attacking the new baby chins that his parents were birthing and they needed to protect the tiny babies.
Anyone have any suggestions other than quarantining the little aggresive guy!?

 

[Amethyst]

Once blood is drawn it's best to just keep them separate for life, chins can and do fight to the death and fighting to the point of drawing blood shows intent to kill. At most you may be able to allow them supervised playtime together if you are able to reintroduce them, but personally I would never trust them caged together again, next time they fight there is a high risk of serious injury or death.

If you do decide to get into breeding make sure you have high quality chins from good genetics at least a couple generations back so you know they are clear on genetic issues (some can skip generations). Maybe I am reading it wrong but it sounds like your friend had the father and son still with mom when she gave birth? If so they risk breed back as well as inbreeding with the son, so that makes me think they are just a back yard breeder though not a responsible breeder at all, so unlikely to have genetically sound chins that should be used for breeding.

If your friend is some a backyard breeder (which sounds likely) I would strongly advise against breeding, without knowing the genetics of the chins you are breeding you could be intentionally dooming chins to a short painful life with conditions like malo, and increasing the number of genetically unknown chins. This is especially true if your friend is allowing inbreeding, meaning they have a much higher likelihood of genetic issues. Genetic issue you want to keep in mind when breeding are things like malo, fur chewing, genetic liver and kidney problems, as well as you need to know any recessive genes that run in the male's genetic line so you don't pick a female that also carries it. There are even some lethal genes so you need to know what mutations you are breeding together since not only can it kill the kits it can kill the mother. On the female side you want to make sure she comes from a good breeding line that doesn't have issues birthing, caring for the kits, or producing milk.

 

[Chinmin]

Welcome to the forum. By chance can you share some photos of your chins?

 

[ChinnyMama]

My friend honestly didn’t even know she had a female and male when she got them. She was told they were both females. She’s gotten them seperated for the most part except the newer babie and the mama and papa. She is learning. I did some research before I brought these 2 home. And they were so friendly for about a year. The fighting is new and makes me so sad. This is how I’ve seperated them for now so they can’t even see each other. And I’m looking to buy a hole seperate cage this weekend. I read a little and once one is aggressive to that they won’t go back so we are learning! Thank you for all that info. I’m glad I found this place. Ive been treating the speckles tail with betadine so it doesn’t get infected and cleaning his bathroom corner a couple times a day. Along with his dust bath for about 10 minutes. Anything else I can do to help the healing?

 

[Amethyst]

I wouldn't give the dust bath until any wounds are healed, you risk getting dust into it which can lead to an infection. A better option to put on the wound would be blu-kote, it basically forms a liquid bandage over it to help it heal. Unfortunately it can happen at any time that the chins have a falling out, it can really be for any reason or for no apparent reason at all, kind of like a married couple, no guarentee they will stay together forever.

Just some other tips, the only safe fabric to use is anti-pill fleece, so those hammocks aren't safe if they ever decide to chew on them. Unlike other fabric fleece doesn't unravel into strings if chewed, strings can end put tangling in the gut if swallowed or around a leg or neck. Also plastic is not safe, if they chew it it can cause a blockage in their gut or even damage the gut as it passes through. Cardboard is also not safe, along with other paper products, if they chew and swallow it it can cause a gut blockage. Lastly, a word of caution about the floor, chins have gotten their feet caught and broken in wire flooring. You may get lucky and none of those things ever happen, but just so you know the risks.

Oh and in case you want to know, the color mutation both chins are is called beige, not light grey.

 

[Chinmin]

Nice cage, too bad they have to be separated. Can you tell if one them is missing the other?

 

[ChinnyMama]

Speckles the one that got beat up is coming out of his hammock more and seems to be eating more. He cries out when I touch his back hip and tail. No open wound on his hip but some missing hair, he’s walking and standing on it fine so I’m assuming some bruising maybe. The carboard is there because stumpy the aggressor kept trying to get up there. The carrdboard will come out as soon as the second cage gets here. They will have 2 of the same exact cage.
I will keep an eye on the hammocks. One has been there a long time with no chewing on it so far. The plastic bowls have been since before I brought them home. I will keep an eye on it.

 

[Chinmin]

How are you bonding with each one?

 

[ChinnyMama]

We hold them every day. We hand feed them apple sticks and other little treats. The kids built them little cardboard and paper houses to explore. That was supervised lol. And so cute and funny. They really weren’t interested and the kids were like heeeeeyyy…. Neither of them have ever but any one of us and usually come up to the door when we open it.

 

[Chinmin]

That's fantastic! Don't worry kids, it's the thought that counts.
Do you allow Stumpy and Speckles to see each other with you watching?

 

[ChinnyMama]

Not in the last week. But once speckles is all healed up I will let them have supervised play again hopefully it goes well. He is healing quickly and his tail is just a little scab now. Hair is starting to grow back on his hip too. So hopefully soon.