Z10 just born yesterday!

[ann1]

They are both super adorable. I especially like the wh sapphire....cute....congrats

 

[Brittany_Lynn]

But the other thing, I think, you still want to handle the babies when they are little so they get used to people, but if you don't want to pet them so much to preserve the nice fur, then how can you do to make them a friendly chin? would you just pet them a little bit, or just give them a lot of dustbaths?

You can hand bathe him, that would also be good for bonding time. Just hold him over the bowl of dust, and get your hand dusty, maybe sprinkle a little on his back, and rub it into his fur all the way down to his skin, softly and slowly. That's what people do for chins who can't bathe because of injuries, and they really enjoy it. That way you can also be sure that you're handling him daily to make him friendly. Maybe take him out and play with him, then give him a bath before putting him back in with mom.
I got Ivan to physically roll in the dust by mimicking a chinchilla roll with my hand :thumbsup:, scratched the floor of the pan with my fingers and everything. Then he tried, and loved it, lol!

 

[Tagna]

I thought you fed Riedstra pellets to your chins.

 

[kathiva]

Yes, my parents do, but I personally have a 50 pound bag of Oxbow pellets with me and I get my parents to buy me one bag when they go pick up food, the bag lasts me about 2-3 months or so, but my parents buy the Riedstra because they are still good and they have so many chins with them, sorry, I didn't mention that properly.

 

[kathiva]

You can hand bathe him, that would also be good for bonding time. Just hold him over the bowl of dust, and get your hand dusty, maybe sprinkle a little on his back, and rub it into his fur all the way down to his skin, softly and slowly. That's what people do for chins who can't bathe because of injuries, and they really enjoy it. That way you can also be sure that you're handling him daily to make him friendly. Maybe take him out and play with him, then give him a bath before putting him back in with mom.
I got Ivan to physically roll in the dust by mimicking a chinchilla roll with my hand :thumbsup:, scratched the floor of the pan with my fingers and everything. Then he tried, and loved it, lol!

Yeah, I had thought about that too, and it's a good idea, thanks!

 

[Tagna]

Yes, my parents do, but I personally have a 50 pound bag of Oxbow pellets with me and I get my parents to buy me one bag when they go pick up food, the bag lasts me about 2-3 months or so, but my parents buy the Riedstra because they are still good and they have so many chins with them, sorry, I didn't mention that properly.

SO why did you send Riedstra with Jade and Pearl if they were at your house on Oxbow? A cold switch then wasn't a good idea. Sorry for going off topic I'm just confused.

 

[lauralynne]

Yes, my parents do, but I personally have a 50 pound bag of Oxbow pellets with me and I get my parents to buy me one bag when they go pick up food, the bag lasts me about 2-3 months or so, but my parents buy the Riedstra because they are still good and they have so many chins with them, sorry, I didn't mention that properly.

Maybe I'm extremely wasteful...I go through about 25lb a month w/ 10 chins...

 

[RDZCRanch]

When I had about 20 chins I went through a 50 lb bad in one months...so I have to agree with Laura that the amount seems off. It shouldn't last you that long with free feeding and mothers with kits and growing kits in your herd. When my females are pregnant, they eat more. When I have kits, they eat more. There's either something wrong with the feed if it's lasting that long or they aren't being free fed.

 

[saphire]

That's about right for me too! 50lbs of Oxbow feed in less than 3 weeks for 40 chins, not including approx. 15 lbs of hay in the same amount of time

 

[mishellyshel]

i got thru 50 lbs in 2 - 2.5 months with 10 ish chins. i could probably stretch it to 3 if i gave a little less because each night i toss what is left over and there is just a little.

i always give fresh food. i reuse the dust a couple times but when it gets gritty i replace it.
not sure if it was ever mentioned, but what kind of dust do you use? maybe you need a better quality dust?

either way, they are cuties.

 

[lauralynne]

I've been told over (and over and over) again by long time ranchers and breeders...3 things MUST be premium...Hay, Feed, Water. Those are the priorities if you want QUALITY (when you have an already established outstanding herd).

 

[Spoof]

Maybe I'm extremely wasteful...I go through about 25lb a month w/ 10 chins...

You probably have 10 adult chins.

Having 5 babies and 5 adults you'd probably only go through 18lbs. Feed consumption depends on time of year, tempeature, how you feed (hoppers or bowls) and the age range of your herd. )

Also very much depends on the quality of your feed. I went from 100pounds of purina complete/Fibre3 mix to literally half that amount by switching to the brown bag (Professional).

 

[kathiva]

Hi

Sorry, I guess I didn't calculate it right, but I have 17 chins with me, where there is 2 newborn babies, so actually 15, and I have two chins that are 4 and 6 months old, and the rest is all adults, so yes, it actually lasts me about 2 months not 3, I just said betwen 2 and 3 because it can last me 2 months and 1 week, and it's true, it depends on the feed, because I find my chins seem to like more the Oxbow than the Riedstra, but my mom, with 40 chins, it lasts her one bag of 50 pounds of the Riedstra only one month

 

[kathiva]

SO why did you send Riedstra with Jade and Pearl if they were at your house on Oxbow? A cold switch then wasn't a good idea. Sorry for going off topic I'm just confused.

Hi

No, Jade and Pearl where not on Oxbow with me yet, my dad brought me some Oxbow not too long ago, and I didn't want to switch the girls with a different feed a few days before leaving for another house, that's why I sent them with a small bag of the Riedstra pellets, I used to give my chins the Riedstra, but I really wanted to give them the Oxbow and I switched the chins that are with me slowly to the Oxbow and they like it lots, I have always given the the Oxbow hay though, just wanted to give them the Oxbow pellets now since they are better quality, so I guess I should have said "I've been giving them the Oxbow" or "I have just started giving the Oxbow" instead of "I give them the Oxbow pellets" because it's sounded like I have been given it to them for a long time.

 

[kathiva]

When I had about 20 chins I went through a 50 lb bad in one months...so I have to agree with Laura that the amount seems off. It shouldn't last you that long with free feeding and mothers with kits and growing kits in your herd. When my females are pregnant, they eat more. When I have kits, they eat more. There's either something wrong with the feed if it's lasting that long or they aren't being free fed.

Hi

How many times a day do you feed your chins then? I fill their food bowls everyday and feed them hay everyday once a day, sometimes I give them twice a day, but I make sure they always have food in their cages, also, I have tried seeing if they want more and given it to them, but I have noticed that it gets wasted because some of them would pee on the hay or will dig on the food dish and leave it on the floor and once it is on the floor they won't eat out of it.

 

[kathiva]

That's about right for me too! 50lbs of Oxbow feed in less than 3 weeks for 40 chins, not including approx. 15 lbs of hay in the same amount of time

Well, yes, my parents go through a 50 pound bag in about a month too for 40 chins too.

 

[kathiva]

not sure if it was ever mentioned, but what kind of dust do you use? maybe you need a better quality dust?

either way, they are cuties.

I buy the crushed limestone dust from Flowertown chinchillas, I haven't tried the blue sparkle or blue cloud dust as I have allergies to dust, trees and grass and they say that the crushed limestone is the best for allergies, but I don't have allergies to fur, so with about 15 chins is good for me, I only sneeze though, so my allergies are not so strong, and will start taking allergy shots soon, to make it better, if I notice that my allegies are getting better then I might try a better kind of dust, and see what happens, I also find the Oxbow hay is the best for my allegies, is all natural and it doesn't have so much dust compared to other brands, I notice the kaytee hay has so much dust that I end up getting watery eyes and a few hives and sneeze like crazy so never bought that brand again.

:wink2:

 

[proudmom25]

I am also allergic to the dust, hay and wood shavings. I try to minimize as much as possible but can relate. I recently switched to the blue cloud and love it. It can be a little hard on the lungs but Allie loved the switch. The first time she bathed in it she started popcorning afterwards. And of course, Jade and Pearl like it too.

Maybe try a closed container (large jar or fishbowl)? That seems to help keep the dust from flying as much.

I buy the crushed limestone dust from Flowertown chinchillas, I haven't tried the blue sparkle or blue cloud dust as I have allergies to dust, trees and grass and they say that the crushed limestone is the best for allergies, but I don't have allergies to fur, so with about 15 chins is good for me, I only sneeze though, so my allergies are not so strong, and will start taking allergy shots soon, to make it better, if I notice that my allegies are getting better then I might try a better kind of dust, and see what happens, I also find the Oxbow hay is the best for my allegies, is all natural and it doesn't have so much dust compared to other brands, I notice the kaytee hay has so much dust that I end up getting watery eyes and a few hives and sneeze like crazy so never bought that brand again.

:wink2:

 

[saphire]

proudmom,
there is a dust bath from the company SAVIC that is ALOT more efficent in keeping dust from flying around as much
http://www.savic.be/wellness-bath

 

[proudmom25]

That is super cool. Looks almost like a spaceship. LOL!

I will have to check it out. Thanks!

proudmom,
there is a dust bath from the company SAVIC that is ALOT more efficent in keeping dust from flying around as much
http://www.savic.be/wellness-bath