Sex
Pairing
Introducing
Separation
Sexual Maturity
Signs of Pregnancy
Fur Ring
Gestation
Difficult Births
Hand Rearing and Baby Saving
Weaning
Pairing and Polygamous
Colour Breeding


Sex
Sexing a chinchilla can be very difficult and often a pet shop or inexperienced breeder will sell you the wrong sex they have told you it is, as they have not checked properly or do not actually know. Always double-check what sex you are getting don’t be foolish enough to believe their word.

To help you check for yourself, the picture below shows the male chinchillas genitalia, please notice there is a distinctive gap between its rectum and sheath (penis foreskin):

Whereas in the picture below of a female chinchillas, there is clearly no gap:

I hope these help you decide?!

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Pairing

If you are buying a pair of chinchillas, you wish to live in the same cage together, you should be aware that one day (if they opposite sexes) there will be babies.

There are two main ways in which to avoid this:

Castration – this is one option I strongly discourage against, unless it is for the benefit of the males health. There are many risks involved with operating on such small animals, I am sure there are success stories, but personally I would never put my chin through such an unnecessary procedure. The main risk is the aesthetic, as chins are such small animals they loose an awful lot of body heat, then there is shock which can kill instantly or days later and of course there is always the risk of infection or complications. I would seriously look at all other options before choosing this one.

Same Sex Pairing – This in my opinion is the best way of avoiding unwanted kits. This can be done successfully as long as the chinchillas are introduced in the correct way (see Introducing).

There may be occasions when fights or arguments break out, usually between males if there is a female in the same room who is on heat, but generally speaking this type of pairing can be very successful.


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Introducing
I do not agree with people who suggest putting one chinchillas in a smaller cage inside the larger cage where the other chinchilla lives, chinchillas do not like being over shadowed and one shouldn’t be made to feel dominated by the other. And a smaller cage to fit into a doorway of a larger cage must be very small and inadequate for a chin to live in. The best way in my opinion, to introduce the perspective mates is to put them in separate cages, side-by-side so they can see and chatter to each other. However make sure there is a 2inch gap in-between, as fingers may be nibbled otherwise!

This should be done for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks. In this time, as long as they are under constant supervision, they can be let out for short plays together. You can also put their bath in the middle of the room, as they should happily share it.

After the 2 weeks (or longer) when you do introduce them both into the same cage you should stay quietly in the room for a few hours, checking on them as often as you can that night.

If they fight, separate them and leave it a little longer, if they persist after more time, try putting them in together during the day and separating them on a night for a further 2 weeks.

It is very rare that chinchillas don’t entertain a mate, but it can happen!


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Separation
The only time you should need to separate two breeding chinchillas is when a female gives birth, when this occurs the male should be removed for a period of 2 weeks into a separate cage, again side-by-side. This is done to avoid a ‘breed back’. When a female gives birth she comes back into season and risks getting pregnant again, if this happens she can become worn out, and it is not good for her health.

The male should pose no problems when put back in with the female and her kits, however it can happen and if it does, don’t panic! Just remove the male until the kits have been weaned at 8-10 weeks and re-introduce him again over the 2week period.


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Sexual Maturity
Female chinchillas can become sexually mature by the age of 5 months, however they should not be bred with until they are at least 7 months, 9 months being the best age. This is to ensure the female is fully grown herself before she has kits.

If a chinchilla is left longer then a year to 18 months before being bred from, then the process can take longer, in some cases up to 2 years before having their first kits.

If there are still no kits after this time, one or more of the mates may be infertile or incompatible. If this occurs you should try a different paring to get results.

A male can become sexually mature from around 6 months, however he is still a youngster, so again the 9-10 month age is better for breeding.

A female will ovulate (come into season) every 28 days, however during the summer, March to September this process usually slows down. The peak breeding time being in the cooler months of October to February.

Some females may mate for a couple of years and then all of a sudden stop producing any offspring, this is usually a result of a congested uterus from either a long term infection or unborn foetus in the uterine horns, these are kits conceived but not gone the full gestation period when this happens the female re-absorbs them back into her system, unfortunately the skeleton can remain, leaving her infertile.


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Signs of Pregnancy
Usually mating will not be seen as it is done late at night or early hours of the morning.

If you do see mating occurring you should be thorough in checking for a ‘plug’, if you find one you should make a note on a calendar, of 111 days from the date of finding the plug. The kits should be born plus or minus 5 days from this date. If you examine the females’ genitals you will notice that the slit between the anus and the urethra cone will be open and moist. If the female is not in season this will be tightly closed.

Sometimes the only indication that mating has occurred will be small tufts of fur on the bottom of the pairs cage.

Finding a 'stopper’ or ‘plug’ is the best indication of mating NOT pregnancy. Often more then one will be found; the last to be found should be the date you count the 111 days from.

A 'stopper’ or ‘plug’ is the male's ejaculation of a waxy substance that sets in the female's vagina to seal the opening and keep his sperm within. After a couple of hours when the sperm is safely high up the female's uterus and conception begins the 'stopper’ or ‘plug’ drops out of the female's vagina. It is usually found in the debris below the cage the following morning, when fresh, it is white, waxy mucus in a cone-like shape, it is quite bendy and flexible, about an inch to an inch and a half long. If it's older when you find it, (see picture below) it will have dried into a off white hazy opaque colour and will be solid.

Often only parts of the 'stopper’ or ‘plug’ are found, as the female will eat it. (Yuk!)

The stopper looks like the drawing or picture below:

This drawing is supplied by www.chingus.freeserve.co.uk

The picture below is of a 1 day old plug, so it is dry and shrivelled. I will try and take a better photo, but finding whole plugs better then this is a tough job!

In the last few weeks of pregnancy you can sometimes see the babies moving, the female will appear larger then usually, at this point she should only be handled when absolutely necessary and never by the tail. During the last few weeks she may appear a little withdrawn, quiet and even aggressive towards her mate, if she has a nest box, she will spend more and more time inside it.

It is also in the last stages were you will find her lying on her side more frequently.

Constipation may occur, and they urinate more then usual, this is due to the pressure of the babies on her bowels and bladder.

Usually after 60 days of pregnancy a females teats will become pink and enlarged.

If you suspect or know when kit(s) are due it is a good idea to lay paper on the bottom of the cage so the kit(s) do not get their legs stuck through the wires. Also the female shouldn’t be given a bath 10 days before and 2 weeks after the birth. In the first instance this is to avoid the babies being killed by the mother rolling about in the dust and in case she decides to litter in the bath, which can kill the kit(s) if their airways are blocked from the sand and; in the second instance it is to avoid sand collecting around the teats causing difficulty for the babies to suckle and also because the female becomes open and in season again, the sand can cause infection.


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Fur Ring
Once a month (or more if prone), after mating or suspected mating; a male’s penis should be inspected for fur rings. This is very common in younger inexperienced males.

A fur ring is a gathering of fur underneath a male’s sheath (foreskin) around his penis. This can become very tight and a danger to his health, future breeding and life if not removed. To remove a fur ring you should get a small bowl of lukewarm water with some cotton wool and a small pair of nail scissors. Ensuring the penis is well lubricated with the cotton wool and warm water, (get someone else to hold the male) gently tease back the sheath, not to far as this could result in permanent damage if the penis does not go back in. The tightly caught fur around the penis should be carefully cut of using very small snips of the scissors. The penis should then be gently put back into the sheath. And checked daily for a few weeks, then weekly thereafter.

The picture below is of a fur ring kindly submitted by Jessica of United Chindom I would note that you shouldn't pull the penis out to far as it can result in permanent damage.

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Gestation
Gestation period means the length of time in which a female is pregnant. Chinchillas' gestation period is 111 days long, here is a gestation chart that you can print off to help you calculate the due date of your kits:


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Difficult Births
If the female is experiencing difficulties during birth there are unfortunately few things you can do to help. If you feel a caesarean is needed then she should be taken immediately to a vet.

It is very rare you will see a birth, as they tend to have their kit(s) early hours of the morning, usually I find them when I check on them every morning around 7am the kit(s) are usually dry.

If a breach birth occurs (tail and back feet out first) and the female is having difficulty pushing, you can help her by using a small pipette full off warm water for lubrication and very gently pulling the babies base of the tail towards the mothers nose in an upwards movement, ONLY do this when the mother pushes.

It is very important for the female to eat her afterbirth once she has finished delivering, I know it seems yucky but it contains lots of vitamins and minerals and is good for helping her strength back up.

This is our first baby seconds after she was born, Hunny with mum Ripple, she was completely unexpected and we were not very prepared, fortunately mum was experienced, she delivered and raised Hunny with no problems.
 

Just to show you how quickly they can grow here is Hunny the day after she was born!

When a female is in labour, if she looks to be having no difficulties; she should be left alone quietly for a few hours. After she has eaten her after birth and cleaned herself and her babies, she should be gently inspected, checking her nipples and genitals for a tears, sores and discomfort. If all appears well you should give mother and kit(s) a little time to settle.

Please see our births page for details of a natural birth start to finish.


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Hand Rearing and Baby Saving
The biggest problem new born babies face when they are born is the cold. If you know what the due date of your female is; it is a good idea (if your chinchillas are kept in a unit, shed or garage outside) to have a baby heater ready. These are placed under the cage and help dry mum and the babies but more importantly keep them all nice and warm.

If babies are found to be strong and healthy but still very wet, a quick brisk rubbing with a soft towel will save time in drying and cut the chances of the baby’s chilling.

If babies are found wet and chilled, or even if they appear dead or stiff, you can do wonders by quickly immersing them in hot water and massaging them briskly with only the tips of their noses being out of the water. Take the baby in one hand, lay it on its back, with your thumb on its abdomen and immerse it until only its nose is above the hot water. Massage by pressing the thumb into the abdomen and arch the back by bringing your index and little finger to a closing position toward the thumb. This action of pressing on the chest and flexing the body will pump a heavy mucous out of the baby’s lungs. As soon as you have done this a few times, blow quickly and hard into the baby’s mouth to expand the lungs. (Or use oxygen). At this stage, the baby will usually start to gasp; in a few minutes you can have it going and as soon as it seems warmed up it can be dried with a hot towel or hair drier and placed in a warm box that has a heating pad or light bulb in it.

Check the babies every few hours to see if their stomachs are full and warm. If a baby’s stomach is not filled and warm, it needs milk. Note to see if babies are fighting Hungry babies fight over the mother’s nipples and injure them, making them so sore that when the babies attempt to nurse the mother bites them by the head or nose to pull them away. A bite to the head can be fatal and a bite to the nose can cause swelling, aspiration of milk into the lungs when babies try to nurse and then death by pneumonia.

It is very important the babies take the first lot of milk from their mother as it contains colostrums (vital antibodies to fight off infection or disease). If the kits tummies don’t feel full you may have to help mum by hand feeding them, if she is aggressive or oblivious to her kit(s), if she is not producing any milk or if she dies during birth, then you may have to hand rear them fully. Before doing this you should. look for a foster/surrogate mother, they usually take well and may look at bit odd with one large baby and one small, but the chinchilla can look after it’s own far better then we can.

A very good tip a reputable NCS breeder told me to help bring on the milk after the birth has occurred, is to give the female a small hand full of unfertilised grass.

For hand rearing you will need:

A pipette or small syringe
A small animal box (like a plastic fish tank or gerbil house)
Evaporated milk (small tin) or kitten/puppy milk

As a good rule of thumb it is always best to have these things in if you own chinchillas and have them breeding as sometimes it can be totally unexpected, it’s always better to be prepared.

If you do need to hand rear; the kit(s) should be separated from the mother and put in the small animal box with lots of bedding, (sawdust and ripped up paper). This should then be sat on a heat pad, radiator (which has been covered with a towel) or hot water bottle.

Evaporated Milk

I prefer this method as all the babies I have hand reared have never refused, it was recommended to me by an NCS breeder who has being breeding for 19years and has only lost very few kits, hers have also never refused it and taken very well. The Formula for this is:

1tbsp Evaporated Milk to
1tbsp Boiled Water
A Pinch of Glucose
1 Drop of Abbideck

Puppy or Kitten Milk

I have personally never used this form of feed so I would go by the manufacturers instructions.

Cows Milk

If you are caught off guard with any births you can use ordinary milk you have in the fridge. The formula for this is:

2tbsp Milk to
1tbsp Boiled Water
Pinch of Glucose

Whichever you decide to use it should be warmed up, before being put in the pipette or syringe and as you would with our babies milk you should first check this is not too hot by putting a little on your wrist before feeding the kit(s).

To feed the kit(s) you should hold it in one hand with its back on your palm, it will wriggle like mad, and if you are like me you will think you are hurting it, but believe me you’re not. A baby chin will naturally feed on it back from it’s mother, it will take time for you and the youngster(s) to get used to this.

When it stops moving, place a tiny drop on its lip, take it away and let it lick it off, never keep squeezing the pipette or pushing the syringe as it will fill the chins lungs with fluid and lead to death. Once they’ve licked it off you can add another drop, don’t be alarmed if it only takes 4-5 drops at first, this will gradually increase the more it feeds. It will start to fight and push you away when it is full.

For the first 2 weeks this should be done every 2 hours, the next week every 4 hours. At the beginning of the 4th week the kit(s) can be placed in a regular cage, given a little hay and water and hand fed 3 times a day and in the 5th and 6th week, just twice a day. The youngster(s) should be able to maintain itself after this time but be careful when the milk stops to watch and see it doesn’t gorge itself on pellets.


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Weaning
If a mother has been fine and brought up her chins, they will need to be weaned off. This is done at the age of 8-10 weeks.

If this is not done and the mother has more then one kit she can become quite drained and worn out by them. This can lead to her fur chewing herself or her babies. Also if you are planning on showing the youngsters you need to have each one separate to ensure their fur is immaculate.

A kit should NEVER be sold younger then 12 weeks of age.


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Pairs and Polygamous
Breeding in pairs is obviously a lovely way to have chinchillas. But if you are like me, and breed more then 20 animals you may prefer the polygamous system.

The polygamous system is were there are a row of cages with a wire tunnel running along the back joining each cage together. It is the male chinchilla who runs along the back of this tunnel, he has full access to the females who are in each cage, via a ‘pop hole’, a hole in the tunnel in each cage. The female doesn’t have access to this tunnel as she wears a small plastic collar on her neck (this is harmless, like a cat wears a collar). In the warmer months or when I suspect a female is pregnant I remove the collar and close the pop hole.

A male should never run with more the 4 females at a time as he can become worn out. It is also very important that he has his own cage, just for him at the end, with fresh food and water.

Also unless the polygamous cage is of an exceptional size, i.e. like the large double cages on the care, cages and accessories page, no more then 1 adult breeding female should ever be kept in one cage.


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Colour Breeding
As a breeder I have learned the importance of quality in the chinchilla and as a result try to breed a standard to every colour I own, as it is ultimately the standard that holds the quality.

If colours are bred to colours this can produce small sizes or weak fur, this can be particularly shown within violets in this country. Because they fetch high prices they are often not bred to carriers but to other violets, causing defects.

Colour to colour can be successful in colours with a large standard influence such as Hetero Ebony (strong standard influence) to Homo Ebony, Black Velvet (strong standard influence) to Beige (strong standard influence).

To find out more on this subject please see Genetics.


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