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[Abby W.]

My female, Isabella, had two male kits about two weeks premature.  They are now to a weight that I am sure they will be fine.  Both seem to be healthy, straight teeth, good eye development, and no heart murmurs.  The one is a cute fluffy little white mosaic.  The other is kind of weird.  His fur is black at the tips and white at the base and his belly is white, it's kind of long and a little wiry, and sticks straight up on his back like a mohawk!  He is really very unattractive for a kit, which is suprising since his father was a color reserve champion ebony, and his mother is a quality white mosaic.  Has anyone else ever seen anything like this?  Do you think it could be due to his being a premie?  Will it get better as he gets older?  He has a very sweet personality.  It just seems like he got the absolute worst genes he could get from each parent.

[ChillinChinchillas]

If you can, post some pictures so we can get a better idea of what you are describing.

[KCchins]

Chances are he will look much better as he grows.  There's no way to know how a chin's fur will be until after first prime.  It sounds as though he may be an Ebony/white.  Just give him some time.

[Abby W.]

Has anyone else had any experience with premature kits?

[ABC Chinchillas]

I have had the mohawk thing with the chinchillas. this kit ended up being a 1a when fully grown, in fact both of my kits that were extremely ugly ended up 1a's. I have a new rule here if they are ugly kits they stay.  It is hard to say if a chinchilla is premature or not, so I'm not sure. there have been some I suspected,....

[Abby W.]

Oh I am sure they were premature by two weeks because of the number of days since mom was placed with dad.  She couldn't have bred any earlier than she did.  Plus, they weighed 19 and 21 grams at birth.  I am really quite relieved they survived.  Extra hand-feeding with KMR round the clock and good care from mom seems to have done the trick.  They are now up to around 80 grams each at about 4 weeks old.  Still quite small, but they otherwise behave like normal healthy kits.  They just REALLY don't look like chinchilla kits normally do!  They are more in the "so-ugly-they're-cute" category, but they have loads of personality, so I love them just the same.

[BrightEyed]

Abby I'm dying to see pictures. I can't picture a chinchilla kit not cute.. I'm trying to.. nope.. can't see it. lol

[Debbie.nl.ca]

That's a mazing at those weights Abby.
I have a female that delivered 3 seperate single kit litter at about 2 weeks early, 3 strikes and your out of breeding in my room.
And yes they all looked like the most ragged looking kits I've seen.Their fur was thick like Moms but very long as well.
Thing is with mine their ears were deformed so they looked real funny .
The smallest was 30 grams and the other 2 were 34 grams.
I lost the first kit in learing what the problem was. The second 2 litters I hand fed until Moms milk came and they both did very well.
The Mom tried to fix thier ears so they were more hand raised than Mom raised.
Anyway except for not growing ear lobes their fur turn out spectacular.
An another note,
The female survivor couldn't deliver kits, pelvis to small.

[ChillinChinchillas]

You seem like you have done a wonderful job! I can't wait to see pics!!!

[Abby W.]

Thanks everyone.  We were really worried about them for a while there.  But they are very spunky little guys and fought their way through.  I'll try to remember to post a pic soon.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Awwww that's great Abby, their in the best of hands

And boy how we worry eh!