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[Debbie.nl.ca]

How much lighting is enough?
Haven't had a problem until now.
Hubby hasn't been well, & spending very little time down in the work shop for the past 2-3 months.
That means the lights haven't been on as much were the chins are either.
Though they have a small window they are used to florecent lighting on about 14 hours a day. That's now down to 3-4 hours a day/night, as it includes my time down there with them in the night.
Problem is none seem to be gettinig pregnant. They are having heats, and I know I've changed a couple of pairs around, but even my regular pairs haven't done the deed yet. They had thier last litters the fall, they should be ready again now.
So how long should I be leaving the lights on for???

[Abby W.]

I keep my lights on a timer.  You can get them at the hardware store.  My chin room has no windows, unfortunately.  I have the daylight bulbs in that simulate sunlight, and several lights on the timer.  I am thinking though about trying to install lights in each individual cage, as some cages get more light than others right now.  But I try to simulate the amount of light hours they would have at that time of the year.  So when winter comes on I adjust the timer to keep the lights on from about 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., and in the summer I lengthen it to 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.  I adjust it about once a month.  That way I don't have to worry about remembering to turn them on and off, and it keeps the chins on a very even schedule.

I don't know if this is true, but I did read somewhere that lighting types and quantities can affect breeding results.  For instance, flourescent lighting supposedly will yield more male kits than females, but "natural" light will cause them to have more females.  I don't think a whole lot of research has been done on this, but it is an interesting possibility to consider...

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Thanks Abby,
That's what I was thinking , get a timer.
You wouldn't think they'd get much light in the wild. Sleeping all day in dark holes, and feeding at night. It sure seems to have made a diff. with my tribe.
I have also read some stuff on lighting, even hues, like blue is said to have made a difference in the sexes of the kits born. That was in one of the past MCBA Mags.
I'm getting the feeling from mine the more light the better for reproduction, but is there a such thing as too much I wonder??
Yes have to do some more study into this lighting business.Maybe some experimenting too.
And yes I too find some cages just don't get the same lighting as other because of location, but the singles don't seem to mind.

I know Jamie had quite the lighting set up in her new building, remembering pics of virtical fixtures between the cages.So how long did you leave the lights one for daily Jamie? Did you find any more production with all that lighting?

[lilchinchilla]

I leave mine on all day. They do have windows in their building though, but the lighting is just extra to make sure they have plenty. I turn it off just before I go to bed at night, usually it is more like early morning though when I go to bed. But either way, no troubles with breeding here, chins are doing the usual when it comes to breeding.

[ABC Chinchillas]

I have window light, then in the evening I turn lights on in my room. I do have 3 cages that have lights in them they are naturalle floescent so I hape they don't give me more males as I already have 90% male kits...lol  But the cages with lights are only on for short times during the day.

[ChillinChinchillas]

Well, that would be great if that is really true about flourescent vs. natural light yeilding higher results in the different sex kits. I have a waiting list for females, not so much for males. There is plenty of natural light in the chilla room.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Thanks all.
Yes I wish I could say I find a diff. in the sexes of kits born, but I seem to get all males one year and females the next. Then sometimes I'll get a mix, so I'm keeping good records and seeing if I can see a pattern.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Well I'm not sure about the lighting bit.
2 of my females are indeed pregnant.
One the girls that isn't has at least 34 days between heats, some months it's gone to 38,and the other that didn't get preg. is a new pair both unproven. So now I'll have to change them up to see who has the problem.
So how much lighting is enough still pizzles me.