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Now to the momma chin ... It's good to hear she has not lost any kits before ... if she had, I would have suggested you think about not breeding them again. {If a momma looses one litter, I take her out of breeding for at least 6 months to a year, if she looses 2 litters, for no apparent reason, I take her out of breeding or give her one more try with a different mate. Just my personal practice ... I don't like to stress them or over tax their system.}
Any time you have even one pair in breeding, you can be called a "breeder", but I think that is a very deceiving term. I've had as many as 100 breeding pairs at one time, but still referr to myself as a 'hobby breeder', not a breeder in the terms I referr to with breeders that breed for a business. If that were the case, I'd be a terrible business person ... I have yet to see anything but red on the bottom line.
Now, I understand why you were so lucky to get a breeding pair. Hopefully she will be able to get back to having chins again ... once you have one, it is so hard to not have them around ... they're very special in that kind of way.
How old is momma and daddy? mom was born 8/06, and dad 6/6/07
This is good.
What was the date you bought them? August 10th. What was the date she dropped 20 grams?I weighed her everyday from the 10th. and on the 14th. of August she lost the weight
Taking into consideration that she was moved to a new location and a new family, this could be the reason for the loss of weight.
Is her belly "tight"? Do not palpitate her tummy, you could cause her to loose the kits ... but ... if she will sit still while you hold her, you can place your hand, palm up, on your lap, sit her on top of it with her tail near the tips of your fingers. Give her something to eat that will take a while (like a raisin or even better mini wheat or cheerio) and talk softly to her the whole time. If you feel the movement of the kit/kits, she should deliver in about two weeks. As a general rule, the first time you feel one move it is about 2 weeks before they will be delivered ... but ... this is not carved in stone ... there are exceptions to every rule. This can vary according to the number of kits and their size. Since you have not been doing this, if you feel them the first time this time, the date should be less than two weeks. If there is only one kit, it could be closer than two weeks ... if there is 3 to 5 kits, it could be longer. Now that I have said that, make sure what you are feeling is a kit moving, not a gas bubble.
Momma chins tend to clean themselves allot when giving birth to her kits.
Another sign will be an increase in the amount of food she eats. One of the easiest signs to notice is a marked increase in water intake ... when this happens, she is usually within 24 to 48 hours of giving birth.
Then comes the calisthenics ... once in labor, they will usually flatten out on the bottom of the cage and you will see a difference in breathing. She will do a series of stretchers and even pushes ... watch for the kits ... they are on their way!
Jo Ann
