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[1newChinmom1]

OK, just a few weeks to go before weaning    . And I am turning to my trusty chinchilla friends for advice  . Cerberus (yes my daughter named him, ) is already eating EVERYTHING and drinking from the water bottle like a big chin. He is also nursing. Although I have weaned a great many kinds of Babes (including my own) I would just bet this is gonna be different   
So tell me, how do you go about it  , and what do I need to add to his diet, and what is up with the yoghurt? Anyone who has read my posts knows by now I will do or get anything for our little furry Babes, so don't be shy. 
How do you think I should do this and how many have you weaned? 
The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know......

[chinclub]

Oh, my, how many have I weaned???  Over 100 in the last 2 months alone!  

Its really simple.  Be sure they are at least 7 weeks old and just move them to a new cage.  I like to keep a careful watch on how much they eat and drink to be sure they are thriving without mom.  It is extremely rare to have a kit not thrive without mom at that age so don't worry.  I don't add anything special to babies.  I don't give the babies anything that they didn't have while with mom.  They need this time to adjust to 100% solid food if mom was still nursing so adding new treats will only make that harder and upset the digestive system.

[1newChinmom1]

Wow! For once the chinchilla way is easier  . I was expecting weeks of back and forth between the new habitat and Mom. So, would it hurt  put them together during the day, and separate them at night, or vice versa? I am certain it is my own soft heart, but I find it hard to understand a sudden separation between Mommy and Kit. I know, I am a sofite! 
 BTW, how do you feed a chinchilla yoghurt? Freeze it first? or straight from the cup? What a mess!! 

The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know....

[dianah]

if the baby is male he needs to be separated all the time, there have been instances of 3 months old kits impregnating their mum/sisters so the general advice is to separate the male kits at 10 weeks at the latest - it's usually 6-8 weeks but if the kits are too small you can leave them up to 10 weeks.

some people put the kit cage near mum cage so they can still see and smell each other.

[1newChinmom1]

OK, I will take him out completely, I just thought I could let them visit a day or two at first. My bad. Won't be long now..........

The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know....

[dianah]

i know, it's heartbreaking. i will have to separate the boys very soon and i find that very upsetting as they do everything together. but i really don't want them to hurt each other so...

i am angry with myself - we just bought a house before they were born (we didn't know fluffy was pregnant or indeed a girl.. by the time we found out we had babies and more on the way) and we were looking at one that had 3 bedrooms and two studies. we ended up buying a very small 2-bed cottage as i liked it better and it was in a nicer location etc...
now i wish i had more rooms - this way i could just stick the boys in a different room...

[1newChinmom1]

  Thanks, Dianah. I was beginning to think I was too soft in the head (or heart) to be a Grandchin. When we first got the Mom, you may have read, she came with a companion, who passed away within 24 hours of the kit being born. They used to sleep draped across each other, like a big furry adorable 'X'. Now the little fellow drapes himself half across his Moms side, head on her back, and sleeps there for his morning nap. At night, and in the afternoon, she pulls him tight up under her, no arguing, lol. I have seen him sprawled up under her, on his back - belly up, feet sticking out one side, nose poking out the other.  But I have to admit, seeing him so soundly asleep in his fathers old place touches my heart, and makes me hope that he will be as close a companion as his Dad was, for his Mom. Heaven knows  she deserves some peace and love. 

The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know 

[dianah]

i lost the dad too  it will be six weeks tomorrow. when we found out fluffy was a girl - when we found the babies! - we had to have chinchi neutered. they absolutely adored each other and there was no way i could have separated them - he wouldn't have made it. unfortunately he had a massive infection which i detected too late and after seven weeks on medication he had to have another surgery to remove a puss capsule.

he was back to his old self - running on the wheel and the babies loved him... the surgery was supposed to be a really quick thing and he was supposed to be back in with fluff and the babies after two or three days. we thought that'd be him fixed and everyone will be happy ever after. but the capsule was a lot bigger than they thought, it was spreading into his leg so the surgery took longer than expected and he had a reaction to the anesthetic. i don't think i'll ever get over it. i was crying at work this morning. some days i find it harder than others but i just miss him so much. i do try to think of all the lovely times we had together and of course we have his babies - and more on the way (imminently!) - but i love him so very much and can't believe he's gone.

[jmdebb]

i'm so sorry for your loss.. its horrible what you went threw..

[dianah]

thank you. he was my little baby