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[marchevie123]

I was just giving two chinchillas and the female is pregnant.This is my first time with chinchillas let alone a pregnant one,Ive been reading every day to know what to expect but now I'm more confused then when I new nothing about breeding.There is so much conflicting info out there if any one can help i would really appreciate it my only concern is for mama and babies.Should dad stay in the cage,heating pad or no?should I hold or pet the babies the first week or no?if there having problems nursing what should I give them?thank you for the help.

[chinclub]

No heating pad and yes you can hold the babies the first week but no more than a minute or two at a time at that age.  What is the cage like?  (size, height, cage wire openings)

As for Dad, I have done it both ways.  If you leave him in you need to put something small and hard in the cage for the baby to hide in.  Otherwise he will be trampled to death as the parents try to mate again.  Mark your calendar.  If mom has another baby around 111 days after the first you will need to separate them then to give her a rest.  Some females can keep the males away themselves and naturally space out their births.

You will need to watch for fighting.  Rarely a female will beat up a male if he won't give up and insists on breeding back.

[marchevie123]

The cage is 3 foot by 2 foot and the opening between wires is half a inch,I have taken out all shelves and hammock so they only have the bottom level,but the bottom of the cage is plastic I don't know if this is a problem.The father is very docile and actually seems scared of the female.whenever I put my hand in she screams at me and bites me I don't know if that is because she is pregnant or she is just is not use to people.I have read that sometimes the mother will kill the baby if a human touches them she does not know.Do you know if this is true I'm afraid she does not like me yet and I don't want to put the baby in danger from touching it.

[GrayRodent]

Sounds like your female has some behavioral issues that will have to be dealt with. It is not normal for a chin to bite like that. but it's also not normal for a re-homed chin to go through all that stress. Usually biting is a sign of being mishandled. For some it can be part of their temperament. It can take weeks or months for her to calm down and get used to you. It is important that you establish a consistent routine. After she gets used to being fed through the bars then you might try opening the door and see if she'll take food from you at the door opening. You'll have to go incrementally, slowly, routinely trying not to provoke aggression but being careful to find a balance. If you constantly give in she will take advantage and there will be no forward progress. If you push her you will loose her trust and take a big step backwards.

When it comes time to have her babies make sure to have thick gloves handy in case you need to handle the kits. She might be the type that will viciously defend them. It is a myth that they will kill their babies if you handle them that no basis in reality, however, beware of the mother being defensive and trying to kill you! They can bite you to the bone if perturbed.

The male may be docile but after the kits are born she could go into heat and this could result in a bad situation for everyone.
In rare cases chins could go into heat before birth so be careful.

Does she have a place to hide inside of the cage?
How tall is the cage? Babies can climb the walls.
Are there any signs of chewing on the plastic parts of the cage? If there is you will need to get a cage with a steel bottom ASAP. The plastic can easily result in a fatal bowel obstruction if ingested and it is generally recommended to never give chins access to plastic.

Hope this helps

[marchevie123]

I do think she was misshandled when I went to get them there cage was just filthy the plastic shelves were chewed in so many places and the ramps were hanging on by a thread I promply removed all that from there cage,so now theres only the bottom of the cage it is about three feet tall.Do you know when there nipples start to get long and if you can feel the babies moving inside her?

[GrayRodent]

According to some articles I've read by breeders you can't always tell when a chin will give birth. Sometimes you don't know until the day of the birth. The best thing to do is just start counting days. Late in the pregnancy it is possible to feel the babies moving. With chins they are very delicate and great care must be taken not to exert pressure on the developing kits. With a chin that is that aggressive I doubt you'll get close enough to try but you can put the back of your hand against her abdomen to feel if she'll let you.
I was wondering if the bottom of the cage is showing signs of chewing. If it is you'll want to replace it. They can also escape that way.
I don't think a 3' high cage would be a problem. Maybe someone who knows better can advise.

[marchevie123]

I don't sea any chewing yet but I'm planing on getting a new cage soon this one is small and I would like a sturdier cage for them,one they can not get out of.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

You never know how mom will react until the time comes.
Most my females will let Dad back after 7 to 10 days. I pull them so they don't have to deal with breed backs, but some do it all by themselves.
I just had a birth a few weeks ago and the mom won't have anything to do with Dad, I'll have to start over with intros when kit is weaned. Just not worth upsetting them all now.
I handle kits right from birth.
Mom is being protective even more now with the changes and her being pregnant. I bet she'll be fine when the babies are born. I hope so anyway.
Just don`t push her, let her be and give her time.