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[gremlin101]

Hey all,
My chinchilla is getting close to having her kits, and of course her behavior is changing. Although, she knows how to confuse a person! One day, she isn't really wanting to move around, the next shes playing and just okay. I was wondering what your chinchillas who are close might do and how their behavior changes.  

[kageri]

It depends on the chinchilla.  Aika is energetic and a bit nervous so she remains very active.  Last litter right up to the last few days she would run vertical circles.  Up one side , push across the 3' long ceiling upside down, bounce off the far end and land in the middle of the bottom.  Turn around and and do it the other way.  We told her it sounded like someone was dropping a bowling ball in her cage.

Aime is my other end of the spectrum.  She's about 10-20 days from giving birth and she barely does anything.  She flops in a house and complains if her mate disturbs her. Last litter I had to remove him shortly before the kits came because she was too annoyed with him and pulling his fur out.  So far they are doing better this time but she's been lazy and irritated for a month already.

Inada and hachiro are in the middle.  Inada is feeling rather round with no behavior changes.  Aisu is having her first litter and so far acting the same but her mate is rather young still so I have no idea when she might be due.

[gremlin101]

Yeah, I'm not really sure when she is due. I adopted her and her old owner was like btw.... but he didn't tell me how far along she was or anything. She's had litter before, but I don't know how many, once again he didn't tell me. (sigh)  but she seems to be very happy, but at the same time slightly uncomfortable because she picks at her side a lot.

Do you have any idea or clue to tell how many their might be, have yours given signs or do you just wait and see.

-Brianna

[kageri]

It's pretty impossible to tell how many on a female you've never seen pregnant before.  With their unpredictable breeding dates you don't know just how much bigger they have left to get.  Palpating is dangerous.  Chinchillas abort easy.  Xrays are pretty much the only way to know.  It's not done often in the US but overseas they commonly do chin xrays the same as dog breeders often do them.

[gremlin101]

She lets me just put my hand on her belly. I don't push it or anything like that, I just put it there to feel the babies move. <3
She's such a sweet chinchilla. Then of course, I give her loves (rub behind her ear or under her chin) and a treat.  

[kageri]

The week she is due you should feel her nipples much easier.  They will protrude out of the fur.  You will need to baby proof the cage at that point.  No wheel, no houses that a chin can move or they could get crushed, and watch the bar spacing.  They are absolutely tiny when born.  You need to weigh them on a kitchen or postal scale to make sure they are graining weight.  You have very little warning before a kit dies.  If you don't step in the day it doesn't gain enough weight the next day when it becomes obvious something is wrong will be too late.

[gremlin101]

I have baby proofed the cage, and taken the wheel out already, she just gets a little run around the room. Do you have any suggestions on the brand of food scale? Or will pretty much just any do?

-Brianna.

[kageri]

Anything with grams works.  My favorite scale is a little pricy but I weigh chins, chin kits, large rabbits, dwarf rabbits, rabbit kits, hedgehogs,hoglets, and homemade dog meals in grams, ounces, and pounds.  Kitchen scales tend to be cheaper than postage scales.

[gremlin101]

wow you have a zoo!