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[IkiKolohe]

Aloha!!

So my second chinchilla was born today (see attached).  When my girls come home, they will be 12 and 8 weeks respectively.  I'm thinking about how to layout their cage... I have a 16" wheel ordered, and will be setting up a 3-story CN.  I had planned to make sure a chin couldn't fall for more than about 8"-12".  Is this okay for the young ones??  Should I limit them to only 1 story until they are older (and if so, what age) or at least put shelves and hammocks no more than 6" apart?  Should I leave the wheel out or put a smaller one in until they get a bit bigger?

Any other suggestions I should be aware of with bringing home the young ones?  Mahalo in advance!!

~ Tina

[GrayRodent]

That's very nice. You shouldn't have the wheel in there until the youngest is over 400g. Some babies have been known to exercise themselves to death on wheels.

The shelving scheme is fine. I did the same when I got a 4 week old and he was fine. Just put one level of shelves in, 6" is all you need. When he gets bigger, over 400g (just a rule of thumb here), you can do more.

My suggestions for any new chinchilla is get their initial weight if you can. Minimize your interaction with them the first few days and let them get over the stress of relocation. Monitor their fecal output. It's going to be harder with two chins but relocation is stressful and sometimes this can cause fecal abnormalities. If something like diarrhea or anorexia occurs you need to act quickly. Anorexia is okay after the first 24 hours but you need to address it if it's longer than that.

You should weigh your pets each week. The young one will gain weight more rapidly than the older one. They should be fully grown after a year. A loss in weight more than 10 percent should be expressed to your breeder or veterinarian.

[IkiKolohe]

That's very nice. You shouldn't have the wheel in there until the youngest is over 400g. Some babies have been known to exercise themselves to death on wheels.

Ok, so weight-based, not really age-based for milestones.

The shelving scheme is fine. I did the same when I got a 4 week old and he was fine. Just put one level of shelves in, 6" is all you need. When he gets bigger, over 400g (just a rule of thumb here), you can do more.

K, that makes some sense as well.  So far my instincts, growing up on a farm, and experience raising bulldogs & toy poodles seems to be steering me in the right direction for the most part.

My suggestions for any new chinchilla is get their initial weight if you can.

I'll ask my breeder for their weight before she puts them on the plane!

Minimize your interaction with them the first few days and let them get over the stress of relocation.

They have a 45 minute flight, followed by a 30 minute drive.  I was going to put them, carrier and all in their cage and cover it (the cage, not the carrier).  I'll quietly check on them and when they've left the carrier, I'll remove it then.  They are only going to be in their carrier for a bit over an hour (and no idea how far from the airport the breeder is on the other side) but it'll be the only thing they can recognize when they get here.  Maybe I'll send a pillow or hammock to my breeder and ask her to put it in their cage for awhile then put it in the carrier so they can bring a "piece" of home with them??

Monitor their fecal output. It's going to be harder with two chins but relocation is stressful and sometimes this can cause fecal abnormalities. If something like diarrhea or anorexia occurs you need to act quickly. Anorexia is okay after the first 24 hours but you need to address it if it's longer than that.

 

I'm sure many of the signs of a 3 oz. puppy having problems will be the same.  I've watched video after video and read every website I can find so I can get a handle on "normal" behavior... Still 8 weeks before they can come home, so that's time for a few more hundred hours of video to watch and many more websites, though I honestly think I may have run the gamut there - at least ones in English, heh   

You should weigh your pets each week. The young one will gain weight more rapidly than the older one. They should be fully grown after a year. A loss in weight more than 10 percent should be expressed to your breeder or veterinarian.

Again, same for my puppies.  I weighed daily for the first 5 weeks, then 3 times a week and kept a copy of those weights and other milestones (first tooth, eyes opened, ears opened, etc) in my puppy contract and bill of sale so it went with the new parents!

At that age, they can have a dust bath yes?  So I can use that method to get weights if I need too.  I know my breeder handles her kits several times a day so they are going to be used to being handled, just by a different person!

~ Tina

[GrayRodent]

I'm going by weight instead of age but most breeders recommend at least 6-12 months before you introduce a wheel. Chins will ususually get to around 400 grams at 6-8 months. (See comments below. Looks like 8 months should be minimum)

Some say it will stunt their growth if you put it in before they're fully grown (12 months) but others say the opposite.

The animal needs to be mature enough to be able to regulate its heat and activity level because some chinchillas will keep going until they overheat.

The stress of relocation chinchillas experience are caused by a number of factors. It is going to vary on the personality of the animal as well. They are used to being in a room full of other chinchillas where it is dead quiet most of the time and there is not a lot of noise and movement. Having a fan running closeby (never blowing into the cage) can help drown out unfamiliar noises. They should not be fed treats or supplements during those first two weeks because it can impact their digestion although it's very rare to have any serious problems.

You'll probably see a change in their personalities after that. Chinchillas also tend to bark and make a lot of noises at night and then quiet down after a few days. Some chinchillas will seem like they like to be handled but instead they are petrified and become aggressive once they snap out of it. So be gentle with them at first and bond with them by interacting with them in the cage more than out of the cage for the first week or two.

When it comes to taming and raising the kits I recommend not letting them roam around outside of the cage for at least four weeks. If you have them out you can hold them and keep them close to you for a couple of minutes at a time until they get restless. This will condition them to be much calmer and get used to being handled. If you don't handle them frequently, hold them, and get them used to being restrained chinchillas will become unmanageable. They tend to be a little more wild than your average cat or dog. That is my experience.

[BLS Chins]

No wheel till they are over 8 months. Chins can not regulate body temp or blood sugar till they are mature. Play time can be introduced (only 10-15 mins a day) once they are 6 months old.

Keeping the chins to a single cn cage is best till they are older. Kits tend to think they can make jumps that they are not bug enough to and can easily fall, hurting themselves. 5-6 months is old enough to do a double cage with proper precautions.

They can dust right away and likely were getting dust baths at the breeder by the time they arrive at your home. Some chins dont dust well till they are 3 months old (the instinct can take longer in some chins than others).