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[Debbie.nl.ca]

OK I'd like to know what is meant when folks ask, and what the true answer is.
Does this mean you can NOT change a females mate?
Or just that they do indeed continue breeder for their whole life?
I have alway taken it for what's said, they will keep breeding for life, but when others talk about it it sounds like they are saying you can't switch around pairings.
I know a male can have many mates, but how about the female?
Will a female take on new mates?
Or could this be a way of stopping them from breeding while still letting them have a male friend?
Please someone unconfuse me.
I take criticism very well

[ChinchillAZ]

Mating for life generally means that an animal will have one mate and one mate only throughout their entire lifetime.
I've never heard anyone say "breed for life."
However, I know from experience that chinchillas do not mate for life and will take on different partners.  I have switched partners for a few of my females and they will mate with whichever male they are with at the time they come into estrus.

[Abby W.]

I have found it depends on how bonded the pair are.  Most of my pairings will switch mates with relative ease.  But I have one female who was particularly close with a mate who died, and she will absolutely not accept another mate.  She will live with a female just fine, but will attack any male I put near her.

[Jo Ann]

It depends on the individual chinchilla, if they are in pair breeding and if they are strongly bonded because of their feelings and/or have been a long term breeding pair.

Chinchillas each have their own special personality ... no two are alike and you can never guarantee any two particular chins will even like each other.

In ranch runs, the male and female do not seem to bond as closely due to the fact they are not together constantly.  BUT, there are exceptions to every rule... 
I have one that will stay with one female only and ignores the rest ... he will never be good for a breeding run. 
Most male chins (like their human counter parts) love having their little harem.

Most of the breeding I do is pair breeding.  I have had occasions to change the partners in a pair that seemed to be having problems having kits or having good quality kits.  Most of the time, there is no problem, as long as I give them a good introduction time.

Then again ... the exception to the rule ...
Jack & Miss Daisy ...
Jack had been through 3 breeders and many females ... he did not like humans or other chinchillas ...
He was a loaner.  We tried several different females with him.
After about 4 different females with us ... I began to think he was gay ....
He would not attack them, just fuss at them and ignore them.
But, when I put Miss Daisy in, it was like turning on a light ...
he immediately loved every body and every thing ...
Miss Daisy was his one true love.
They were together for a few years, and had several litters, then we lost Jack.
Now, Miss Daisy will have nothing to do with any male I put in with her, Jack has been gone a year.

I have found that it depends on the chin and on the situation.   

 
Jo Ann

[chinclub]

I agree.  In Ranch runs they can pretty much come and go, but in pair breeding its tough.  About 5 years ago I had a pair together because the male was too big to fit through the ranch run jump holes.  They had been together for about 2 years.  The female died from birthing complications.  I tried everything to cheer up the male but without her he lost his will to live.  He died about 5 days later. 

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Thanks gals,
I have only changed mates on 2 females in all my 8.5 years, and neither one bred with the new mate yet.
One was OK because it was my main standard pair that I split, and I have enough grays.
I put her with an older brown velvet must be 2 years ago and nothing.
I'm OK with that and they can both retired now with an opposite sex cage mate.
They get along great, just she would never let him, and he gave up trying.
Then about 6 months ago I put an ebony male  with a standard female that had one litter a few years ago.
He keeps trying with all his chinnie abilities, but she seems to be quite good at backing that behind into a corner.
As they are both proven I'm guessing she just doesn't like him that way.
In considering what I want to breed next I now worry that the females will not take a new mate, as I do breed in pairs. They sure do seem to bond in this set up.
Maybe I'll try splitting up the ebony and standard for a few days, to see if absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Some say that might help.
I just didn't want to change partners if the chances were higher they wouldn't breed at all.
Oh my what to do.

[Jo Ann]

Trial and error ... often the best way to find out ... with chinchillas, usually the only way to find out! 

 
Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Well well well.........
They say a watched pot never boils.

Cleaning cages last night I heard to familiar kit squeaks behind me.
The pair  above that I put together almost 9 months ago now, and gave up checking on, had a standard grey kit.
Dad is Raven an ebony, and Mom is one of my standards that I changed mates on.
Guess he won her over.

gee forgot to mention the little tyke was 68 grams.

[Jo Ann]

Fantastic weight, Debbie. 

Male or female? 

Pictures, Please!!!

One of my original pairs were together about 6 years before they had a litter ... a single kit ... white mosaic male.  They have had no more since then, but I don't have the heart to separate them.  The one kit has produced several litters, so Jo-Jo and Puff have plenty of grand-kits to come visit them.   


 
Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

He's just another little cutie.
Pretty dark though, I guess the ebony gene helped with that.

[Jo Ann]

 What a cutie!

 
Jo Ann