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[Debbie.nl.ca]

I took in 2 standrad grey rescues before Christmas that looked so very different from my own greys.
Their fur had such an agouti pattern they looked like zebras, and the under fur is thicker and softer than mine.
Their eyes are very close together, and the blues ring, or the whites of the eyes are more visable than I have been seeing.
After dusting in blue cloud they started looking much better, but still different.
Once they were settled I gave them a good going over and noticed that their ears had a coating on them.
Like old dry dead skin covering the whole ear.
Hmmm I couldn't have that and tried a little damp cloth but it hardly budged it.
I went looking for some oil to try and found some skin so soft from Avon.
Well you should have seen what came off. It was a thick layer of what looked like dirt and old dead skin.
But it cleaned off with the SSS with ease.
What would cause such a mess on their ears?
How would their ears pick up dirt?
Could it have been from high humidity??
One is the Dad of the other, the Dad had an ear tag, and was purchased as a breeder.
Not the type I would breed, I don't like the eyes that close together, gives them a rat face.

[Jo Ann]

The most obvious cause would be not keeping them clean.

    Possibly using sand-bath instead of a dust-bath.  In the sand-baths, the oils are not properly soaked-up and it also damages the fur.

an agouti pattern they looked like zebras

& 

under fur is thicker and softer than mine

.

Dad had an ear tag, and was purchased as a breeder. 

  At one time the dad (for pelting) might have been a good quality ... Once the fur grows out, and with proper care, it might look rather nice.  But, with the condition they are in, no telling what he was mated with to get the son.

    Is the fur even, or might they be doing a little chewing on it?  (I got one kit that we thought was a beige, but it turned out to be a beautiful brown velvet ... the mom was trimming the fur so evenly, we could not tell it had even been chewed.)

     Of course, a 'bad' breeder could have sold the dad as "a breeder", to someone that did not know the difference.  There's plenty of those still around.  Having an ear-tag does not make it a breeder.   Some chinchilla breeders will tag the ears to make sure they can keep up with them properly.

     Keep in mind, when breeding for pelts (the original reason for chinchillas to be in captivity), the parts not seen on the pelt (eyes, ears, nose), did not count ... as pets, all parts are taken in consideration.    
     
     Grooming is taught by the parents to the kits from birth.  Apparently, someone got left out of those "learning classes".   A mate or a cage mate usually helps keep the other one groomed, especially the parts the chin can not easily reach.

     A similar thing you may find in some chinchilla families are females that keep a urine-stained bottom, but do not have a urinary tract infection.  These females will fail to teach their young females to constantly clean themselves and it is passed down from generation to generation.  The only way to break the cycle is to take the parent out of breeding  OR to immediately foster the female kits out to another mother.  (I have to do this with one of my females ... she produces beautiful kits ... but it takes the foster mom to teach the females to keep clean.)
   
     Just my thoughts ... hope it helps.   Let us know how the fur looks when it grows out in about 3 or 4 months.

 
Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Thanks Jo Ann,
Their fur is not short or chewed just very differnt than I'm used to seeing.
It's like they have down, very soft fur, and a very strong or pronounced patteren.
The eyes are wild.
Well their ears are good and clean now.
A pic of the eyes and the coat.
No I'd never breed them.
They were purchased by a fox farm and the chin fur was used in some process of drying the fox furs.
The original few rescues were plucked bald, and the Dad is an off spring from those.
Then someone went a head and breed him to another grey, and the son came from that.
Just lok at those eyes and the coat before blue cloud.

[Jo Ann]

... fur is not short or chewed just very differnt than I'm used to seeing.
It's like they have down, very soft fur, and a very strong or pronounced patteren.

I have seen fur like that on a couple of rescues ... lack of bathing in a good dust bath dust and, very possibly, the fur is not thick enough/to weak to make it stand-up properly.  Do you see many guard hairs?
A few good combings, lots of regular dust baths and he/she should look much better than when you got them.

The eyes are just something you have to look at.   

No I'd never breed them.

I wouldn't either.

They were purchased by a fox farm and the chin fur was used in some process of drying the fox furs.  The original few rescues were plucked bald ...

How could anyone do something like that to a chinchilla!       Never heard of that before now.
They probably got a bunch of chins at one time from a rancher and paid little to nothing for them, to use them for what they did.  Poor little bald ones ... they were subject to anything that came along.  No fur to protect them or keep them warm.   

 
Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

A mate or a cage mate usually helps keep the other one groomed, especially the parts the chin can not easily reach.

After checking all my chins I'm sure your on to something here Jo Ann.
I never thought of the ears before, but one of my single males had the same sort of dry dirt/skin on the very edges/tops of his ears.
I'll post before and after cleaning pics in my album.

How could anyone do something like that to a chinchilla!       Never heard of that before now.

No me either, I can't imagine, but guess the fox pelts were of more value.There are bad breeders everywhere.

The eyes are just something you have to look at.

Yes and I have to chuckle everytime, he's such a ham. At 8 years old now, he'll spend the last of his days right here.

[Jo Ann]

At 8 years old now, he'll spend the last of his days right here.

 


The dab of oil really did a good cleaning job!  Now, he needs a cagemate to help keep his ears clean.   

He's a handsome chin ... he almost has a violet look to him, or is that the camera's doing?

Are the little bald chins getting their fur back?

 
Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

The pics in my album are of my violet Oliver, he's been alone since I got him,2005 and after the rescues ears I checked all mine.
His were the only ones I found that were dirty, but he has no buddy at all, not even a play buddy.
Yes I'm going to have to fix that I think.
I'm working on a second room for the males, so I can keep some together.

A note on Oliver, he is a first generation solid violet that I just can't seem to decide what to breed him with, any thoughts.
Oh and the rescues all had their fur back when I got the 2.
It's just different, maybe that's the cause, being plucked.But it does look like they never got the guard hairs back???
They are looking so much better with the blue cloud, a good combing will help. I must try them this afternoon, and see how they do.

[Jo Ann]

 

A note on Oliver, he is a first generation solid violet that I just can't seem to decide what to breed him with, any thoughts.

If, by solid violet, you mean the same as we call a violet wrap (Same color all over) ... I got my first violet wrap last year ... she's a beauty.  I adopted her from another breeder.  The breeding record showed 5 generations of violet carriers that were either ebony/violet, beige/violet, standard/violet or white/violet.  This one is the most beautiful "solid violet" or "violet rap" that I have ever seen.  So, I'm going to stick with the violet carrier to breed her with later this year.  She took #1 in her color division in the SECC show.

Oh and the rescues all had their fur back when I got the 2.
It's just different, maybe that's the cause, being plucked.But it does look like they never got the guard hairs back???

Good question ... I've never seen one that was "plucked clean" of fur ... if it did not damage the guard hair roots, I would think they would also come back, but have no personal info on that.  Keep us posted on that.

 You might want to check-out the primeing chart I have at: http://www.luvnchins.com/ChinPrimingChart.html 
I don't know how long you've had them or how long their fur has been in, but in a new born chin, they start priming at 4 months and finish at 8 months, then start another priming at 12 months ... it may just take them a little while to get the guard hairs in ... those are usually most noticable when they are full prime. 

 
Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

OMG Jo Ann,
What a beauty, I'm drooling here.

Oliver is a wrap, but has the pointy nose so I've been hesitant, that and I don't have another violet except another male carrier.

She is one awesome color Jo Ann, and size.
Gets your spidy senses tingly thinking about the off spring doesn't it.
Well I can't wait to see her breed now either.
That's a posting I'll be waiting for.