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Chinchillas => General Chat => Topic started by: chingirls on August 30, 2011, 01:30:10 PM

Title: How do I prepare my room and cage for the winter
Post by: chingirls on August 30, 2011, 01:30:10 PM
ok hot topic, how do I keep my bedroom warm when winter gets here.
I dont have no heat but I can buy another heater, I need to know what temperture it should be
for my chinchillas.

I'm mainly think of the new baby who will be older by then, he is 3 weeks old now almost a month old.
my adult chinchillas seemed to love the cold air yet i kept them warm
is that unusal that they loved the cold air or what?
Title: Re: How do I prepare my room and cage for the winter
Post by: chinclub on August 30, 2011, 03:28:43 PM
Chinchillas like cold.  My chinchilla building gets down into the upper 40s F in the winter.  They are on solid pans with shavings.  They give birth in this temperature and I have never lost a baby due to cold.  As long as you don't have cold air blowing on them (like from an open window or door) they will be fine.
Title: Re: How do I prepare my room and cage for the winter
Post by: jmdebb on September 01, 2011, 11:28:57 PM
i never heard anyone say they went to 40 in the winter, thats good to know they will be safe in those temps,

one year we lost power or many days in the winter, and it was super cold out, i was going crazy thinking it was too cold in there.. now if i lose power again, at least i'll know they will be okay.. thanks jamie.
Title: Re: How do I prepare my room and cage for the winter
Post by: chingirls on September 03, 2011, 04:33:18 PM
Chinchillas like cold.  My chinchilla building gets down into the upper 40s F in the winter.  They are on solid pans with shavings.  They give birth in this temperature and I have never lost a baby due to cold.  As long as you don't have cold air blowing on them (like from an open window or door) they will be fine.
letting you know that it gets colder than that here, and you did not answer my question yet hun. see my house is old. and i guess i will need to somehow clover the windows. and it got colder than 40 last year. i had room in right temperture but the babies last year that were born died. it was too much for them. thats the problem I will have again. I refuse to lose my new one. but he will be older than that by winter.
what can i do please help
Title: Re: How do I prepare my room and cage for the winter
Post by: chinclub on September 05, 2011, 06:01:20 AM
What sort of cage do you have them in and how cold do you think their room gets? Is there a warmer interior room you could move them into?  It is very important that chinchillas in cold temperatures are right in the shavings not on a wire bottom cage.  They also need to be away from any drafts.  Drafts will cause respiratory infections which are often fatal.  Be sure there is a nice warm box they can get into.
I'm wondering if your cage might be too large for breeding.  If the female can get away from her babies for while she will.  Shelves can be vary dangerous because newborns can't figure out how to get up to mom.  If they are left in temps that cold for long they will die from the cold.  Our breeding cages are smaller and only one story so the babies can always cuddle up to mom no matter where she is in the cage.
Title: Re: How do I prepare my room and cage for the winter
Post by: chingirls on September 05, 2011, 10:39:07 AM
What sort of cage do you have them in and how cold do you think their room gets? Is there a warmer interior room you could move them into?  It is very important that chinchillas in cold temperatures are right in the shavings not on a wire bottom cage.  They also need to be away from any drafts.  Drafts will cause respiratory infections which are often fatal.  Be sure there is a nice warm box they can get into.
I'm wondering if your cage might be too large for breeding.  If the female can get away from her babies for while she will.  Shelves can be vary dangerous because newborns can't figure out how to get up to mom.  If they are left in temps that cold for long they will die from the cold.  Our breeding cages are smaller and only one story so the babies can always cuddle up to mom no matter where she is in the cage.

my cage is not wire on the bottom, and it is wire all around besides plastic. when i get the
money I am getting a stronger one for them. on the answer to the baby that they cant handle shelves.
I must have a crazy bay, you say they cant jump. did you know my baby chinchilla has jumping since after he was born. he follows his momma everywhere. and I cant seperate the male and female chinchilla. they both freak out, and the male chinchilla protects the baby. its so strange, cause I thought your suppose to seperate them. I tried it last time, big mistake and thats why the female freaked out.
Title: Re: How do I prepare my room and cage for the winter
Post by: chinclub on September 05, 2011, 10:57:26 AM
Babies can jump and climb.  What I mean is that in the first few hours they are still very wobbly.  Its easy for mom to jump up to higher shelves and the babies not be able to follow correctly.  A runt especially may not be able to follow.  It is in those first hours they are most likely to die of cold. 

On a side note: Its important to remember that new babies do not have good coordination. If you have newborns in a cage with shelves they could fall and get hurt.  Newborns don't land on their feet like older chinchillas do. 
Title: Re: How do I prepare my room and cage for the winter
Post by: chingirls on September 05, 2011, 03:37:11 PM
Babies can jump and climb.  What I mean is that in the first few hours they are still very wobbly.  Its easy for mom to jump up to higher shelves and the babies not be able to follow correctly.  A runt especially may not be able to follow.  It is in those first hours they are most likely to die of cold. 

On a side note: Its important to remember that new babies do not have good coordination. If you have newborns in a cage with shelves they could fall and get hurt.  Newborns don't land on their feet like older chinchillas do. 

I knew what you meant sweety, and mine is older than a newborn. I think he is now a month old. and he is so sweet and lovable.