Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => Q & A => Topic started by: Sweetnessheart on September 21, 2006, 07:44:16 AM
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Just curious....
When and at what age do baby chinchillas start to eat solids?
Also, is there a weight that babies should be at before they start eating solids?
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::silly::I've seen kits as young as 3 or 4 days old nibbling on hay or a pellet, but it's mostly curiosity on their part. By the time they are 2 or 3 weeks old, it is not unusual to see them eating solids, but they still need mom's milk to sustain them. At 4 weeks old it is normal for them to be eating more and more solids ... mom will often start the weaning process as early as 4 or 5 weeks old. Usually chins are completely weaned at 6 or 7 weeks ... but not always.
This is just a general guide line ... there are always exceptions to every rule. The health of the kits, the number of kits and the health of the mom will always be factors in how the progress will go.
The main thing to watch for is the amount of milk being provided for the kits, weight gain/loss by the kits. There are different stages of nursing and eating for the kits. The first 24 hours mom provides a liquid to the kits that cleans out their system and prepairs them for food (her milk and any solids) on the outside of the womb. The second day, her milk usually comes in and nourishment begins. The first week of a kit's life is critical to the rest of it's life.
::wave::
Jo Ann