Chinchillas.org






                                  

Chinchilla Community Forums

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Mom...I'm glad we got the chinchillas...What was I thinking!?!  (Read 6377 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

cadillactaste

  • Hero Member
  • ******
  • Appreciation points: 5
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 630
  • Fluffy (Standard) and Nibbles (Violet)
    • View Profile

My oldest had his heart set on a hedge hog. They only live about 3 yrs...and they poop like a goose...not nice neat hard droppings. And they poop when on their exercise wheel. To the point one must scrub it down every morning...or they'll get poopy boots...which is built up poo on their feet. Which means a bath for them and possibly scrubbing their toes with a toothbrush. And possibly still needing that if you scrub their wheel down each day.

They are cute...but I wasn't about to go into that care for them. And I didn't want my youngest the responsibility of doing that daily. So we went with Chinchillas...Which we had experiance with years ago before we had children. By taking in a pair of male rescue chins.

My oldest was a bit upset by this...wanting a hedge hog...But yesterday...he said..."Mom...I don't know what I was thinking...those chinchillas are sooooooo cute! That I'm really glad we went with them instead of a hedge hog."

Chins are cute...I know since we've gotten our two...I've had a few friends inquire about the care that goes into them. For they are interested theirselves in getting one. Anyone else experiance friends seeing their chins and wanting ones of their own?
Logged
~Darlene

Debbie.nl.ca

  • Breeder
  • Hero Member
  • ******
  • Appreciation points: 30
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 2464
    • View Profile
    • Debbie's Newfoundland Chinchillas
Re: Mom...I'm glad we got the chinchillas...What was I thinking!?!
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2009, 07:53:14 AM »

Amazing little critters chinchillas, ADDICTVE  ::nod::

I have to say I haven't sold to a friend yet, Just family  ;)
Logged
Debbie.nl.ca

Petco Chinchillas

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Appreciation points: 3
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 132
  • My Baby, Fluff Muffin
    • View Profile
Re: Mom...I'm glad we got the chinchillas...What was I thinking!?!
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2009, 08:18:23 AM »

How could you give them away to customers?  I would fall in love with them and keep them all for myself!!  Some breeders, sadly ::sadtears::, love money more than chinchillas and would sell them at some pretty high prices. Good for your son though. Chinchillas are far better than hedge hogs.                                                              Jessica L. ::think::
Logged
God Bless Chinchillas!

Jo Ann

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Appreciation points: 59
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 2754
  • Chinchillas are a little bit of heaven on earth.
    • View Profile
    • Luv 'N Chins
Re: Mom...I'm glad we got the chinchillas...What was I thinking!?!
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2009, 10:40:27 AM »

How could you give them away to customers?  I would fall in love with them and keep them all for myself!!  Some breeders, sadly ::sadtears::, love money more than chinchillas and would sell them at some pretty high prices. Good for your son though. Chinchillas are far better than hedge hogs.                                                              Jessica L. ::think::

There are some breeders that sell for the money ... there are some that sell because they don't have room for those little ones being produced ... there are some that sell them to help pay the upkeep on the others they have ... and some allow them to go to loving homes because they want to share all the love a chinchilla has to give.  Chinchillas, being what they are, have a reputation for being ... sweet, loveable, mischievous, entertaining, soft, funny and #1 in the begging department. 

Some that sell their chins at a high price are 'in it for the money' ... but ... some that sell their chins at a high price is because:

1)  They are a higher quality chinchilla and are show quality and breeding quality as apposed to just a 'pet quality'.
2)  They put out allot of money to get good high quality breeders and need to recoup some of that {I paid $1,400 for a pair of ebonies}
3)  They have some major upkeep.  Some build one or more buildings that is just for their chinchillas ... it has to be heated and airconditioned, running water, the works.
4)  Some breeders put out $300 to $1,000 a month on food and supplements every month ... some of the big ranchers spend more than that.
5)  If a chin gets sick, they not only have to worry about that chin, but about the whole herd ... what ever made it sick might be contagious ... I bought another ebony chin and paid $700 for it ... it was sick, but none of us knew it at the time.  Within 3 days, it was at the vet's ... after 6 days of having this chin, I had a $724 vet bill + $124 for an autopsy  ($1,548 - not counting the expenses of the trip to go get it and us having to stay in a hotel overnight ... because it was so far to travel) I had a dead chinchilla on my hands, in less than one week of purchasing it.  The rancher I purchased him from is well known not to replace an animal (due to the fact, the death of the chin is usually the fault of the new owner not caring for it properly), but, when I saw them next, with a copy of the vet bill and autopsy report ... the rancher replaced the chin.  I still had the vet bill to pay, but, I chose the chin and I chose to take it to the vet.  So, I paid the bill and I quarantined my herd for 9 months ... so there was no money coming in during that 9 months, but plenty going out, but I was not willing to take the chance of infecting the whole chinchilla community.  I had followed the proper precautions of the quarantining new comers, but this virus was airborne and could travel from one room to the next.   This was several years ago.  No other chins were effected and all is well.
5)  Then you have to think of the cost of the cages and the time it takes to build them, bottles, stoppers & tubes, bedding, the time it takes to feed and water the chinchillas daily and time for cleaning the cages, keeping the building in good condition, inspections, shows, travel, meetings, I could go on and on with reasons the good chinchillas are usually priced higher than the 'pet chinchillas'.
6)  Some breeders price their chins a little high to make sure the person buying it has the ability (money-wise) to take care of it.
7)  The often years spent taking care of the chinchillas and researching them involves not just weeks or months of studying, but very often, many years of experience and learning.  Their time is worth something ... would you work 8 to 15 hours a day, and, at times, 6 days a week, for free?

If you take the cost of the building (if there is a separate building), or the room/rooms in the home used for raising chinchillas, the cost of the upkeep of the building/rooms, the cages and the costs of building the cages, the cost of both parents of the kits, the food, water, air conditioning/heating of the area the chins live in, medical expenses, hours spent taking care of them, food, supplements, bedding, record keeping, website expenses .etc, for about six months (if the pair produce a litter twice a year), then that little chin does not seem so expensive, especially when you consider it's life expectancy.   I've never seen anything but red ink at the bottom of the page since I started as breeder.  To make money off of it, you have to be willing to sell to pet owners, other breeders and pelters.  To make money off it, you have to have 500 to 5,000 chinchillas and be willing to work 8 to 15 hours a day, usually 6 days a week, spend money to go to shows, and field days, to learn even more about your precious little fur ball.  ::nod::  That's just the working part of it, there is a very big drain on you emotionally, when you are a full time breeder and some hobby breeders that take raising chinchillas properly and seriously.


You might want to read: http://www.luvnchins.com/Breeding101forBreeders.html , and especially this one: http://www.luvnchins.com/Breeders.html

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

 ::wave:: Jo Ann
« Last Edit: May 24, 2009, 10:53:36 AM by Jo Ann »
Logged
There are no dumb questions ...
    Only regrets they were not asked ...

Luv 'N Chins (Kid Friendly)
www.luvnchins.com/NewPagesAndArticles.html
My Little Jamie
www.luvnchins.com/AvailableForAdoption.html

Luv 'N Chins II (NOT kid friendly - Medical)
Being re-built! Geocities closed

Debbie.nl.ca

  • Breeder
  • Hero Member
  • ******
  • Appreciation points: 30
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 2464
    • View Profile
    • Debbie's Newfoundland Chinchillas
Re: Mom...I'm glad we got the chinchillas...What was I thinking!?!
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2009, 08:34:47 AM »

Thanks Jo Ann,
I just couldn't have said it so well. ;)

I breed and sell because there is no one in Newfoundland doing so. You had to buy from the only 2 pets shops we had here 12 years ago. Now we have a dozen or more. The chins are shipped in and very stressed, and could be full grown before they are sold. You get no after sale support from the pet shops and very little advise. Most is incorrect.
I wanted to offer other Newfoundlanders a chance to experience quality chinchillas, and all the help and advise they needed for the life of their chins.
I have purchased my breeders from other breeders in western Canada, not only did I have to pay for the animals I had the high cost of shipping. I sell mine for less than I paid for my breeders.
The most I have had at anyone time is 40, breeding and selling kits made that possible. I don't make any money but they sure help feed themselves.
If I had the space, the buyers and the money & time I would have many more ::nod:: It's only a hobby with me, a fun hobby.
Some of the big ranchers it's there full time job and income. The time, money, and worry they have just doesn't compare to my little herd, and I have my hands full. The things they face each day has to be very stressfull. They will pay top dollar for their breeders, spend a ton of money on the best of feed and vet care to improve the offspring even more.
They have studied for years with other top breeders to breed the best looking & the  healthiest chinchilla possible.

And how can we sell them and not keep them all, because sometimes it's just worth the cash to see other people fall in love, drool, coddle and offer a great life to an awesome little critter.
I would love to be the one to sell you one of my little darlings, just to see you light up with delight as I did when I got each one of mine, and as all my customers do each time I sell one. ::kiss99::
There is no feeling like it.
Logged
Debbie.nl.ca

cadillactaste

  • Hero Member
  • ******
  • Appreciation points: 5
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 630
  • Fluffy (Standard) and Nibbles (Violet)
    • View Profile
Re: Mom...I'm glad we got the chinchillas...What was I thinking!?!
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2009, 07:36:36 AM »

Quote
How could you give them away to customers?

I think the knowledge of placing a joyful pet into someone's care who will love them forever...is PRICELESS and no amount of money could compare to the knowledge of sharing the love of chinchillas to yet another loving home.

Now...I would hord them all and not part with them...for I am selfish... :blush2: But...I appreciate all the good breeders out there that make it possible for us to have such furry little critters to love.
Logged
~Darlene
Pages: [1]   Go Up