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[kneesaa]

Hi,
Was wondering what do I do if my female is pregnant? I mean with the cage, food, and her wheel. The books I have don't really help me. And I'm asking a head of time here, nothing has happen in the cage. Which due to the space of our house, is in my room. So I hear the more louder "talk" coming from the chin cage. Please  I want the best for the chins. The male trys but she isn't ready yet. Thank you for the help, Kneesaa

[QTPie61282]

If she isnt ready, the female usually will ward the male off.  But you might want to separate them if you dont think she is ready.
The exercise wheel should come out, but she can still run around on the floor for exercise.  I was always told to take the wheel out.

No shelves is usually a recommended part of the cage as well, this will prevent youngins from trying to climb and falling and hurting themselves.
Lots of Hay, Pellets and I love using Animax supplements too.
Fresh water everyday, as they will drink a lot more once they get close to delivery.

Do you know when she might be due?  When did you put the male and female together?

[Jo Ann]

    Thank-you for wanting to plan ahead ... you're going to make a great 'chin-granny'!   
    So many do not do anything until it is to late.

    Opinions differ on the wheel  ... I let my girls continue to use the wheel right up to about a week before delivery ... I think it keeps them in better shape for the delivery.  Who's to say who is right or wrong ... some things work for some people and don't for others ... it's one of those things you have to decide what is best for your chin.

     As far as the cage she is in now ... please make sure the wire is 1/2" x 1" or smaller, otherwise, if she delivers early, the kits could climb/fall out of the cage.  The whelping cage I mentioned above is usually 15x 24x 12 or 15" tall.  This is only an approximate size, but it should never be more than 12 to 15" tall, for the safety of the kits.  The kits are born fully furred and eyes open ... usually playing within the hour.  Within the first 24 to 48 hours they will be climbing the walls of the cage ... they can climb up, but not down ... so ... when they reach the top, they turn loose and drop to the floor.  They should not be allowed to fall more than 12 to 15" and only on soft bedding ... no huts or leaping ledges in the whelping cage ... if the kit were to hit one of them on the way down, it could kill. 

    Also the top of a hut or a leaping ledge will tempt mom to get a little R & R from the kits, when leaving them unprotected, the kits could chill and become sick OR even go hungry.

    Alimax is a calcium substitute and is a good idea for mom and kits.  A cuttlebone (found in the bird section of your pet store) is also a good calcium supplement ... but ... make sure you remove the aluminum holder ... aluminum is a soft metal and can be eaten and consumbed by the chinchilla.

     I usually give my pregnant and nursing chins alfalfa hay on a daily basis ... it has much more to offer a pregnant/nursing mom and growing kits than the Timothy hay.

     Water should be changed daily for all chinchillas, with the bottle being washed and rinsed throughly before re-filling with fresh water.  Water contains micro organisms that we can not see and that do not normally affect a human, because they are in such small amounts.   Often, Guardia, is one of the parasites in the water ... again, not enough to bother humans, but with water that stays in the bottle more than 24 hours, it can multiply to the point it is dangerous to chinchillas. 

     As soon as the mom delivers, she will go back in season ... if the male is with her, she will, most likely, get pregnant again.  This is called breed-back ... a situation that drains the mom of the nutrients needed for her, her nursing kits and for the developing unborn kits ... there is not enough to go around safely for all involved.

     If the mom has the kits and is still with the dad and you are not there to separate them ... do so as soon as you find the new litter, then, treat the mom as if she is pregnant ... give her extra vitamins, calcium and a good supplement ... just for safety's sake.  This is another reason for a whelping cage. 
   
     Keep in mind that you will need two more cages ... for the kits ... one for the male kits and one for the female kits once they are weaned.  (A male kit can impregnate a female at the tender age of 10 weeks old!  A female kit can get pregnant at 3 1/2 to 4 months old.  Much to young for both!)  When a female goes in season ... it does not matter if the male is father, brother or son, he can and often does impregnate the mother, sister or daughter ... if they are left together ... you do not want insest, it could be very bad for the off-spring born to such a union.

     Make sure you have a nursing kit in reserve ... just in case.  It is better to have one and not need it, than it is to need it and not have it.  Please, do not supplement the kits the first 24 hours, if mom can nurse at all.  The first 24 hours, she does not give them milk, but a substance called colostrum.  This is to help rid the kit's system of any of the fluids in it's body that are still there from when she was carrying them.

      That's all I can think of right now ... my mind is in the fog this morning.   

   Jo Ann
     

[kneesaa]

Hi,
She isn't pregnant yet. I'm just asking to be ready for when it does happen. You know have everything ready. I will be asking more questions later. Thanks Kneesaa