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[tudiebug]

just wondering if anyone has had more than 3 kits in a litter and if so how common is it?

[Summer]

I had 4 born last year. I useally get singales or trips.

[ABC Chinchillas]

Luckily I haven't had that happen yet knock on wood only triplets and moms have almost always been ok feeding them

[KCchins]

I've had one set of quads.

[chinchilla.nikki]

I, myself, have had no more than 3 in a litter.  I think 2 is the perfect number.....that's a good thing for the momma, too.  There are more than 3 born more often than we think.  I have read lots of stories about 3 or 4 in a litter.  In fact, there is a picture of a momma & her 6 babies on Shoots chinchilla ranch (I think it's that one) & it states that she raised them all my herself!!  What a super mom!!!...I would actually probably not breed her again for fear of loosing her. Or at least not breed her with the same Sire.  Does anybody know if the Sire or the Dam determines the number in a litter or neither--it just happens??   I wouldn't want one of my mommas put in that situation if I could research it & prevent it.     ~JANE*   

[Sweetnessheart]

I've had quads one time to a first time mama.  There were two tans (boy and girl) and two ebonies (boy and girl).  The tan female and ebony male survived out of the four. 

[Cuddlebug]

My first litter was quads.  That was lots of fun.  I had to supplement the smallest one because the others would push him out.  They even chewed on his little face.  Luckily he healed just fine.

[ChillinChinchillas]

Not yet, I have had singles, twins and triplets *knock on wood*. We had to foster one of the triplets due to fighting, and I had to also hand feed him for a while. We are lucky he survived, because he lost a lot of weight!

[Abby W.]

This is just a guess.. but I would think the number of kits in a litter would be determined by how many eggs the female's body had made available for fertilization.  I think the male's sperm then determines the sex of the kit, just like in humans. 

Does anyone else have a definitive answer on this one?  It's an interesting question, one I am definitely going to research.

[ChillinChinchillas]

I think it would also be dependant on the fertility of the male as well. If his swimmers aren't very strong or high in numbers, they might not be able to fertilize as many eggs, no matter how many the female produces.

[tudiebug]

well i just had another litter only one this time i had two the first but the little boy died he wouldn't eat and his eyes wouldnt open when we finally got them open there were no eyes in them so im not sure what happend i did try to feed him with a nursing bottle made for kittens but he wouldn't take it is there a better way of doing it?

[Abby W.]

I have found that the nipples on kitten bottles are too large for the chins' little mouths.  I use a glass eye dropper when I have to hand feed.  It works pretty well, and is easy to sterilize.  You can even get them with a bent tip, which makes it very easy to see what's happening when you feed the baby.

[tudiebug]

do you know where i could find the glass eye droppers? i've checked wal mart and didn't see any but i could have overlooked them? i'm not sure 

[chinclub]

Small syringes work well too. They are also helpful for measuring how much the baby gets. Any vet should be able to give you some.  If you live in a farming area your local farm feed store should have them as well.

[Jo Ann]

  I've had several triplets, 4 sets of quads and one set of 5.  1 and 2 are the norm and usually the healthiest. 

3 of the 4 sets of quads were with first time moms.  All of my quads and triplets have survived.   I still have all four kits from my first set of quads.  3 dark tans and one very light tan, all males.

In the one litter of 5 ... momma chin was exhausted by the time she delivered the 4th kit (a first time mom) and was to tired to clean it up ... we lost it, still in the birth sack ... had I stayed right there with her, I could have probably saved it, but I thought she was through with delivering when she had kit #3.    When the 5th was born, I was about 4 cages away and I heard her make a funny sound and went right to her.  There lay #5 ... she had delivered it and pushed it to the front of the cage, still in it's sack.  She knew I would help her.  I got out, cleaned up, removed fluid from the lungs and it eventually ended up the largest and healthest of the litter.   

Hear is an article, with videos showing how to feed a kit. http://www.geocities.com/jobernstein1949/  and read the article: The First Signs Of Trouble  This is on my second website Luv 'N Chins II

 I use a glass dropper ... easy to use and easy to sterilize.  If you ask your pharmacist, they usually have them behind the counter.  I try to keep at least two on hand, just encase of an accident.   I find goat's milk is a real good supplement for chinchilla kits.   

  Jo Ann