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Chinchilla - Breeding

Chinchilla breeding SHOULD NOT BE UNDERTAKEN if you do not know how to take care of it or if you have newly acquired your chinchilla. Wait until you learn and understand more about the animal before attempting to do so.

Introducing Mates

The first step in Chinchilla breeding is to slowly introduce the mate. Do this by placing the cage of each chinchilla next to each other to observe their reaction. Let them out of their cages to play with each other. During this playtime observe their reactions. If there is no hostility you can then put one chinchilla into a small cage. Place this cage into the bigger cage and observe the reactions. Again if there is no hostility you may open the door of the smaller cage and watch their interaction. If one the of chinchillas starts being aggressive to the another, place that one into the smaller cage.

If all goes well, you can leave both chinchillas in one cage, but do make sure the cage is big enough for the two of them. Getting a related pair (except mating pair) reduces the chances of mismatching.

There are certain colour mutations that you cannot mate: black velvet with a black velvet, and brown velvet with
brown velvet.

Chinchilla breeding, on the average, occurs up to 3 times a year, with the female giving birth to 1-2 babies per litter and up to a
maximum of 4 in rare cases. Make sure your female is at least a year old for standard grey (slighter older for other colour mutants) before you attempt mating her. The female tends to be more aggressive than the male, so keep an eye on them to prevent the female from nipping off any part(s) of the male. Check that the female's pelvis is big enough - about the size of the thumb. Females with small pelvis will have birthing difficulties. Caesarean operations are very complication and dangerous. To check, hold the female by the base of the tip; place your thumb below the tail. The little round depression is the pelvic bone.

Gestation

Once you find the wax plug, which is about 1cm long and yellowish in colour, you can start counting down to the delivery date. The wax plug is discharged from the female when it is in heat, after having mated with the male. The chinchilla's gestation period can last between 108-120 days, however, the average count is about 111 days.

After conception, you will notice changes in the female: weight gain, changes in sleeping position - tends to sleep more on its side and changes in its eating habit. You will also notice the nipples are more prominent close to the date due.

Usually there are no problems during pregnancy or any complications during birth, but it is advisable to prepare yourself, just in case anything goes wrong. Call the vet:

a. if you observe that the mother is having birthing difficulties or
b. if she continues bleeding after the birth, or
c. if you can feel there is still a lump in her abdomen, a possibility of stillborn. MOST IMPORTANTLY, BE CALM, AND DON'T PANIC.

Birthing

The new born chinchilla is very small. A healthy baby is about 2 to 2.5 oz at birth. Help the mother to dry the baby. Sometimes birth between the 2 babies is too close and the mother does not have sufficient time to dry the first baby. A few hours after birth, check that the babies' stomach is warm. If not, the mother is not producing sufficient milk. You can supplement the baby with food if the mother is not producing sufficient milk.

Baby chinchilla

Monitor the baby's development over the next few days to make sure it is growing healthily. Keep track of weight by weighing it weekly. You should notice a general weight gain. By the age of 8 to 10 weeks old, you must separate male young from the mother. Males at this age are capable of impregnating their mother. Inbreeding produces low quality offspring. Monitor the number of pellets and hay given to the young chinchilla.

Happy breeding!