How can I tell if my Chin is pregnant?

[Takuraktty]

I am just getting into breeding and only have one doe and one buck both are over a year old and have been living together in the same cage. They'd never had an issue and get along fine. I don't know though if my female is pregnant or how to know when she will be. I check everyday when I feed and clean, she's not sleeping on her side. What are some other signs?

 

[tunes]

First, chins are not rabbits. They are not does and bucks. They are dam and sire if there are offspring. If not, they are just male and female.

Second, you'll know if she's pregnant when she has kits. Honestly, that's the absolute 100% most accurate answer anybody on here can give you. If you get an ultrasound they can check for kits that way, but it's not worth the stress on the female unless there's a problem. If you're an experienced breeder, and you're VERY careful, you can palpate in such a way as to tell if there are kits in there when they are large enough to feel. You can try monitoring her weight weekly and watch and see if it goes up, but again, this can be very stressful on a female when she's pregnant.

If I have a male and a female in breeding together, I just assume that she either is pregnant or soon to be pregnant, and I leave her alone. When I see kits, I know for sure.

 

[Takuraktty]

Alright thanks and sorry, still new to this. I was talking with someone else on another website who called them that. I'll just continue keeping an eye on her.

 

[Claire D]

Some signs are weight gain (towards the end of the pregnancy the chin will look "hippy" because the weight gain looks like it's all in the back end), she may go off her food a bit a few days before giving birth, may lie on her side & generally look a bit fed up.
But Tunes (Peggy) is absolutely right, the best way to know is when kits arrive. If you're lucky enough to see the chins mating or find a mating plug then you can count 111 days as a probable birth date but even that's not completely accurate.

 

[Takuraktty]

Thanks for all your help. But sadly Mochi passed away today. Her cage mate unhooked their chin hut, it fell down two levels and hit her, breaking her neck. She was my very first chin and I will never forget her. Thank you all though.

 

[Rob Walker]

............

 

[starleomach]

I am very sorry you lost your girl..But you will need to modify the cage it clearly was not baby safe it wasn't even safe for an adult. You need to research before breeding.

 

[Takuraktty]

Yeah I already did, I removed the chin hut. It had been fine in there for a year. Th cage is chin kit safe though bars are 1/2in by 1/2in, all levels are connected, ect.

 

[Tennyson]

So sorry you lost your girl! And I don't mean to kick you while you are down, but chin breeding is a science and an art, and only to be undertaken with knowledge and experience and commitment. If you get another chin in the future, I'd recommend holding off on any breeding for a while. Finding your first set of kits is exhilarating, but finding your first still born or your first case of malo or watching your dame die in labor quickly makes you rethink your interest in breeding simply for a hobby.

Now for the encouraging part, if you truly have a passion for the betterment of the chinchilla species, and want to breed them so badly you can't just not, then it is entirely possible! Just make sure you go all out and do it the right way-high quality housing, well researched and safe living conditions, pedigreed superior chins, and commitment. And this site can help you achieve all those things Just know where you are going before you start out.

 

[Takuraktty]

Thanks Tennyson and as I said on the other thread yeah I'm gonna hold off breeding. Get another Male so my current male won't be alone. And of course save some money if I do decide to breed later, so I can afford good quality chins. Thanks so much for that advice it is actually kinda of uplifting.

 

[greychins]

Sorry about the loss of your chin. :/

Hey just wanted to say, regarding the chin hut... I dunno exactly what kind you have, but I have attached some before to higher levels... but in a way that they can't fall. Just thought I'd share the tip cause I like to have hidey houses off of the ground sometimes... I drill a hole through the side of the chin-house that backs up to the cage wall, and put a carriage bolt through the hole, through the side of the cage, and use washers and a wingnut to secure it. That way, the hidey house is firmly attached to the side of the cage and there's no knocking it off the shelf.

 

[Takuraktty]

Yeah thats the same way I had it set up. No idea how it got torn off.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your girl.

Getting a same-sex cage mate for your male is wonderful idea. Be sure to check out some of threads on here about introductions. Just because he got along well with your female doesn't necessarily mean he will get along with a new male, so you'll want to be sure to follow all intro precautions very carefully. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask on here.

 

[Takuraktty]

Yeah I got a two new males and they're getting along great! I let them have supervised playtime then they were in cages next to eachother. Now they're sharing a cage and doing fine. I followed the intruductions page. I keep checking in every 15 minutes even though its been a day lol. I found a breeder getting rid of some chins for 25 each, and he had a bonded male pair.

 

[starleomach]

You didn't quarentine them from your other male? You really should have kept them separate from your orriginal chinchilla for atleast a few weeks..most people do 30 days.