1. If you have 20+ chins what do you do when you go on vacation? I know some people on here have close to or over 100, what do you all do when you leave town, do you hire a pet sitter? Or what if, god forbid you get sick such as the flu, or break a bone, who takes care of your pets if you are unable to?
I never get to go on vacation, unfortunately. Firstly, vacation money is spent in vet bills and keeping the vet fund replenished if I have a severe emergency. I have a timeshare on the OBX that I'd love to go and spend a week at least once a year, but it's not going to happen. I wouldn't be able to leave the chins with my grandparents for a week. They know how to feed them and give fresh water, but have no clue what to do in case of an emergency except to call me and if I say to take the animal to the e-vet, they know where to go. Because I live in the middle of no where, the closest chin breeder to me is about an hour and a half and I wouldn't ask them to take care of my chins for me. I do not trust anyone as a pet sitter, I do not know anyone in my town would has a clue about chinchillas much less someone that would be willing to take care of 100 of them.
The only time I really ever leave is for shows, and that's normally no more than 2 days because I own sugar gliders also and I fix their food every night for them unless I make enough for my grandparents to give them while I'm gone. I wouldn't expect them to know how to make my food, though if I get caught somewhere - I have the recipe in a cabinet as well as all of their food in a certain spots where they know where it is. When I go to shows, I drive home as soon as the show is over and try not to stay over no matter how far I am from home.
If I get sick, I still have to take care of my chins. I rarely get sick and luckily I haven't been in years, so that's a plus, but it would come down to a mask, gloves, my scrubs and probably one of my lab jackets. I normally change into scrubs before I go into the chin room to clean cages or feed and water so that whatever I have been carrying around the entire day isn't brought into their environment. Doesn't 100% prevent anything, but I'm comfortable with knowing I'm at least clean. I know that's a bit extreme, but I just don't want to take chances. As far as broken bones, etc - I guess that's something I'll have to cross when I get there. My barn is handicap accessible and if my husband has to wheel me into a barn in a wheelchair for me to clean cages, it'll get done, just may not be as fast. I get my niece and nephew to help me clean cages on occasion and I always have them to help if something dire happens.
2. When you were first starting off (before the economy was shot) how did you advertise and make a name for yourself, I mean get known and find good homes for your chins. How does everyone still find homes for their kits.
I think the main way I made a name for myself was by going to shows, not by advertising. When i first started off, I had a pretty crappy herd and was known as a BYB. I didn't know any different out of all honesty, and when I heard there were shows, I started going to as many as I could. That way people knew I was attempting to change what I had messed up from the beginning. I advertised on my website, on Hoobly, Domestic Sale, and on forums. If someone contacted me wanting an animal - it didn't mean they were automatically going to get it for the right price, I quiz and make sure that the home is going to be the right place for my animal. Most of my animals go as pets as I live so far from most of the breeders on here, but there are a few breeders with some of my chins that were born here. If I don't find homes for my animals, they stay here as long as need be. I'm in no hurry to get rid of them by any means. I always keep many open cages just in case I cannot sell kits.
3. I've read quite a few or the horror stories and seen quite some heart ache through losing chins. What makes you continue to breed? What got you into breeding or keeps you in it?
I got into breeding for all the wrong reasons, but after I found the forum and started to go to shows, I completely changed my viewpoint. I want to breed and improve show quality animals. I absolutely love chinchillas as a whole - they're an amazing species and I just enjoy every second I can get with them. It's now a lifetime hobby for me. I'm not in it for the "money", for weird colors and cute babies. Yes, it's nice to have babies, but there's always heartbreak. If you get into responsible breeding, it should be for the long run and not just for the cute babies and thinking every single kit will come out perfect and every chin you own will be 20+ years old when it dies. It just does not happen. I've had one of the worst years for losing kits and complications with my females. It doesn't stop me from wanting to continuously improve the species. There have been many times that I was so disgusted with what was happening in my herd, that I just wanted to give up, but I couldn't - I had to keep going because this is part of breeding. I enjoy the competition of shows and knowing that I'm working towards a goal and meeting that goal. I feel comfortable knowing that pet owners in my area have a place to come to, to get healthy animals that weren't bred out of rescues or free animals off of Craigslist. We just don't have many responsible breeders in NC unfortunately as many have sold out, so I feel that it is my responsibility to continue what I am doing to improve the species.