A birthday surprise! (Questions inside)

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Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
126
Location
Southeast Texas!
So today on my birthday, I was staying home because I have to take my driving test, and when I went to my room to pick out my clothes I heard a little peeping sound, which could never have come from my adult chins!

So while I go to investigate I see momma soaking wet on her underbelly and I see a little baby chin under momma!
It looks to be a female, but either way I'm going to keep it and call it sweet pea.

It's father is a Pink white, and mom is a Stanard grey who carries an ebony gene.
It looks to be mixed all over!

Now my questions are this:
When can I allow daddy to be back in the cage with mom? (They were together alone for 6-8 hours without and complications but I knew it would be smart to seperate them just in case)
Is there any supplement I can purchase at Petco / Online so momma and baby can keep a good weight going?
Is there any food or specific hay that would be good for now?
What about water, what should be added to it, if not anything at all(Apple juice, Pedialite, etc)
What bedding would be the best for now, (I got carefresh, seemed to be the best option)

Right now I have them In a cage with small bar spacing with one ledge, and all the basics, (Food, water, chews)

Any other suggestions will be taken, just want to keep the baby and healthy!

I'll add pictures later :)
 
* * I know about possible breed back, bar spacing, no dust bath for 10 days!
I've had my chins for over a year now and been on this website for 5 months, so I've done my re search for them :)
 
Well congrats on a safe delivery.. YOu are lucky.

Anyways, leave dad out, mom can get pregnant right away after having a kit, and if I remember correctly from what a breeder told me, she will be in heat again in three weeks.

Check mom's teeth if you can to see if they are dark like they normally are, sometimes their teeth turn lighter or white and if they are you need to give her some calcium to get those teeth back to dark orange. [or whatever color you call it].

you can put alittle apple juice in moms water bottle, i have heard this helps to produce milk, dont' know if it's true, just have read it many times.

As for food and hay, they should already be on a quality food. And if they aren't I would suggest switching to a better food.

Some good foods are:

Mazuri
Oxbow
Tradition
PANR
Nutrena Naturwise

There could be some others, but I can't think of them, and I"m sure someone else will add to the list.. Alot of people in here sell these foods. Most anything sold at a petstore is NOT chinchilla safe.. Some petstores do however sell Oxbow and Marzuri food.

Whatever bedding you used for mom, you can use with the kit. As long as it's chin safe.

And if you put dad back in with mom, you will have more kits. The best thing to do is keep boy and girl separate. And if the kit is a boy, you need to get him out of the cage with mom at 8 weeks of age, or he can get mom pregnant.
 
congrats on the baby chin but I don't know why would you put back the male chin when you know it will get your female chin pregnant. I have seen some stuff from Sarah who runs qualitymutationchinchillas you can just go check her size. I would also take out that ledge you have in the cage because if mom jumps on top the baby wont be able to get the milk it needs. A little hidey house would be perfect so mom and baby can have some privacy. Also weigh the baby every week ( or is it every other day?) to see if she/he is gaining weight.
 
Thanks for the quick replies!

* As for petstore, the only time I EVER go there is for bedding =).
My chins all have water buddies, and are fed oxbow / timothy hay, and mazuri pellet!
So no calf manna, or anything like that?

* * The mom and dad we're seperated as soon as I found out, and when the baby is more stable I will allow it to re-connect with the dad.
I ordered a scale online, ups over night and they have a hidey house. I will remove it now! Thanks.

As for calcium, what would be good for her?
I don't want to disturb her tonight, she's still sore and has been very protective of her baby, so I'm just going to let them be.
 
For calcuim to get her teeth back to normal color, some people use cuddle bones, calf manna-which can be bought from someone in here, or calcium powder, which I also bought from someone in here. As for how much to give at a time I just did alittle bit each day, maybe someone can clarify that better than i did. OH you can also try baby/toddler tums, the plain ones with nothing in them [but you can get a flavor] just give a quarter of it a day.
 
Calf Manna is not a rich source of calcium. It has a little calcium but it is primarily a high protein supplement. It is an dietary supplement which was developed for quick growth in calves and can be used extremely sparingly in the pregnant/lactating/young chinchilla to provide extra protein. Personally, I do not use Calf Manna although I did try it in the past.

Here is the nutritional analysis:
Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein - Min - 25.0%. Lysine - Min - 1.4%. Methionine - Min - 0.3%. Crude Fat - Min - 3.0%. Crude Fiber - Min - 3.0%. Crude Fiber - Max. - 6.0%. Acid Detergent Fiber - Max - 10.0%. Calcium - Min - 0.7%. Calcium - Max - 1.2%. Phosphorus - Min - 0.6%. Salt - Min - 0.5%. Salt Max - 1.0%. Sodium - Min - 0.2%. Sodium - Max - 0.4%. Copper - Min - 15 Ppm. Copper - Max - 35 Ppm. Selenium - Min - 0.1 Ppm. Zinc - Min - 125 Ppm. Vitamin A - Min - 20,000 Iu/Lb.

Ingredients: Soybean Meal, Corn, Hominy Feed, Feeding Oatmeal, Dried Whey, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Linseed Meal, Brewer's Dried Yeast, Vegetable Oil, Fenugreek Seed, Anise Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Monocalcium Carbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Sulfur, Iron Oxide, Ferrous Carbonate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Thiamine Mono Nitrate, Niacin Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin.

I prefer cuttlebone for my chins. It is a calcium supplement and a chew toy!
 
Congratulations on a safe delivery! And on your Birthday, too! Happy Birthday!
If mom can't get on top of the house, I'd leave it, for privacy. She'll like that!
I usually don't give my new mothers anything new, other than an extra helping of lifeline which they all get, anyway.
When I first started out, I was told to give a Mazuri/Calfmanna mix, but learned [the hard way] better feed makes healthier chins!
You might check her in 90 days, for a breedback - very possible, but keep them separated!
Good luck with your new addition!
 
If they were alone for 6-8hrs chances are really high she's going to be a breedback. One won't hurt her but you don't want it to happen consistently. Has this chin been pregnant before? Unless her teeth are white she doesn't need any calcium supplements. Just make sure she has plenty of water, food and hay. I don't use juice mixes.

I am not familiar with your situation but unless you are really ready to be a serious breeder I would keep them seperated permanently or consider having your male neutered and just enjoy your pets.
 
If the baby is a girl, I'm not sure why you'd let her "re-connect" with dad. If she's doing fine with mom, meaning mom is taking care of her and not attacking her then there wouldn't really be a point for you to put baby in with dad. And as she gets older you'd risk her getting pregnant by dad.

Your best bet would be to allow mom and baby to live together (assuming the baby is really a girl) and keep dad separated. Chances are, he already bred her while you were away.
 
Apple juice and water does not increase milk produce, it simply increases water intake. If water intake is okay there is no point in changing anything as the natural sugars in the apple juice could help increase the multiplication of bad tummy bacteria promoting bloat or other digestive issues.

Unless you want tons of babies, I would keep them separate as well. Even if dad acts like he's DYING to get back in with mom, it's just hormones, like a teenage boy at a strip club.
 
Apple juice and water does not increase milk produce, it simply increases water intake. If water intake is okay there is no point in changing anything as the natural sugars in the apple juice could help increase the multiplication of bad tummy bacteria promoting bloat or other digestive issues.

Unless you want tons of babies, I would keep them separate as well. Even if dad acts like he's DYING to get back in with mom, it's just hormones, like a teenage boy at a strip club.

lmao...That is too funny...
 
i hope that bar spacing is a good bit under an inch. we purchased a family from a pet store and the babies were escape artist out of there 1" wires
 
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