Are YOU buying?

[TillyChinchilla]

This question is more for breeders that depend on adding outside stock to their herd, and for large breeders who sell herd improvement animals. Pet people please chime in too.

Has the condition of the economy, unemployment rates, etc - kept you from purchasing new animals (or for big breeders, dropped the number of herd improvement animals sold)?

If it has, why? If it hasn't, why?

Stores and business here are closing almost daily. We just lost two HUGE furniture places - a chain you probably have near you. A Wyndham resort calling center is closing, a huge chemical plant is cutting pay and firing hundreds.... etc. This is all within a 20 minute radius around me. And we can't deny there are more and more people needing homes for their chins due to job loss then I've seen online since I first got chins.

What is your POV from the financial side, and the chin side? I don't really have an opinion, but I suppose if I was in the position to be buying breeders, I wouldn't be for a while.

 

[chinchildren]

i am at capacity and then some when it comes to the size of my herd which is why i am not buying. i also have not culled non/slow producers so i guess that is a way of keeping production down. i don't see how the economy would not impact the chin world; love them to death but they are a luxury not a basic necessity so i am sure they are among the first things to get scratched off the wish list...

that being said, my excuse is 2 kids in college at the moment and 3 more in the pipe-line...

 

[LovableFuzziezandCrawliez]

Not sure if it is as bad here as in the states but a lot of places are closing down here too. Car dealerships so far, a lot of companies are firing people but thank goodness my husband wasn't one of them. My job is on the line - my hours have been cut way back so my pay checks are squat.

However, that being said I have recently purchased and shipped a couple of chinchillas to add to my breeding stock. Nice standards, I don't regret it!!


But I also rescue and I have noticed that NO ONE wants to adopt. Absolutely no one. I'm getting a lot surrendered but they are not finding homes. From that perspective it's going to suck because I am nearing max capacity for rescues and if I have to turn some away I am afraid they will end up being put down or just abandoned and left for dead.

 

[Parkerspetchins]

I am a pet person who is not adding any more chins to her family. I have been experiencing first-hand how costly great vet care can be for chinchillas. This has made me realize that no matter how much I would love to add to my family,and believe me, I daydream about it daily (much to my husband's dismay) it just isn't practical. I now have one chinchilla with teeth issues, God forbid another should have any problems, let alone 4 others! I cringe when I see people adding and adding and I know that they are not all thinking about the great expense that can come with pets in general and chinchillas especially. Not to mention, my girls have become accustomed to their spoiled lifestyle and I would hate to have to scale back because I got overzealous . I look at it this way, sure, I could support many more chins but I would rather continue to take really great of the ones I already have.

 

[rcr]

I'm still building my herd and plan on adding a few more chins this year. I hope to come home with some 1st place animals from the ECBC field day next weekend. :chin1::bliss::chin3:

 

[starleomach]

I am adding several as well.

 

[Sasha]

I don't have the room to add more chins but even if I did I don't think I'd expand my crew. Cages + accessories do cost a fair bit and shipping for items is more expensive than ever. Even with the chins I have I find myself buying everything in bulk and I'm avoiding buying things we don't really NEED and just focusing on the things that they do need. Same goes for me though, cutting back on wants and focusing on keeping up with payments for school/car.

 

[Becky]

Yes, I'm still buying. I am very fussy about what I buy now, but I will continue to buy when I have holes to fill.

 

[Stackie]

I'm a pet owner but these 3 boys I'm getting this weekend will be my last. Not only because of expenses but I also do not feel I could provide equal time and attention to anymore. I like to give all my chins individual attention every day and being a student and part time worker, I do not feel I would have the time for more, which would be unfair to the chins.

 

[jags]

Still buying and selling here! Really have not seen much of a differance from other years.

 

[Spoof]

I haven't noticed a difference, seem to have more locals after chins then ever now that they're here.

I will continue to buy if something really catches my eye.

Edited to add that financially it is taking far longer for the oilfields to slow down, though they definitely are. There are still a lot of jobs to be had here and everywhere is still actively hiring.

 

[CerLynn]

We're on the pet end as well. As far as financial considerations, I'm in grad school for at least another year with a stipend for being a teaching assistant, and Scott's job is secure at the moment, so we're not overly concerned. However, we did recently experience how insanely expensive vet care is in dealing with Kokomo's broken leg, and although we could afford it, it was certainly a reality check and I'd say we definitely won't be adding to the family for a good while. Besides, we're both very busy with our own work even afterhours/weekends, so I don't feel we could give enough attention to everyone if we expanded.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I'm still buying and selling. The pet market hasn't seemed to go down that much for me at least since I only sell about 3-4 chins from my herd a year. Most of the time I'll rehome a rescue that someone called or emailed me about. I have two kits of mine going to new homes at the end of the month, I usually have more people demanding chins than I have chins to sell or rehome.

 

[starleomach]

one thing that has been said, and is very true. There will always be a market for quality chinchillas.

 

[MegFarris]

My only reason that I'm not buying anything for a while is that I don't have my own house yet. We are maxed out for the moment but otherwise I'm sure I'd pick something up at one of the shows.

 

[MerrittChinchillas]

Same here as Jags. We continue to sell, but we only occasionally buy outside stock. We pelt so we have an outlet for those that many of you don't. The pelt market is not real stable right now, so they go in the freezer until things pick up.

 

[alli713]

I'd buy more, I just don't have room right now.

 

[silkrheinchins]

Still buying and selling here also. Of course I'm one to not pass up a high quality chin at a show. I seem to always come with the carrier full.
:thumbsup:

 

[Sheri]

My herd is not large and I don't know how fair my answer really is as I am fairly new. Yes I plan on adding a couple chins this year if I can find exactly what I am looking for.

To be fair money is always a restraint for me except for in April and May. I live on a very strict budget most of the year. April and May are planting season and I work those monthes in a nursery as well as my regular stuff. That is when I can buy chins. Other than pellets, suppliment, rosehips, and hay cubes I make all my own stuff and the hay I have been getting is grown right down the road. I pay $5 a bale. My chins are not really financially a burden. I gave up lattes! LOL

 

[Carol~Anne]

I'm getting my fifth boy on Monday and I'm pretty sure that will be it for quite some time. My chinchilla room is quite small and with the larger cages in there, plus supplies and a bit of furniture, I'm pretty comfortable but don't want to feel overcrowded.

I too spend a fair amount of time socializing with my guys so the more I have, the less time I have for individual attention and of course all their toys and such add up. Now, that family room we have downstairs doesn't seem to get used for much so I'm thinking I could eventually carve out a chunk of that some day for more furry friends. :wink2: