General Housing Questions (for 6 Month Olds)

[kellylynnmarie]

I'm going to be fostering two 6 month old little boys. And even though I've had many chins over the years, I've never had chins this young, so I had a few questions:

1) Does their housing need to be any different than a full-grown chin? I've always had the double critter nation, but I'm wondering if they NEED to be in something smaller for awhile. At the same time, I'm HOPING I can buy something smaller since I will only be their temporary home.

2) Can they have a wheel in their cage? I have two great wheels from Bass Equipment. But I don't know if they are too young for that?

3) Anything else I need to know about what shouldn't be in their cage until they are older? Or what they should have in their at this age?

Any insight is most appreciated! I want to make sure I'm all set for their needs when they arrive.

Thanks,
Kelly

 

[Amethyst]

1. By 6 months a chin is almost full grown, so they need a normal cage just like an adult, minimum 2x2x3 cage.

2. They can have a wheel, but keep an eye on them for weight loss, some chins will run too much and loss weight so they need the wheel taken away (normally just until they are a bit older and smarter, lol). They can also have playtime as well.

3. As I said by 6 months they are almost done growing, so the setup should be the same as you would have for an adult chin. The only thing is with two chins in the same cage you should have 2 of everything (water bottles, food bowls, etc) to avoid guarding or fights over resources.

 

[kellylynnmarie]

Thanks for the info! I just found out they meant to say 6 WEEKS not 6 Months. Ugh! So they are now only about 2 Months Old.

Any additional insights on the younger ones? Can they have levels in their cage yet? etc. Please let me know!

TIA!

 

[Amethyst]

Ohhh, yeah that make a big difference. 6 weeks is very young, did something happen to the mother? chins aren't normally weaned until at least 8 weeks (normally don't go to new homes until 12 weeks).
But anyways, the cage should have very low levels or no levels at all. You might want to just have no levels, maybe low ledges a few inches off the floor and just the house to sleep in, and some tunnels on the ground to crawl in. Bar spacing no wider then 1/2" or they will escape. A cage the size of a single CN would work well for them, I wouldn't go any bigger. If the cage you use is taller then a foot you want to make sure there are hammocks to catch them when they fall, or extra padded floor, kits love to climb the cage, and are very clumsy. No wheel until they are at least 6 months, no playtime either. You can handle them out of the cage (hold them, pet them,etc) but don't let them loose for more then 5-10 minutes per day if at all. I would weigh them regularly to make sure they are gaining weight. Growing chins need plenty of alfalfa hay in their diet not just timothy and of course pellets. No food treats until they are 6 months, sticks are good to give though.
That's about all I can think of off hand.

 

[kellylynnmarie]

Wow. That's a HUGE help! Thank you. Right now I have them in a carrier because I wasn't sure about the cage size. I've had many adult chins, but never any babies. These two came from a rough situation. Long story short: A friend of a friend had two chins, thought they were the same sex, they had 6 babies. Her landlord said to get rid of them, so she put them on the patio in 100 degree heat (here in Southern CA), so they both died. Not sure how, but then 4 of the kits died as well. Ugh! So they have been without their mother most of their lives. I was told they were handfed milk and have since switched to timothy hay and water. I fed them when they got here today and they chowed down and timothy hay and drank a ton of water. Seemed like they haven't been well-fed. I'm taking them to the vet tomorrow (a specialist where I've always taken my chins) to get them checked out.

I'm a little nervous because I'm not seeing any poops, but they seem to be eating and drinking really well and they are energetic and fairly social, too.

Thanks so much for all of the advice on the cage. I have the single level CN so that's perfect.

Are they able to have dust baths at this age?

and... knowing a little about their rough start to life... is there anything else you think I should be aware of or watch out for?

 

[kellylynnmarie]

And what about temperature? I've read things about babies needing some warmth. But I'm clueless when it comes to that. I just know my adults are never in heat above 75ish. (Sorry for the number of questions, but I truly appreciate your help!)

 

[Amethyst]

Yes they can have dust baths, though if their mom never showed them how you may need to help. Sprinkle and gently rub some dust on them, they should naturally shake it off and may try to roll to get it off, they'll get the hang of it.

Pretty much just watch for the normal stuff, pooping, peeing, energy level, etc. I would be concerned about the not pooping, could be a sign of blockage, either they ate something they shouldn't have or could simply be caused by dehydration, since you said they drank a lot.
I've only had young (newborn) kits once, by accident (thought I had 2 males), and 12+ week old kits, but I always kept them all at the same temp as all the rest of the chins, which was 60s-70s degree. I would say make sure the temp is above 60F or so, they should be old enough now to regulate their own body temp and they do have each other to cuddle with. Kits might be able to survive warmer then adults (which could be why a couple kits survived the 100 degrees longer then the adults), but not much more. You could put a piece of fleece in the cage for them to go under if they are cold if you want, or get them one of those fleece houses.