Having Problems with 3 men.

[pjelly94]

I have three male chinchillas. They are all usually fine, I let them run around my room for a long time then I have cages for them to go back into to eat, sleep, drink, ect. The cages are just left open so they can run around my room again if they want to. They are usually fine, but the past couple days they have all been fighting really bad. My oldest chinchilla had the tip of his tail bit off and blood got everywhere. I watched them for a little bit and they kept attacking him. So I put them all in separate cages to give them some time apart. My second eldest got out and somehow got into the same cage as the eldest and had him by the throat with his teeth. I completely separated them now and they aren't even by each other.

I've looked up a lot of different sites and some say they are in heat and fighting due to hormonal change and dominance. If so, how long should I keep them separated for before I try to re-introduce them? How often do they go in heat? Will I have to do this every time they go in heat?

And now my oldest is real jumpy and bit me twice when I tried to calm him down. His tail is still bloody and he won't let me touch it. Should I do something with him?

My youngest one doesn't seem any different. Is he not in heat? should he be fine for now?

Please help

 

[Amethyst]

First of all male chins don't go into heat, that is a female thing (just like with other animals), it's when they are receptive to mate (once every month or so). Males don't have a specific time when they will mate, they are good to go when ever a female in the area is. Maybe were you got confused is that males can end up fighting if you have a female that is in heat. Depending on ages males can also become more aggressive/dominate do to hormones when going through puberty, normally from around 4-6 months to a year old. So maybe you meant going through puberty not in heat?

Second, once they draw blood you really can't trust them together ever again, they can and will fight to the death. You're better off just keeping them separate and giving them separate play times. Minor squabbles (chasing, fur pulling, and barking) they can normally be ok to try reintroducing, if you separate for a few weeks then try reintroducing slowly, but once blood is drawn, they are trying to kill each other and most likely will if given the chance.

As for the one with the bloody tail, I'd take it to the vet asap. He may need a stitch to close up the wound, as well as possibly pain killers, and to make sure it's clean and no bone is exposed.

 

[Vyxxin]

I agree wholly with what Amethyst has said above. Males do not go into heat, only females. Males go through puberty but if your chinchillas are older than a year that's not the issue. A little more background would help determining WHERE things went wrong...but now that things HAVE gone wrong they need their own space.

Things that are pertinent would be age, length of time living together as well as whether or not you're 100% SURE they're all boys...maybe to include pictures on that last one as you'd be surprised by how many vets even get that wrong.

Anyhow, regardless of your answers those chinchillas tried to harm one another. They didn't just try to scare the other away...so they really shouldn't be re-introduced to one another again...with the exception of the youngest one. It sounds like he may be able to be with one of the other two but your two oldest should NOT be permitted near each other and you really need to secure their cages so that it never happens unsupervised. Chinchillas CAN and WILL kill each other!