Introducing 2 chins-age difference

[hmccoll13]

Hi all!
I just recently put down a deposit on a chinchilla and will be picking him up sometime in January (he will likely be between 6 and 8 weeks when I get him, as per the breeder's standards). Now I got him with the (hopeful) intention of him being a companion for my current chinchilla, who is approximately 2.5 years old (I don't know his exact age as he was purchased from Petco just over 2 years ago-he has not been housed with another chinchilla since he was purchased in October 2013).

I have 2-3 cages depending on the situation. I just upgraded Mojo's-my 2.5 year old-cage to a 2 story ferret nation from a heavily modified Kaytee Chinchilla cage, so I have both the Kaytee cage (which will work fine as a temporary cage, especially for a small/young chinchilla) and can split the Ferret nation into 2 sections/cages if needed, although right now I think I'm going to keep Mojo in the ferret nation and put the new guy in the Kaytee.

I am planning on introducing them very slowly, as I know too speedy of an introduction can end in disaster, and I definitely don't want that to happen. With the cages I am also prepared to house them separately permanently if I absolutely need to, although fingers are crossed for a successful bonding!

My main question, however, is whether or not anyone has experience introducing chins with a large age gap like this, and also how old should this new guy be before I start introducing them. Obviously Mojo is going to be much larger since he's full grown, and it can end badly if I try to introduce them too soon, just because Mojo will immediately have the upper hand with size.

The breeder did provide me with a lot of information about slow introductions and I've looked here and gotten even more info so I feel I'm pretty prepared to go about introducing them, but I did want to make sure the intro process is still much the same for large age gap chins and wanted to double check on when I should start with introductions since the newbie will be small when he arrives!

 

[Pepperpot]

I'm surprised that a breeder will let a kit go at such a young age. Here in England, kits are not even weened until approximately eight weeks old, and not sold till at least twelve weeks old. Make sure you regularly weigh your new baby to make sure he's gaining weight as he should. Good luck with your bonding

 

[Minccino]

That does sound like a very young age.. but anyhow, I would for sure keep the baby in the kaytee cage. The FN bar spacing will be too large for a baby until they are around 4-5months old (depending how large the chin is).

I don't have experience bonding chins, but I do know that age gaps don't really matter, it all depends on the personality of the chins! I'm sure there are others here that can give you some more tips, but I just want to wish you luck on the process, and congrats on the new addition!! I'll be waiting for photos. )

 

[Amethyst]

I agree, 6-8 weeks is around when most reputable breeders start to wean the kits, then generally keep them for another 2-4 weeks to make sure they are eating and drinking ok and doing fine on their own. Sometimes kits need a little extra time with mom. So 10-12 weeks is a more normal age to get kits.

Age doesn't really matter when bonding, personality matters a lot though, it depends if they want a cage mate or not. One thing age can play a part in though is puberty, chins go through puberty around 6 months to a year and can end up no longer wanting to be housed with another anymore, just something to keep in mind. Also you will want to quarantine the kit from your other chin, as in different room, for 30 days to make sure it's not carrying anything and give it time to adjust to it's new home and to you without adding a strange chin into the mix.
As for intros there is no one fool proof way, you may have to try a few, but the bottom line is be patient. I would think anytime after the 30 day quarantine is fine to start the intro process, so long as he has settled in and isn't still skittish.

One mention about the FN cage, a kit under 4-6 months can walk right though FN cage bar spacing, or worse, get stuck. It depends on size though, some chins are an ok size by 4 months, others need more time to grow. So don't rush to put him in the FN until you know he is big enough.

 

[hmccoll13]

Thank you for the help everyone! I'll keep you all posted once I have the newbie and I'll definitely put him in the Kaytee since the cage is slightly smaller (so better suited for younger chins as he would be less likely to get hurt in it) and it has bars with thinner spacing. I'll also do the 30 day quarantine before introducing my boys and starting the bonding process, that way the new guy can get acclimated to his new environment, grow a little more, and get used to me before meeting a new chin. Again, thank you all for your help, I really appreciate it!