Rejected Baby - Need Help, Info & Advice

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A

Argy

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
6
Location
Texas
Hi! I read the FAQ's but didn't find the specific info I needed. My girl had her first litter on 07/10/2012 (3) and she seems to be rejecting one. So far I've gotten the baby to eat a formula the vet suggested (approximately 1 mL) and am keeping him warm, but I have three questions:
(1) He weighed 37 g on 07/11 and 34 g on 07/12. About how much should he be eating at each feeding, at this age?
(2) How many weeks will I need to feed him at this rate (every 2 hours), or conversely at what age can I start feeding him every 3-4 hours?
(3) At what age do chinchillas usually learn and gain the physiological ability to sip from a water bottle, so I can place the formula there instead for the 24 hr period allowed?
Any help is appreciated. Thank you!!
 
First, what formula did the vet suggest? Normally they suggest using kitten replacer and that is for carnivores not for herbivores. For chins get some fresh goat's milk (Wal-Mart carries it if you have one nearby) and mix in a bit of either baby rice or baby oatmeal cereal.

At 34 gm, I wouldn't expect the little one to be eating a whole lot right now. I use a 1 mL syringe and I wouldn't expect him to be taking more than half of that at this point, and that would be if he was really hungry. He's just a little bit, until he starts gaining, his food intake really won't go up a whole lot.

When he is gaining steadily, and it looks as though he is going to make it, then you can go to 2-1/2, then 3, then 4 hours. I'm not going to lie to you, 34 gm is hugely borderline in my book. If mom rejected him, there may be a reason. If he keeps losing weight, you may not be able to save him. Are you SURE mom rejected him and it isn't a case of him being pushed away by his siblings? That happens frequently with triplets. If you read the FAQ, you will see where it explains about rotation. That may be a better option than just hand feeding alone.

Lastly, no bottle should be hung on a cage for 24 hours if it contains milk. I would not leave it for more than four hours. Also, I am not impressed with hanging the bottle on the cage at all. I've had years of experience hand feeding kits, and when I tried to introduce one to a bottle he ended up aspirating and dying. I'd rather walk into walls and get no sleep than risk a young or premature kit again. I did finally start using a bottle with some kits, but I didn't do it until they were four weeks old and I saw them drinking out of a water bottle.
 
Thank you for your advice!

The vet gave me a recipe of 1 part evaporated milk to 2 parts cool boiled water, a pinch of sugar, and a pinch of probiotics. Should I still add the baby cereal?

He isn't eating a whole lot and I tried rotating them but the mom just sniffs him and runs away when he goes near her, even trampling him in the process. I don't think that'll be successful at all, although every half day or so I take the other two out and put him in to see if anything changes.

The others were born at 46 and 36 g but are consistently huddled under mom and looking/behaving much healthier. This morning the rejected baby weighed in at 31 g =( but is breathing okay. My mom was able to feed him but he won't eat with me. The vet has been notified and I'm pending her call to see if I need to take him in (I hope so).
 
The vet called back. She said to keep hand feeding, try putting him with mom and watch for aggression (and place him periodically with the other female if that's the case), and supplement with water between feedings.
 
He does not need water. No kit at this age does. He needs formula. The more space taken up in the stomach with water is less that he will take in formula which has actual calories. Please, I've done this more times than you can possibly imagine. Your vet is wrong.

Also, no SUGAR - geez. Is she trying to kill him? He doesn't need probiotics right now either. He needs goat's milk with a little baby cereal. If you must flavor it, and you do not need to do so, then add a drop of black strap molasses.

I use a large baby food jar, fill it almost to the top with goat's milk, add a half teaspoon of baby cereal, and then heat up from that what I need. Heat a cup of water in the microwave, then put a small amount of formula in another jar and put it in the water to warm up. It needs to be room temperature or slightly above.

Edited to add - Your vet can do nothing for him. If her idea of helping him is filling him full of water, then she's just going to hurt him. Get the goat's milk, make up the formula, and start hand feeding every two hours. At this point, if you have to, feed him every hour. Anything to get food into him. The stress of a trip to the vet is NOT what he needs. This is part of breeding. You prepare for it, have as many of the supplies on hand as you can, and you plan to give up weeks of sleep if a kit needs you. He's losing too much. Once they hit 30 gm, I keep trying, but I rarely succeed. You need to get him eating formula, not water, and not sugar.
 
third kit

It is no comfort now but in the future if you can breed two or three chins together they will deliver at the same time and usually will feed each others kits. Since some only have one kit and some three, The average works out fine for the milk supply. This is called colony breeding.
 
The information that Tunes gave is correct. You might need to burrito wrap him just get a hand towel wrap him up so his head shows. Maybe to keep him warm put him with dad but keep an eye on dad that he doesn't hurt the little one - only a suggestion.
 
I must commend you for listening to your vet but in most instances, like this one, the members on here, like Tunes, will know so much more about chinchillas than many vets. Of course your vet means well but if you want to have any chance of saving this little one then I would strongly suggest you take Tunes advice. She has been doing this a long time...Good luck!!!
 
DianKS said:
It is no comfort now but in the future if you can breed two or three chins together they will deliver at the same time and usually will feed each others kits. Since some only have one kit and some three, The average works out fine for the milk supply. This is called colony breeding.
Click to expand...

I am wondering if you are confused on colony breeding vs. fostering. In colony breeding one male and usually 2-3 females live in a single cage set up. There is no guarantee that they will be pregnant or even deliver at the same time in a colony breeding setting and you also have the potential that the other females will be aggressive to the kits or mom may be aggressive to the other females trying to protect her kits. At this point sounds like this person is new to breeding and I would not recommend this person use colony breeding. I have been doing this for years and still would not feel comfortable with colony breeding. It's not for everyone and certainly not for every chin.

If what you mean is fostering, that is different than colony breeding which is a type of breeding set up. In a fostering scenario you have a recently littered female with a small number of kits or recently weaned kits attempt to take a kit from another female who either has no milk, doesn't have enough, has died, etc. to nurse as her own. That also doesn't always work but is better than hand feeding if the mother will take it.

OP, as tunes said it's not looking good for this guy that he's lost that much weight : / I am hoping you can course correct with more frequent feedings and using the right formula. Please keep an eye on the weight gain of the other two - you need to make sure mom does in fact have milk.
 
You can't "breed" two females at the same time, they breed on their own terms.

I agree with Tunes. Be careful not to drown the kit.

I'm curious as to how exactly the mom is rejecting the kit? Usually the other kits will beat up a smaller one before a mom rejects it. Her milk is probably just coming in right now if she's a first time mom.
 
Colony vs fostering

I am confused. The breeder told me he colony breeds by keeping 3 females together and placing a male in with all three until he thinks they have all bred. He said they usually deliver at roughly the same time and will nurse each other's kits. He did this for a few years with 80 chins and it worked well maybe because he and his daughters held the chins a lot and generally kept females together from the same colony to start a new colony. He was not breeding for pelts just a hobby so he didn't separate by color. I like the chins I bought from him since they are so tame. He only has 18 chins and his daughter cares for them.
 
He cannot predict when a chin is going to get pregnant or deliver. No one can. They can mate 50 times and it may not take, and on the 51st it does. Yes, sometimes they litter somewhere near each other, but it's not a sure fire, happens every time thing. I have tons of colonies here. I've been breeding in colonies for over 10 years. I can't predict who will get pregnant and when.

BTW, you seen to be misinformed when it comes to pelting. I don't pelt, but I still keep lineages on my chins. I have no idea what it means to not "separate by color." You don't determine who you are going to breed strictly by color. There is a lot more to it than that. Yes, you should not put a white with a white, and most people won't breed a TOV to a TOV, but you can put a white or a TOV with pretty much anything else (whether they of good enough quality or not is another matter) and it has nothing to do with pelting.
 
Argy said:
The vet gave me a recipe of 1 part evaporated milk to 2 parts cool boiled water, a pinch of sugar, and a pinch of probiotics. Should I still add the baby cereal?
Click to expand...

Just to clarify if I may ....... it sounds like the vet gave you a slightly incorrect version of the standard formula used here in the UK.
The correct formula is:
1 part evaporated milk
2 part cooled, boiled water
pinch of glucose powder
1 drop Abidec (children's multivitamins)
tiny pinch of probiotics (optional).


Like Peggy, I add baby rice (to the above formula since it is more difficult to get goats' milk in the UK) when necessary.
 
I have been breeding in colonies for years and you are confused...half the time I have to pull momma as soon as she has babies...the other half she is the only one with babies and they will all care for the babies but it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. There are fights, and all yhat fun. i would not encourage a new breeder to do that.

As for the kit I have on rare ocasion gotten them to drink from bottles but not usually until 4-5 weeks and you have to change the milk frequently. I agree goats milk. No sugar
 
Sorry if I offended with the color/pelting comment. My friend who sold me the 3 Chins is interested in the genetics of breeding unusual colors. He told me this is considered a no no in Chin circles especially because pelts need to be of uniform colors for coats. He used to breed calico hamsters which he said uses the same concept as calico cats. The male that was in with my 8 month old Beige Chin was a pink eyed White. The breeder told me today that Puff was born in early November not December as his daughter had told me. I did not ask for any paperwork or breeding records on these sisters since they are just for pets and other than this possible pregnancy will not be bred.
 
You didn't offend anybody, but I wonder if your friend is more of a backyard breeder, not interested in quality or genetics. There's nothing wrong with a pink white and a beige being put together, if they are both of a good quality and complement each other. But you get better chins if you put in those "uniform pelts" by which I assume he means standards.
 
Chin circles or pelt circles? I agree with Peggy about this BYB... Pink eyed white is not even a chin color, the pink white is technically a pink eared white. Pink whites can have dark eyes.
 
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