some breeding questions

[akane]

For those of you that pair breed instead of run breed how do you introduce and reintroduce males if you remove them to give the female a break or maybe to breed another female? I know some pairs don't over breed but for the ones that back to back breed if you let them what's the fastest way to put the male back?

I was debating just having 2 females in their own cages and putting the male in with one until it has kits and then in with the other until it has kits. By the time I introduce the male to the other female, they get to breeding, and gestation goes by I figure it would give the first female 2-3months after weaning kits before the male is introduced to her again which adds a little more time too. Is that long enough between breedings?

Lastly I've gotten conflicting reports on how soon a female comes in to heat after giving birth. Some sites say they can get pregnant within hours so the male would have to be removed before kits appear unless you catch the birth and others have told me it takes several days. Should I wait for the appearance of kits or count the gestation days and remove the male before she's due to avoid breed back?

 

[Dreamlite]

If you know the female is pregnant I remove the male. Its not always easy to tell the are pregnant when they only have 1 kit. They can breed the same day they give birth so I pull the male to be safe. As far as introing the male depends more on their personalities towards each other than how quickly it is done. I have a male that gets along with anyone I put in the cage even if he doesn't know them. I also have another that has killed a cage mate and thus lives in a breeding run so I don't risk loosing another female. There is no set rule. You have to know your chins and decide what works for them and you.

 

[akane]

Well I have a small chin proof room (unfinished bathroom that is just linoleum floors and tile walls) that I can make neutral territory with a quick cleaning and moving their stuff around and I was planning on ordering a 14x18" rabbit carrier, then removing the floor wire, that would fit inside our cages since we can't set cages side by side. I was hoping one of those methods would work for intros.

 

[Zoaea]

cage inside a cage always worked best for me. make sure the top wire is covered or toes can be bitten if the chin in the big cage hops on top of the small one.

As for rotating breeders IDK the best method, but I would like to learn the answer too!

 

[akane]

It seems really hard to find chin breeding info. Even the FAQs here are just telling gender, genetic disorders, and facts like gestation. No actual steps to any version of breeding. Not much else across the net either. Mostly I found details of run breeding setups and where to buy them rather than pair breeding setups and using 1 male on multiple females. I guess it's trial and error.

 

[Stackie]

I suggest you find a reputable breeder to mentor you and attend shows. You can ask all kinds of questions there and talk with many breeders to see how they do things. I would also suggest you show your chins and/or get them evaluated before you start breeding them.

 

[akane]

All the breeders I've talked to do run breeding or have pairs that don't back to back breed. They don't separate their males to other cages. Also I cannot find any chinchilla shows. I couldn't even find any chin breeders. I drove the 4hrs to Chicago to get my female with her twin males and now I'm getting a male and possibly another female from Wisconsin as they are headed on a trip south.

 

[D.Who]

I personally yes have runs also CNs but as a small breeder (like you will be) I will place the males in a cage beside them so they can see each other all the time.
My friend is building 1/4 inch hard ware cloth dividers to place in the cages so they can stay "together" just not "together" if that makes sense?
also I know lots of breeders will wait 10 - 14 days avoid the back breeding and have dad go back in and help raise kits, but mom can still get pregnant at this stage of course, while raising kits/