"Some mutations are inherently friendlier than others"

[Andrea]

Ever since I first came across chins seven years ago, I have been hearing whisperings that some mutations of chinchillas are inherently friendlier than others. Some seem to be 100% convinced of this, while others think there is no truth to it. Most often I hear people discussing the "mean" attitude of black velvets, especially the females. In fact, I know one breeder who won't breed them because she has had such bad experiences with their attitude! So, what do you think? Are some mutations friendlier than others by nature? I only have three chins, two homo ebonies and one violet wrap...and I will say my violet wrap is flighty, but she's a kit so that attitude may pass. My homo ebonies are both sweethearts. I do think there may be some truth to heavily mutated chins being more neurotic than a standard gray, but it must also be on a case by case basis...

Thoughts? I'd be interested in hearing from breeders who have many mutations of chins.

 

[tunes]

Eh, I'd say that some black velvets "can" be a bit snippier, the females anyway, but not all of them. I have some black velvet females here that are absolutely lovely ladies who don't mind being held or cuddled (briefly) at all. In fact, when my girls came out to visit, I had to drag my biggun out for them all to ooh and aah over and mostly she just looked bored.

Other than that, nope, I don't see any difference in any mutation's temperament. Well, except for whites. They carry the insanity gene, but that's a whole 'nother thread.

 

[Andrea]

Crazy whites, huh? Hmmm interesting because my fiancé and I said if we ever get another chin it'll be a white! The meanest chin I've ever seen belongs to the breeder we got our girls from...he's a male violet. Attacks your hand whenever you go to feed him...but it seems more like a chin-by-chin basis. I had never heard that about whites, just BV's.

 

[Spoof]

Depends on the herd. Since some herds are known for producing a couple of colors predominantly they may have gotten that reputation. There is a saying that you can judge a rancher's personality by the response of their herd when you walk in the door. It is very true.

When I buy outcross stock that has a crazy in it - it unsettles the entire herd. I had to wash out a couple of very nice animals just because they were putting everyone else on edge, you could just feel the tension. It was like nobody would breathe when I walked in. Got rid of those two and it was back to normal, everyone lazing about and wanting to know what I was up to.

So it isn't a particular color, but usually a herd or a line in a herd. If a big breeder has a top BV that is an ***, and he is with 12 females and throws 60 babies for 10 years, that's a lot of potential ********. )

 

[mishalaa]

I have heard (and had some experience) that whites are crazy. I have heard that beige are crazy. I have heard that blacks are spunky. This is the first I'm hearing that blacks are mean.

For the most part I think it's a chin-by-chin basis and color has nothing to do with personality. I cannot go through my herd and say all my chins of such and such a color have so and so a personality type. I had a sapphire that was a biter, but a few of my other sapphires have been much easier to handle than any other chins, mostly because they are nervous and just sit there and tremble. I have a spunky black now, but I also have a very docile one. I had one fearless/bold white, and one very fearful/panicky white. I have a chatty/talkative beige, a friendly wants-to-be-scritched beige, and a grouchy beige. My standards are all over the place, from sprayers to lap chins. The majority of my chins, regardless of color, have been what I consider typical - curious about what's going on but move away from being touched, not mean but not lovey either.

There is a known correlation between color and docility in some other animals, but I have not seen this in chins.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I agree with Tunes (Peggy). As for whites being crazy, I agree. However that doesn't mean that they bit or hurt anyone. It means they do crazy things that make you laugh like crazy

 

[ticklechin]

I agree, whites are nuts-not mean at all just plain wacky! And IMO super smart!

 

[3CsMommy]

Looking at the numbers involved, its not possible for *all* chins of a certain color to act a certain way. The crossing and recrossing that went into getting ebonies, mosaics, etc. goes across 3 or 4 different mutations in some cases, which are too many factors to blame personality on genetics.

Based on numbers, I'd guess that the color throwing the most "mean" chins are standards, simply b/c standard gray is the most common color, esp. among the "toss two pet store chins in a cage and sell the babies" kind of breeders that don't screen for health and temperament. That said, I've seen some aggressive/dominant standards and some sweet, even tempered standards. I've seen skittish beiges and calm beiges.

Ultimately I think there are just too many factors affecting chinchilla genetics to decide that color is what makes a chin "mean" or "nice". Like with humans, attitude is a matter of nature & nurture combined.

 

[lauralynne]

I think the debate is really if personality is genetic.

 

[Andrea]

I really haven't thought that it's all of any color, but rather a tendency of different color mutations to have certain personality traits. Mish, do you have any friendly sapphires?

 

[mishalaa]

Define friendly, lol. Other than the one biter, they've all been what I consider friendly - which is not bitey, spray-y, or kack-if-you-look-at-them-y.

The inheritability of temperament has been debated before, somewhere around the middle pages of this thread.

 

[Laurie]

I have heard that black velvets tend to be mean, but I have none so I can't confirm. I do have 2 crazy whites so yes I can confirm they are wacky and crazy. I have 2 super nice and friendly beiges and one really fiesty beige but none of them are crazy! My really crazy girl is my light tan girl who dive bombs out of the cage if the door is open and she is over 6 feet in the air!

 

[starleomach]

It is more the line in my opinion. I have several Black velvets only 1 ia mean. I used to think whites where mean I had a mean female, kept one of her kits also mean and kept one of her grandkits..also mean, and those 3 were at the time my only whites. since then they have gone and I have new whites very friendly. so I feel it is less the color than the line.

 

[pinkpiggy1989]

I have a black velvet male. Hes not 'mean', but hes not the friendliest of my bunch either. He was my first chin. I got him about 3+ years ago, and to this day I STILL can't even touch him without him barking at me. Once I finally catch him, I can hold him. He doesn't care to be held much, but he NEVER bites. But thats pretty much the standard for all chins. I have noticed he'll let me touch him if I was just fooling with another chin, but I think hes just checking out their scent. After a few sniffs he'll swat me with his paw, bark a few times, and hop away. Really wish I could give him scritchies. My boyfriend jokes that he hates me!

 

[Mikayla]

One of my first chins, who has since passed away, was a black velvet and was the sweetest little powderpuff! You could hold him for HOURS! He was such a lover boy.

 

[Spoof]

I had a mean female, kept one of her kits also mean and kept one of her grandkits..also mean,

I'm on generation five of a tan line and still drops mean ones from time to time. Only kept the females of each generation, and only the non-agressive/non-spraying ones and still two out of the nine kits of this generation have been turds. Male and female, and for those that haven't experienced one they lunge and latch on the day of birth. You can't miss them. They have very good aim too.

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

Of all my squeakers/talkers, have been whites for some reason. I've had one that lays her head up against the front of the cage wire, with her little paws above her head, just waiting for her rose hips! Yes, those whites are special in more ways than one. Probably what makes me love them even more!

I might add I have had some feisty standards! One lesson my 13 yr old son learned, was that if you come across a P'O'd female, do not blow in her face, or your going to get a mouth full of PEE!!!!

 

[Andrea]

So do you think parents imprint on the kits? If they are mean then they are more likely to throw mean kits? Obviously there are never any guarantees but I'm speaking generally. I think it's interesting to hear everyone's experiences from breeding "mean" animals and overall it seems it is not related to mutations of different colors.

 

[Megan]

I love black velvets. They are my favorite mutation, and I have not had any experiences with them being nasty. Out of all my animals I have one downright nasty chin, and she is beige. I have 2 other beiges, a brown velvet and 2 pink whites that are not mean...just one the female. She did have one litter for me and both kits were extremely sweet.

I think it all depends on the chins as to who is nasty and who isn't. I wouldn't trade my blacks for the world

 

[Jazicat]

I have an ebony, Edgar, who is my spaz and escape artist. If there is trouble to be gotten into he's the one and he's also an attention hound. He is our first and only chinchilla that we got as a kit, 4 months. He was our only chin for 9 months as well.

Oscar, our mosaic, is our talker and romeo. He is a really neat chin who also seems to thrive with lots of attention. Oscar came to us as an adult but had been in a pet home before being returned to the breeder and than shown by her. His breeder said his previous parents took good care of him so I think we are lucky to benefit from that. Oscar has also taught Edgar that talking gets attention so now they are both vocal.

Jackie. a violet, is our newest and very shy. Not something we ever had to worry about with our other boys. He's only been here two weeks and is waiting to meet the boys. At this point Jackie is a total sweetheart and I am hoping as he comes out of his shell. He does love time in the play pen though and is starting to not be so afraid of us. However it's going to take a little longer with this guy so time will tell as to his personality. He's a little over a year and lived at a breeders before our house.

So far I've not to meet a mean chin but I'm sure if I asked at a show or my breeders they could show me one.