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Vyxxin

Vyxxin

RAF Chins
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
1,182
Location
Cambria County, PA
I'm not sure this thread should be here...but couldn't think of a better spot so mods, if this should be somewhere else please move it :)

Anyhow, it's come to my attention that I've been out of the chinny loop too darn long! With two infants over the past two years I have had my hands full. That doesn't mean I've gotten out of the business...just lost contact with a LOT of old faces. SO, the purpose of this thread...I was hoping someone could post a list of breeders/rescues that have gotten out of the business in the past few years or those who've drastically downsized...or those who've gotten bigger!

I'm working on getting back in the know...I never really did downsize my herd and still maintain reasonable quality though I DO need to make it to a show in the near future :) Still having between 20-30 kits born yearly with 22-24 breeding animals...

Anyhow, just wanted an update on the current chinchilla world!
 
Ange quite a few things have changed.. I've remained some-what active on the forums and I still don't know who half the new breeders are!
 
I only know of a few (mostly in NC) but I do know that:
Little Sugar Chinchillas has cut down her herd but is not out of breeding/showing
Cross Creek Chins sold her herd probably while you were still active (I think in 07)
Lee Musselwhite sold his herd
MRSNation (I can't remember her ranch brand) sold out her herd due to her son's allergies, and
I think Chinchildren reduced or sold hers and Linda Lucas reduced hers (not for sure on these two)
Tiffany (threewingedfury) got quite a bit bigger...

I haven't gotten much bigger but I did move to Nashville, TN from Fayetteville NC a year ago :)
 
I've only been doing this since 2007 (officially with MCBA membership) and I've seen a lot of people come and go already... I don't know that it's ever possible to keep up!
 
Shoots is now out of the chin biz, he sold his entire herd. It's supposed to be a "secret", but it's not. Everybody knows.

Another very large breeder sold out, but that one is not supposed to be released to the general public as of yet (not real sure why, but anyway).

Dark Star (Ellis) and Vin Samovia are trying to sell their herds, not sure on the status of that.

Looks like a lot of the old timers are getting out right now.

Other than that, lots of little folks dropped off the face of the earth, but that's pretty typical. :)
 
Darkstar and Somavia are also getting out of the business. I believe the majority of Somavia's herd is gone and Darkstar is still looking for a solid buyer.
 
Ange - of the people you know and may see or not see at the York show:

Troy of JTChins passed away recently. As far as I know, Jim will still be showing, though I don't know if as much.
Kelly of Mystic Mosaics sold out.
Tom Hartley has come and gone.
Kayla of Lil Sugar Chinchillas from NC has drastically reduced.
Brandi Bowen has drastically reduced.
Shelli Plesser of Chinchildren sold out.
Annette Peterson sold out.

Tiffany Yarboro has drastically increased.
Jessica Godin, Humble Acres, and myself have also increased but are currently going through culls.

Kramer Chins is new and did VERY well at the last York show. I don't know if they are members here or not, nor how large their herd is.
Cape Cod Chins from MA is new.
Sundance Chinchillas from NC is newish, was mentored by Shelli I believe.
Norwood Chins from VA is new.
Chickadee Chins from ME is new.

Silkrhein, Pony Trail, the Longeneckers, Poetrue's Pets, Mt. Zion Chins, Megs, Brea Shearer, Ashley Fisher, and Gloria Mills (now Glo-Jo Chins), Hope Glover and PJK are all about the same.

ETA: Since Peggy already spilled the beans publicly, Shoots is out. Ryersons are still going strong however, and the Baars who recently moved right up the road from the Ryersons usually follow them around.
 
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Too late to add, I forgot about the Canadians!

Saphires is the only one who has started showing, but there is also Anne-Lise and Masaska out of Quebec that came to the last NY show, and Jordan Manalo from ON was at the last OH show. I think we'll be seeing more and more of the Canucks.
 
As far as I know Tom Hartley is still in the buiness. Met up with him a few weeks ago to split a shipment of feed, and he had quite a few kits born this year. Did he get out recently?
 
Megs, I heard he lost his job and was looking to sell his herd. I hope I heard wrong! He's a nice guy, and had been doing well.
 
Mish I hope so too. He did loose his job, but I thought he was hanging onto the herd. I know he was actively meeting up with denny. Hopefully you did hear wrong-- I saw him just a few weeks ago and he was still going strong. I enjoyed talking to him, he is a sweetheart.
 
I heard it at the OH show in Oct, which he wasn't at and since he wasn't at the NY show either, I figured it was true. You saw him more recently, so if he is hanging on to his herd, I'm glad.
 
Wow, that's a whole lot to take in :( I didn't know about Shoots...some of the others I did...is it public yet who purchased the Shoots herd? He was a great asset, is he still going to be involved? Do we have anyone stepping up to the plate for the organizations and shows and whatnot?

As far as some of the smaller breeders...I'd heard about Shelli, and Annette...and recently Kelly...it's a shame to lose all of them. I honestly thought some would be lifers...myself, I've been around for almost 8yrs now? Thought about getting out but it's a nice hobby...times are rough right now for non-pelting herds...and even those that pelt I'm sure are having difficulty as the pelt market isn't what it's been...prices are dropping on both sides and it's becoming impractical to keep larger numbers I think.

Real shame...anyone else that I'm going to be missing?

ETA- who's currently running the orgs? Judges? Maybe I'll have to take a renewed interest...considered becoming a judge at one point...then life got the best of me...but seems like we're losing a LOT of people...I don't want to see chinchillas become a lost hobby :(
 
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I've been breeding/showing/active in Empress for the last five years. I'm now at ~20 breeding females. I'm on the opposite coast though. I'm very sad that so many of our long-time ranchers are selling out. I am hoping that all of us "newer" breeders will continue to be rigorous in selecting our breeding animals and continue to improve and produce competitive show animals. I plan to attend ECBC Nationals every year from here on out to make sure I'm "up to par" with the breeders from the rest of the US.

Here on the West Coast, Tabitha (RDZC Ranch) is still breeding and her herd has grown in number over the last few years.

We've also gained a new breeder, Shahna of Ridge Chinchillas, who has been very active and even attended ECBC Nationals this year.

Also in CA, Pam of Chin Colores, Gary/Ruth of Chiniverse, Summer of 4everChins, Cara of Chinchillas QED, and Danny of Chinchilla Villa have still been breeding/showing. Nan is also still breeding on a small scale and continues to show.

The Wells Chinchilla Ranch in CA sold out a couple years ago...

Furball Ranch (Rod and Donna Read) also sold out a couple years ago but are still active in Empress. Rod is normally our MC at our shows... and after our State Show next month, Donna just needs to take the test to become a new Empress judge.

And of course Vin and Ellis are both in the process of selling their herds...

It's a shame that so many of the ranchers are getting out of the business. I was just telling someone the other day I feel like we are moving very rapidly into a new era of chinchilla history...
 
Ouderkirks have sold out also, although the animals are still at their place.
 
mishalaa said:
Ange - of the people you know and may see or not see at the York show:

......

Tiffany Yarboro has drastically increased.

.........

Kramer Chins is new and did VERY well at the last York show. I don't know if they are members here or not, nor how large their herd is.
Click to expand...

LOL - Maybe I'm going in the wrong direction? Seems like I'm the lone wolf here.

From my understanding, Kramer Chins has half of their herd up for sale right now, or at least I see them daily on Hoobly trying to sell them.
 
We're also still around, quiet, here in MD. Have about 9 breeding animals right now and have 6 animals with someone else. This was actually our biggest year since we started breeding in '04, with 17 babies weaned. Most of the babies are growing up fantastically - I may bring 8 standards to MCBA natl's and go for breeder award!

I'm dying to start judge trainee-ing and get more involved with the organizations but have to wait 3 1/2 years (1236 days...) till I'm out of vet school. I also plan on expanding then. Hopefully time flies.
 
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