No, this does not mean that the individual care and attention end at this time for the baby chinchillas. Chinchillas in general are fun and lively pets, and very entertaining. Despite the fact that chinchillas are uncommon to eat their own babies, breeders should be prepared for anything. One of the most important reasons is they tend to be highly selective when choosing mating pairs. There is a chance that a problem will cause the birth to be stillborn. The processes of reproduction and birth are similar to mammals. So you have a chinchilla who likes to be held? Feeding the Newborns This is almost always a job reserved just for mama chinchilla. Remember that chinchillas are sensitive and curious creatures, and leaving them alone, even in a chinchilla-proof area, can be potentially harmful. Baby chinchillas need to be held and touched regularly in order to acclimate to humans. It is good to buy milk of your own. Chinchillas dont like handling all the time. That means: If your chinchilla had multiple kits, be prepared for one to be happy with handling while the other isnt. They love to explore and play with their toys. They do this in a variety of ways, including death for their infants, the mother being malnourished and desperate for food to feed the remaining children, or to keep their babies alive. Chinchillas can give birth to as many as seven kits but its very rare. After the 2 weeks, I would give the mother a dust bath, yes. In addition to its mother's milk a newborn chinchilla will start nibbling on stalks of hay and soon it can eat pellets as well. Make sure to hold baby chinchillas face up to prevent choking. Before the female gives birth, you must separate the male and the female. You should handle juveniles as you would handle adults. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Start handling baby chinchillas as early as possible to get them used to human contact. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. A chinchilla may nibble for a variety of reasons. Additionally, chinchillas need social interaction at least once per day. A litter of two or more chinchillas, also known as kit chinchillas, is common in chinchillas. Be careful when opening the cage door as baby chinchillas can move very fast and may escape. And isnt that fun! Chinchillas are very clean animals, and they will not eat food that is dirty or stale. If a child does want to hold a chinchilla, be sure to show him how to hold a chinchilla correctly. Warmed kitten milk would be the best choice after their birth mothers milk. This means that its up to you to ensure that the process goes well. A variety of questions are asked, and each answer is explained. Is it OK for a 13 year old to shave their legs? 1. Believe it or not, food bowls can get tipped over and crush a chinchilla's toes and feet. Do you have a pet chinchilla that enjoys being held and cuddled? Kits that are orphaned need a nutritional replacement for their mothers milk. This will ensure that your chinchilla is better at responding to you in the long run. Avoid picking them up by or squeezing their middles. Birth in chinchillas should not be bloody. Over time, the kit will drink less and less milk and eat more and more food. This species, like many other rodent species, has a very long life span. Speak to your chinchilla in a soft, comforting voice, but do not try to touch him. Chinchillas are known for their softness, making them one of the most animal-like creatures on the planet. For Chinchillas, this is just as important as it is for you. WebWhen handling juvenile chinchillas, take special care. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. ), One for the father chinchilla who cannot be around the mother chinchilla or the female baby chinchillas. If you try to take the kits away, the mother will initially be nervous. baby chinchillas will need to remain with their mother for roughly 12 weeks, Chinchilla Sneezing (What It Means & What You Need To Do), What Foods Are Poisonous To Chinchillas? The modest commission we make from featured products makes it possible for us to stay online and write about chinchilla care. On average, mothers give birth to 2 to 4 kits per litter. When you pick up your baby chinchilla ask the breeder to show you the best way to handle them. You are unlikely to find this kind of special attention in a pet store. Milk production is triggered by having young, and ends when the young are weaned, as in all animals. By using Karo Syrup and a small amount of rice cereal, you can quickly and easily add this sweetener. Heres a table detailing what youll need to do and when: This is broadly all you need to know to take care of chinchilla kits correctly. No, baby chinchillas do not need milk. Because chinchillas are mammals, the processes of reproduction and birth are similar to those of other common pets, and to those of people. WebChinchillas are small animals that require a small amount of food to maintain their health. After that weigh them every few days. Most chinchillas would rather be playing and exploring than being cuddled. WebNo, chinchillas are not hard to take care of. Do not squirt the milk into its mouth. Hypothermia is lethal to chinchillas, so it is critical to treat both conditions promptly with the assistance of an exotic veterinarian. We would love to hear your thoughts in our comments section below! Move at their pace, not yours. Start doing so earlier. That's because if your chinchilla falls out of it when it's running, it won't have a long way to fall. They are relatively easy to care for. New baby chinchilla parents are often excited to get their first chinchilla. You dont have to encourage your female chinchilla to nurse her young just because she is old. Required fields are marked *. Bear in mind that chinchillas dont naturally like handling, so while you find joy in the experience, your pets may be frightened. Are chinchillas good cuddle pets? You must buy this new cage or retrofit your old one before the kits are born to ensure their safety, which is why this is the second step. Instead, place a small drop on its lower lip. Chinchillas are considered a juvenile with special care requirements until 5-6 months, although most chinchilla continue to grow until 8-18 months. Give your pet a treat for being so kind enough to let you pick him up to begin with. Feeding the Newborns This is almost always a job reserved just for mama chinchilla. How long does it take a Chinchilla to be left alone? Furthermore, if the baby is unable to move or run at the same speed as predators in order to escape, he or she may become a danger while out looking for food. When the kit drinks this small droplet, place another one. One exception is if the chinchilla kits are orphaned. The temperature inside the box should be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. During playtime, they would rather run around and climb all over you than be still. She is responsible for their care and protection. Follow this with another treat. Yes, baby chinchillas like to be held. A kits weight should be doubled 3 weeks after birth. If the larger kit is bullying the smaller one, the solution is to rotate them. What makes this worse is that theyre easy to care for if you know what youre doing. Although chinchillas normally prefer not to be held, there will be times when it is necessary to do so. Chinchilla Dust Bath Guide: Why Do Chinchillas Take Dust Baths? Do, not give the baby any treats when young. But hay racks are, overall, safer. By gentle pushing her stomach, she should feel squishy, but if her stomach still feels hard and you can still feel lumps, she still has kits inside her. Are Chinchillas Dangerous? It's a noise that wild chins make when they're caught by predators, but pet chinchillas can make it when they're severely injured e.g. Where should you put your chinchilla's exercise wheel? When the mother has more than one kit, it is possible that the one with the larger diameter will be larger. The kits should not be permanently separated from their mother until they are old enough. (Read Before You Feed! After the 2 weeks, I would give the mother a dust bath, yes. Many people are interested in baby chinchillas. You should handle juveniles as you would handle adults. WebDo NOT give the mother any dust baths till AT LEAST 2 - 2 and a half weeks after the birthing of the chinchilla. You shouldn't cut any nutrient out of your chinchilla's diet, be it fat, carbs or protein. Baby chinchillas should be fed every two hours for the first two weeks of their lives. Chinchillas will eat their own babies if they are ill or starving. Nurses care for the mother and her babies instinctually. When holding a chinchilla, place its hind legs on your hands and its front legs against your body, rather than just in your outstretched hands. In addition to knowing everything about the pet, you should also be aware of its breeding process. It will be an excellent experience and you will form a lasting bond by taking care of them at their early age. What to do when a chinchilla gives birth? The cage should be outfitted with everything that a chinchilla needs. We've published an eBook: Chinchilla Care 101. While the idea is an unpleasant one, it is driven by several logical processes: When a chinchilla mother is starving, its milk production slows down and stops. Each chinchilla will tip the scales differently. Chinchillas are a fun, energetic pet that is relatively easy to care for. Gestation means the development of young in the uterus (womb). Chinchillas Are Affectionate. You must provide an enclosure with only one level, which does not have gaps between wire of more than 1/2in, and must have a solid floor. Baby chinchillas have tiny feet that can easily get caught on the bottom or sides of a cage with large gaps. A chinchilla hammock, like a one-piece bathing suit for a dog, is significantly smaller and lighter than a human bathing suit. No, this does not mean that the individual care and attention end at this time for the baby chinchillas. Female chinchillas will have a very difficult time providing for large litters so in these cases you might need to rotate kits being fed, hand feed, or give babies to foster chinchillas. But so long as you do so frequently enough to pick up on any issues as soon as they arise, there isnt a problem. Keep an eye out for underweight kits and hand-feed them as necessary. It also stops the mother from wasting any milk on a kit which is guaranteed not to survive to adulthood. WebUnlike other species, chinchilla parents will NOT reject their young if they smell human scents on them. The reason is likely that chinchillas are under less pressure to produce offspring quickly than other rodents, as they face fewer natural threats. (I'm the one on the left). one without a needle), Long-tailed chinchillas weigh between 370 and 490g, Short-tailed chinchillas weigh between 1.1kg and 1.4kg (one kg is 1000grams, so short-tailed chinchillas are heavier), Females approach the heavier end of these scales, while males approach the lighter end, The larger kit stops the smaller one from taking its milk, The smaller kits genetics mean it isnt so big. Roughly how much fat should a chinchilla have in its diet? A reputable chinchilla breeder is also likely to have extensive experience caring for and handling their baby chinchillas. It is possible for them to become pregnant on a regular basis, as well as have an extremely long gestation period. They are crepuscular, meaning they are inactive during the day and quite active at night. A Chinchilla is a mammal, which means that the female produces milk for her young. If a chinchilla has not been milked for a long time, it is likely to become ill. Check to see if the kits are growing properly and getting enough nutrition. They will start by eating small amounts of hay. They live an average of 9 to 15 years, in which they go through their stages. The placenta is typically eaten by the mother after the baby is born. Feeding the Newborns This is almost always a job reserved just for mama chinchilla. It can also occur because of stress, improper diet or illness. A reputable chinchilla breeder is also likely to have extensive experience caring for and handling their baby chinchillas. You must also contact one in the event of miscarriage, as other kits from the litter may have died but not been birthed. The questions are multiple choice, and each answer is explained. Before breeding chinchillas, you must be prepared for the eventuality that the kits will not survive. Of them at their early age treat both conditions promptly with the assistance of an veterinarian... 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