| Chinchilla Priming Calendar Developed by - Carl J. Farmer |
| In the early days, chinchillas were hunted for food and their beautiful, soft, thick fur, the softest fur known to man. They are still highly valued, in the fur industry, for this reason. In the past, some cultures/tribes, only royalty were allowed to have/wear chinchilla fur. It is still often thought of as a status symbol, to wear or to have as a pet. But, the times are changing. Now, these sweet little furry creatures are loved by many, as pets. The chinchilla is quickly becoming 'the latest thing' in the 'pet world'. The priming calendar below was used by many fur ranchers, to know ahead of time, when each animal would most likely be ready for pelting, when the fur was at it's best. Now, in the pet world, it is used to know ahead of time when a chin is at it's peak prime, fur at it's best, to show it in a show. Yes, chinchillas have shows, much as dogs and other animals do. They compete for the best overall appearance, size, shape, color and fur quality. They must meet the high quality of the standards set by the ranchers of old. Why? Because those standards come closest to the chinchillas of the wild, when they were at their best. Now, that they are becoming more popular in the pet world, they may have to meet additional standards in a show. When being judged for fur, the chin had to be 'blocky' in appearance, good thick fur with no swirls, breaks, or lines in the fur. Fur that, when blown into, would not separate all the way to the skin and would quickly 'bounce-back' to it's original position. Thus, the use of the priming calendar, for in peak prime, the fur is at it's best. The color could not be ruined by a hint of red, but should have a bluish hue to it. They used mostly standard gray and Gunning black (black velvet) chinchillas for fur. Now, as pets, in addition to all the qualities above, they have to be "cute" (I've never seen one that wasn't), have a good disposition (if it bites the judge ... you won't win), and have a small nose and small ears (I understand the small nose, but the small ears? Bunny ears are cute!) Chinchilla shows are a great place to see the best of the best and meet other people that love chinchillas. It is a great place to learn more about this sweet, curious little creature. There are regional shows and national shows. Check out the M.C.B.A. web site, one of the two largest groups/clubs for chinchilla breeders/lovers, to find a show near you. Find out about the national show that is held each year in Auburn, IN. Each show I go to, I learn something I did not know before. There is so much to learn about this soft, beautiful, little critter! To properly care for a chinchilla, you need to know all you can about it. What is good for it, what is not. What it can/can not have to eat. How to properly groom it. How you choose a mate for it, so that you will produce the best/healthiest chinchilla kit/kits you can get. Even if you do not show your chinchilla, you do need to know (and do) everything that can help it be the best it can be. A breeder found this old priming calendar when going through some old things. Needless to say, I purchased it for my web site ... to share with others. It is not for sale, but if you study it closely, you could probably make a working one of your own. You may copy it for personal use, but to display it on another web site, please ask first. Thanks & Enjoy! |
| Jo Ann |
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