| Chinchilla Gestation Chart |
The gestation period for a chinchilla kit is approximately 111 days. It can vary from 103 days to 122 days and still be a healthy kit/kits. Below is a chart that will give you an approximate delivery date, based on the 111 days gestation period, if you know the date of the breeding. The breeding date is the number on the left side of each column ... The target due date is on the right side of each column. Example: If your chin mated on June 1st ... the target due date would be September 20th. If your female chinchilla is in a breeding situation (this is anytime she is sharing a cage or playtime with a male chinchilla) treat her like she is pregnant. Give her extra supplements and plenty of hay. Handle her carefully and no poking the belly area! There are a few extra tips and a list of supplies for your "Chin-Kits" at the bottom of the page. |
| As a general rule, kits are born without a hitch, and mom is able to care for them properly. Then there's that ... 'but not always' ... Sometimes there are problems that can appear without notice. ( 1) Breach Birth ... the kit is not coming out the way it should and gets stuck. Often you must help deliver the kit. If there is no one there, the mom will deliver it herself, but can pull off an arm, a leg or a tail in the process. ( 2) Excessive Bleeding ... a kit that is to big, or a birth canal that is to small, these are not always for the same reasons. To big? She carried the kits to long or was put into breeding with a male that was to big. To small? The female was to young and not fully developed or was a smaller female adult than one that should be put into breeding. Or something inside, such as the lining has broken loose. ( 3) Mom's had a rougher time than normal and she does not have the strength to clean each kit as it is born. In this situation, you must help to clean the kits and keep them warm. ( 4) A kit is still born, but looks like a fully developed kit and there is no obvious damage to the kit. You may be able to stimulate it and get it going, by rubbing and/or using a warm water bath (last resort). ( 5) A kit is born and the sack remains over it's face, preventing the kit from breathing. Mom usually takes care of this, but be prepared to do so if she can not for some reason. A kit can only live outside the womb for a couple of minutes, after that, it is usually to late. ( 6) The kit is not breathing due to fluid in the lungs. Learn and practice how to help remove the fluid, stimulate and even give mouth to mouth. ( 7) The kits are being born to quickly, mom does not have time to clean one before another arrives. Pitch in and help or the kits won't make it. ( 8) Kits fight over a specific teat and tear it, damaging mom. Check out the story on my second website, Luv 'N Chins II. (Not for children or for the squemish, but a must if you breed chinchillas or have a pregnant momma chin.) ( 9) Mom rejects a kit/kits. Plan on long hours, little to no sleep, giving lots of loving care and sheer will-power over the next few weeks. (10) Mom's milk has not come in or she does not have enough for the number of kits she has. Make sure you have a nursing kit on hand ... just to play it safe. (Glass eye droppers are often the hardest to find.) (11) The kits fight and one kit damages the other kit. Be prepared to help mom keep them separated and rotating them for nursing. (12) You find kit that has an open wound. Possibly due to fighting with litter mate, mom having to pull the kit out that is breach, or an accident. Triple antibiotic ointment and other things listed in the first aide kit may be necessary. This is just 12 of many things that can, but usually do not, happen. Plan ahead, for problems that, hopefully, will never come. It is better to have things you do not need, than it is, to need things you do not have. A whelping cage, one level, less than 15" tall, bedding for the bottom of the cage and nothing else inside the cage... unless it is a hut that goes from the bottom of the cage to the top and it is anchored to the side of the cage. A ceramic feeder that is wider at the bottom than the top for food. Mom can hide from the kits, if she can get on top of the hut. A kit can starve or chill easily, if mom is not there. Kits are born with eyes open, fully furred, and playing within a hour or so after birth. Kits will normally climb to the top of the cage within the first 24 to 36 hours after birth. They can climb up, but they can not climb down. They climb to the top, then just turn loose and fall to the bottom, they will do this repeatedly. Extra bedding and no objects for him/her to fall on as he/she comes down is very important. Chinchilla kits break easily. Make sure you have everything you need ... Have two kits ... one for supplementing and one for first aid. First Aide Kit ( 1) Clean white washcloths kept sealed in a plastic bag. ( 2) White paper towels. ( 3) A triple antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin. ( 4) Sterile Gauze, sealed (pads and wrapping types) ( 5) "Hurt-Free Tape" sticks to itself, not to skin (use on the outside of bandaging as a wrap. ( 6) Betadine/iodine ( 7) Wound Wash Saline (I like the spray can ... lasts longer and less messy.) ( 8) Syringe ... no needle. ( 9) Eye dropper, preferably glass. (10) Towel or blanket to wrap the chinchilla for warmth and/or drying. (11) Q-Tips (12) Sterilized Popcicle sticks. 13) Know who and where your vet is! Keep phone numbers near the cage. 14) Sterile scissors 15) Alcohol preps 16) For fluid in lungs, practice the "slinging method" with a salt shaker. 17) Keep your vet's number posted near the cage and telephone. 18) Transport cage prepared to go. Supplement Kit 1) Canned goat's milk OR canned evaporated milk. 2) Glass eye dropper. 3) Glass, ceramic or insulated coffee cup. 4) Cranberry juice for mom. 5) Nursing bottle. 6) Kitten Formula (powdered) not necessary if you have #1. 7) Nutri-Cal in the dog/cat section of the pet store. 8) Critical Care from your vet or homemade. 9) Paper Towels clean and near by you. 10) Clean wash cloths. One warm and moist, the others dry. 11) Q-Tips 12) Molasses (optional) 13) Know who and where your vet is! 14) Syringe ... no needle. 15) Practice feeding a chin with an eye dropper! Careful, they can suck the eye dropper into their throat ... even a new born can do this. Dropper is held using thumb and next two fingers ... the pinky finger should be held stiff and straight and the tip of the finger braced on the hand holding the chinchilla, to help prevent the "surprising suck-to-the-back-of-the-chin's- throat" ... which can and will often kill the chin. They have a surprisingly strong suckling strength. 16) Keep your vet's number close to the cage. 17) Human baby food cereal. (dry flakes) This can be added to thicken the formula in kits 2 weeks or older. 18) Plenty of time and plan on little or no sleep, this has to go slowly and frequently. This part is strictly a labor of love. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Never heat the formula or food in a microwave! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
| Be Prepared! |
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